Honoring Veterans Through Service, Support, and Opportunity
Every year on November 11, we pause to honor the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. For many veterans, military service can leave lasting physical challenges, including limb loss, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and chronic pain.
Recovery does not end when treatment begins. For many veterans, it continues through adaptive sports, outdoor recreation, creative programs, and the support of service animals that help them navigate daily life.
Through its grant program, the Hanger Foundation is proud to support organizations that help veterans build strength, confidence, and connections long after their service has ended. Since 2009, the Foundation has awarded grants to over 290 nonprofit organizations across the country, with many serving veterans and military families.
Below are a few of those organizations and the impact they’re making every day.
NPLB Outdoors (Mount Airy, Maryland)
NPLB Outdoors builds lasting relationships with veterans directly affected by combat through adaptive outdoor experiences that support rehabilitation, resilience, and long-term well-being. A Hanger Foundation grant will support the organization’s 2027 Key West Dive Challenge, a seven-day program for veterans with limb loss and spinal cord injuries. Participants take part in adaptive diving activities while working alongside researchers from the University of Hartford and clinicians from Hanger Clinic to provide real-world feedback on prosthetic performance in aquatic environments.
The program combines “personal growth opportunities for veterans with scientific research in prosthetics and rehabilitation,” helping advance knowledge that can benefit individuals living with limb loss while creating meaningful experiences for participating veterans.
Rescue 22 Foundation (Mickleton, New Jersey)
Rescue 22 Foundation gives veterans and rescue dogs a second chance by pairing combat-wounded veterans with highly trained service animals.
Grant funding supports every stage of the process, including dog training, certification, handler education, and specialized equipment such as mobility harnesses.
The organization describes its mission as “giving each animal a new purpose and each veteran a trusted partner in health and daily living.”
Veteran Rites (Tacoma, Washington)
Veteran Rites uses wilderness experiences to help veterans reconnect with themselves, their peers, and the natural world.
Approximately half of program participants live with physical disabilities, including limb loss, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries. Hanger Foundation funds disability support staff for four wilderness expeditions each year, as well as equipment that helps participants safely navigate and remain connected in remote environments.
“We warmly welcome veterans of any disability, age, race, and gender and make appropriate accommodations so that everyone can participate fully and safely in our outdoor programs,” the organization shares.
CreatiVets (Nashville, Tennessee)
For some veterans, healing takes the form of creativity.
CreatiVets provides free visual arts programs for veterans with combat-related injuries, including limb loss, through partnerships with institutions such as the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Belmont University, and the Glassell School of Art. Through painting, ceramics, and mixed-media projects, participants can develop fine motor skills, improve hand-eye coordination, and find new avenues for self-expression.
Its mission is simple yet powerful: “to empower wounded veterans to heal through the arts and music.”
Supporting Veterans Nationwide
These organizations represent just a few of the many programs working to ensure veterans have access to opportunities that promote independence, wellness, and quality of life. Whether through adaptive recreation, service animals, creative arts, or peer support, each shares a common goal: helping veterans thrive.
2027 Hanger Foundation Grant Recipients
A SANCTUARY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES INC (Pagosa Springs, CO)
Access Ability Wisconsin, Inc. (Mineral Point, WI)
Angel City Sports Alliance (Los Angeles, CA)
Bar X Project Inc (McAllen, TX)
Branded Fitness, DBA Branded One CrossFit (Las Vegas, NV)
BraveHearts Therapeutic Riding and Educational Center (Harvard, IL)
Colonial Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (Newark, DE)
Combat Marine Outdoors (Spring, TX)
FAR WEST HELPING FOUNDATION CORP. (FWHFC) (Palm Bay, FL)
Finding Purpose Outdoors Foundation (Ben Wheeler, TX)
Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Organization (Lake Forest, IL)
Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc. (Williston, FL)
Healing Heroes Through Horsemanship, Inc. (Arroyo Grande, CA)
Honoring America’s Warriors Inc. (Oklahoma City, OK)
HunterSeven Foundation (Providence, RI)
Make Good Inc. (New Orleans, LA)
Operation No Person Left Behind Outdoors (Mt. Airy, MD)
Ogden Valley Adaptive Sports (Ogden, UT)
Paralyzed Veterans of America Tri-State Chapter (Silverton, OR)
Paws for Purple Hearts Virginia (Ruther Glen, VA)
Project MEND (San Antonio, TX)
Project: VetRelief (Orlando, FL)
Rescue 22 Foundation (Mickleton, NJ)
Retrieving Freedom Inc (Sedalia, MO)
River Deep Foundation (Lakewood, CO)
Triumph Foundation (Valencia, CA)
The Heroes Project (Los Angeles, CA)
Veteran Rites, Inc. (Tacoma, WA)
Warrior Foundation Freedom Station (San Diego, CA)
WARRIOR STRONG INC (Scranton, PA)
Warrior WOD Foundation (Johns Island, SC)
Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association (Brookfield, WI)
Yellow Ribbon Fund, Inc (Bethesda, MD)
22ZERO Follow Me, Inc. (Pulaski, TN)
This Veterans Day, we extend our deepest gratitude to all who have served our country. We are equally grateful for the nonprofit organizations that continue to stand beside them, creating opportunities for healing, growth, and connection throughout the year.
Together, they remind us that service doesn’t end with a uniform, and neither does support.
