A Message from the Co-Founders of Hidden Wounds
It’s hard to believe it has been six months since Hidden Wounds began operations. In that time, we have experienced many exciting situations, met some of the most incredible people in the world, and yes, even saved the lives of 3 veterans while assisting in getting help for another 9.
From the first speeches we gave to various Optimist Clubs, Sertoma Clubs, church groups, and other civic organizations, to hosting a pancake breakfast through Fatz Café, to partnering with the Dorn VA Suicide Prevention Unit, to participating in several annual local events with our friends at NAPA, to an invitation to visit Washington D.C., to a great fundraiser at The Loose Cockaboose, we have truly been humbled by the kindness and generosity of the many good folks we’ve come in contact with along the way. These include a tremendous team of volunteers who helped us in all of our fundraisers. They are too numerous to mention, but their contribution of time and energy are greatly appreciated.
We’ve also seen veterans and their families and heard stories of how PTSD (used here as an all-inclusive term for all combat related psychological challenges) has adversely affected their lives. Most had sought help from the VA and had been unable to get anything more than prescriptions at that time due to an overcrowded system struggling to keep up. The good news is, the VA has broken ground on a new psychiatric unit at the Dorn VA. But until that facility comes on line in the next few years, Hidden Wounds will play an increasingly large role to provide that “safety net” in the interim to provide the counseling services veterans and their families may need right now.
To carry out this role, our network of counselors has grown tremendously in our first 6 months. As we write, we have accumulated 23 counselors that cover almost the entire state. We also have 9 volunteers in our Vet-Peer program. Between them all, Hidden Wounds is able to act and react to most any situation from crisis intervention to simple referral for our veterans. We are very grateful for their participation. And while we all hope we don’t have to call on them, the simple fact is, we will.
This point could not be proven out anymore than when we went to Washington to meet with various sub-committee personnel on military affairs and other senators and congressmen as arranged by our own congressman, Joe Wilson. Upon our return, we received inquiries from more than a dozen states asking when Hidden Wounds would be expanding into their areas because as we all know, PTSD and suicide among our veterans is not just a South Carolina problem, it is a national tragedy.
So looking forward to our next 6 months, we have several challenges ahead of us. One is continued survival. As you all know, the economy continues to struggle and is affecting everybody’s ability to give. Our particular situation is made a little more difficult by the fact that larger corporations with established “giving foundations” generally have policies that don’t allow them to contribute to charities less than one year old. So we have until January 1 of next year to get by on the continued generosity of mostly individuals and smaller organizations. Hopefully after the New Year, we can access some of the larger contributors. It is our goal to remain completely privately funded.
Secondly, we are a “start-up” business with all of the pains of growth associated with it. We have been operating out of our homes since the beginning, but we need to expand in either one of two ways. Ideally, we need some office space to give us a central point of operation. Meetings between ourselves, prospective contributors, and others are pretty awkward at times at Starbucks. We also have amassed a pretty large inventory of fund raising saleable goods that it would be nice to have a central point we could all go to at a moment’s notice to gain access to. At the very least, we need a storage facility just to get inventory in one spot. So if you know of someone who has some office space in Columbia they would be able to be flexible on, please let us know.
And last, but not least, we need you to help us find resources. Basically, there are only three of us working to keep Hidden Wounds viable and in the forefront of public awareness. But we can’t be everywhere or see everyone across the state. If you know of someone or some business that would like to contribute, please encourage them on our behalf. If you know of some veteran that needs our help, please encourage them to get in touch with us. If there is a group that would like for us to come and speak, encourage them to call us to set up a date. Anything you can do along these lines will be greatly appreciated.
It is our goal to solidify our operations here in South Carolina during the last six months of this year and expand to at least one other state in the first half of 2011. With your help and prayers, we can make Hidden Wounds everything we all want it to be. If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to call us.
God Speed,
Hidden Wounds Executive Team
Anna Bigham, Chief Executive Officer 
Chris Younts, Chief Operations Officer
Dan Ramsey, Executive Director of Strategic Outreach
Chris Younts, Chief Operations Officer
Dan Ramsey, Executive Director of Strategic Outreach
