LAKE FOREST, Calif. – Infinite Hero Foundation today announced it has completed selections for its next round of charitable grants. Five organizations were chosen to receive funds for programs that support the foundation’s goal of meeting the critical needs of military heroes and their families.
“The selection process was challenging but thanks to the dedication of those who serve Infinite Hero, our funds will be utilized with efficacy and efficiency,” said Colin Baden, President of Infinite Hero Foundation. “The board made its choices with a careful eye toward programs that will maximize the use of grant money in ways both quantifiable and immeasurable, including positive quality-of-life changes for heroes and their families.”
The five organizations selected to receive funds in the this round of Infinite Hero grants include the Armed Forces Foundation, Heartbeat—Serving Wounded Warriors, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Institute for Creative Technologies at the University of Southern California, and the Semper Fi Fund.
Baden continued, “This is a very exciting time for the foundation, as well as an opportunity for the many generous supporters of Infinite Hero to see the real-world results of their donations. They are the ones who deserve credit and thanks for making these programs possible. They are the ones who are making a difference in the lives of those who have sacrificed so much for the good of us all.”
A non-profit organization dedicated to providing solace to members of the Armed Forces community during their time of greatest need, the Armed Forces Foundation will utilize its Infinite Hero grant to provide support, prevention, intervention and counseling services to military-connected students and their families. The funds will aid monitoring of students in both academic and socio-emotional environments, and will include development activities and workshops. Stress, trauma and issues related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) will receive primary focus.
Heartbeat—Serving Wounded Warriors provides emergency assistance, morale building and innovative therapeutic services, support groups and morale-building programs for wounded service members and their families in Washington State. A Heartbeat program called Scuba Warriors will be supported by an Infinite Hero grant, and it will provide therapeutic scuba diving as a healing activity to wounded warriors suffering from physical and psychological injuries.
Hailed by TIME magazine as “the most important organization representing the new generation of veterans,” Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) will apply its grant to a vital program that addresses mental health issues among veterans. With assistance from Infinite Hero, IAVA will be able to develop a crisis response system within Community of Veterans (COV), the first online social network created exclusively for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The funds will strengthen both online and offline access to mental health support.
The Institute for Creative Technologies at USC developed a virtual reality exposure therapy system to treat service members and veterans suffering from combat-related post-traumatic stress. The institute’s Medical Virtual Reality team will use its Infinite Hero grant to customize their exposure therapy scenarios to meet the needs of combat medics and corpsmen. Ongoing research within the program will advance and refine virtual reality as a clinical tool, providing insights for next-generation applications to address needs within military and civilian populations.
The mission of the Semper Fi Fund (SFF) is to provide financial assistance and quality-of-life solutions to Marines and other members of the United States Armed Forces who are wounded in combat or combat-related training. A chosen beneficiary of Infinite Hero funds, SFF will apply its grant to Specialized & Adaptive Equipment Assistance, a program that covers the cost of equipment that improves the quality of life for service members with combat wounds or life-threatening illnesses.
Infinite Hero Foundation (IHF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to combating the most difficult front line issues facing returning military heroes and their families. The foundation funds programs that drive innovation and the accessibility of effective treatments for military heroes and their families dealing with service-related mental and physical injuries.
Infinite Hero Foundation depends on the public support of individuals that are equally committed to combating the tough issues facing our military heroes and their families. Supporters can make a donation at www.infinitehero.org or follow Infinite Hero on Facebook.
About Infinite Hero Foundation
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Infinite Hero Foundation combats the most difficult front line issues – mental and physical – facing returning military heroes and their families. The Foundation funds programs that drive innovation and the accessibility of effective treatments for military heroes and their families dealing with service-related mental and physical injuries. For more information, visit: www.infinitehero.org