Yellow Ribbon Fund

The Yellow Ribbon Fund is a veteran service organization, 501(c)3 providing housing, transportation, and caregiver & family support to severely wounded, ill and injured post-9/11 service members from every branch of the United States Military, following unexpected medical crises.

Since our founding in 2005, our priority at Yellow Ribbon Fund has been to keep families together during the recovery process for wounded, ill, and injured service members. We do this by providing housing and transportation during recovery and by giving caregiver support when and where it is needed. We take our mission seriously, and it shows in the way we run our organization.

Crossroads Program

Keeping the families of wounded, ill or injured service members together.
Having loved ones at a service member’s bedside during recovery from an illness or injury provides encouragement so they can heal faster. It also helps foster stronger family bonds. For many wounded warriors, difficult financial situations can prevent family members from being there while they are healing. Waiting on VA benefits to begin can cause delays in reuniting families, and changes in base policy can mean that children are unable to stay with their parents.

Yellow Ribbon Fund eases this transition process with its Crossroads Program—providing rental cars, hotel stays, and fully furnished apartments for patients and their entire families while at Walter Reed —at no cost to military families. This allows families to be together during vital moments when encouragement and hope are most needed.

• Housing: Yellow Ribbon Fund provides fully-furnished apartments and hotel stays to meet the needs of our families caring for their loved ones at the National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. We’ve partnered with the local community and hotel chains to provide quality comfort through often difficult and intimate circumstances.
• Transportation: From day one, Yellow Ribbon Fund has provided free rental cars through our partner, Fitzgerald Auto, to visiting families of injured and ill service members who are receiving long-term care at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Rental cars enable families to remain independent during a challenging time. They provide a convenient means to travel to and from the hospital and for necessary local trips while facing often turbulent days of treatment.

Keystone Program
CAREGIVER & FAMILY SUPPORT

There are over 1,100,000 military caregivers* assisting post 9/11 service members in the United States. Yellow Ribbon Fund’s Keystone Program provides support for military caregivers in chapters around the country.

Empowering Caregivers
Time spent caregiving can lead to the loss of income/jobs and exact a substantial physical and emotional toll. In response to the need, Yellow Ribbon Fund developed the Keystone Program. The care and love of a military caregiver is invaluable and unending, but its emotional and financial cost is profound. It is imperative to support military caregivers, as these military caregivers serve as their family’s keystone, the apex of an arch enabling the foundation to bear its weight. Without a supportive structure in place, our Nation’s heroes could not prevail in the operative and postoperative rehabilitation process and successfully transition into civilian life.

Whether committing to life-long treatment at WRNMMC and relocating to Bethesda, Maryland, or returning home to continue treatment at the local VA medical center, service members and their families can be assured Yellow Ribbon Fund will provide a pipeline of sanctuary and support to both our nation’s heroes and military caregivers. The Keystone Program provides transitional services and training to caregivers, at any point in their journey: health and wellness education and events; life skills development and educational opportunities; family retreats; peer-to-peer support and networking.

• Yellow Ribbon Fund Caregiver: Our Keystone Program provides valuable resources. Through our Keystone Program, we offer a foundation of resources for military caregivers. Often, their own needs are set aside as they manage families, careers, and finances, and the daily medical journey of their service member.

Yellow Ribbon Fund’s Keystone Program provides military caregivers with a foundation rooted in three core keys:

• Health & Wellness
• Respite
• Education

The supportive structure of a caregiver is essential to our wounded, ill and injured service members during their recovery and successful transition into civilian life. Yellow Ribbon Fund provides transitional services and training for caregivers and their families, at any point throughout their journey.

• Health & Wellness: The Keystone Program provides fun, interactive events and activities for mental breaks, fitness and wellness classes to keep caregivers healthy and recharged, and fellowship with other caregivers so they know they are not alone in their journeys. Health and wellness opportunities include:
  • Enrichment classes: healthy cooking, exercise & fitness
  • Peer-to-peer mentoring
  • Monthly activities for self-care and camaraderie
• Respite: Through our Keystone Chapters across the country, as well as our National Virtual Chapter, we provide a supportive network and “home base” for caregivers. The Keystone Program provides a variety of ways to stay connected through virtual and live events for caregivers and family members such as:
  • Fellowship and encouragement of other caregivers
  • Virtual and live events
  • Supportive network and resources
  • Caregiver and Family retreats
• Education: The Keystone Program offers monthly webinars featuring informative and relevant topics, presented by experts in their field. To further our commitment to education, Yellow Ribbon Fund is partnered with Instant Teams Academy. This unique program enables Military Spouse Caregivers to complete specialized training which equips them with remote work skills. The experience and connections gained through Instant Teams Academy allows them to secure flexible and remote job opportunities.
  • Learn more about educational opportunities provided by the Keystone Program:
    • Webinars & Life Skills Training
    • Monthly Book Club offering relevant, educational topics
    • Instant Teams Scholarship Program

YRF Family Retreat

Whether you are looking for a family bonding retreat, feeling your family needs to de-stress, or you just simply want to relax and enjoy nature and the sun, join Yellow Ribbon Fund on our Family Health and Wellness retreat.  The Family Retreat is located in Key Largo, FL at the prestigious private Ocean Reef Club resort.  Our families will enjoy time together while experiencing wellness opportunities throughout their stay.  To learn more and apply to the retreat, click the link below.

Benefits:

• Deepened understanding of own body, mind and wellness
• Strengthen family bonds
• Build lasting friendships
• Positive energy gain