[VIDEO] Charlie Daniel’s Amazing Project For Veterans!
The United States military veterans have often been overlooked by society from being able to get benefits to getting help for PTSD. That’s why country legend Charlie Daniels started The Journey Home Project to help the military members who need it most. Click through to the end for an amazing and inspiring video.
Who Is Charlie Daniels?
Charlie Daniels has been around for a long time. A country music legend, Charlie was recently inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016. Eight years earlier he was also inducted into the most important venue for country musicians – The Grand Ol’ Opry. You might recognize his most iconic song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”
He was raised on music as a child which include bluegrass, gospel, rhythm and blues, and of course country, which led him to have his lifelong passion for music. However, music is not Charlie’s only passion. He has also devoted himself to his country and more specifically serving the veterans of the United States of America.
Charlie’s Love of Vets
When Charlie Daniels was only a young boy of five years old, the United States suffered a tremendous loss with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He has credited this monumental moment in inspiring his lifelong dedication to veterans although he never served in the military himself.
Charlie has shared his views about the United States military saying, “There’s only two things to protect America: the grace of God and the United States Military. So, I grew up with a great respect, admiration, and a great amount of gratitude for the military.” Because of his monumental respect and admiration of veterans, Charlie Daniels created The Journey Home Project.
The Journey Home Project
Charlie Daniels started The Journey Home Project back in 2014. The project aims to help veterans, both men and women, who have recently left war and are needing assistance with transitioning back into civilian life. The organization aims to help vets succeed in a variety of areas including rehabilitation, reintegration, education, and employment.
The project also tackles the difficult topic of PTSD which has definitely been a pressing topic as of late. The overall aim is to help soldiers who have been irreparably effected by the experience of war and how to help them heal and live a regular life.
Returning the Favor
The mission of the project is to “Return the Favor,” and repay their vets for their service to our country. The organization states that sometimes the toll of war is able to be seen with a physical injury, and in this case they aim to aid vets with physical rehabilitation or therapy.
On the other hand, some veterans might suffer from psychological scars and will need a lot of help in engaging in a civilian lifestyle. The organization also purports that because it is often difficult to get help from the federal government, the organization is hoping to connect donors to various veteran’s organizations for the most help possible.
Project Success
In December of 2016, The Journey Home Project was able to donate $100,000 to Operation Stand Down which directly benefits Nashville Serving Veterans Community Board. The money is to be used for the Virtual Welcome Center. The center aims to serve the Nashville veteran community in the way that they so deserve. They were also able to donate $50,000 to Shepherd’s Men to benefit the SHARE Military Initiative at Atlanta’s Shepherd Center.
The project also donated $100,000 to Middle Tennessee State University to create their Veterans and Military Family Center. And lastly, the project also donated a check to the organization A Soldier’s Child, which provides children of fallen military members a birthday gift each year until they are 18, as well as various mentorship programs and scholarships. An amazing journey, indeed! Check out this video about Charlie and his passion project, The Journey Home Project, the video was produced by Tracy Chevrier, shot by Matt Scott and edited by Heather Holloway.
Courtesy of HooplaHa – Only Good News
