The Wounded Warrior Project's advocacy efforts have resulted in more than $2.6 billion for veterans. Many veterans and their families experience financial struggles before their Department of Veterans Affairs disability payments start.
Here are five highlights:
1. The organization helped lead to the creation of two laws.
2. The Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection offers automatic traumatic injury coverage to service members of the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program.
3. The new legislation has paid veterans more than $905 million between October 2001 and November 2015.
4. WWP also spearheaded the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010, which resulted in $1.7 billion in benefits and services for caregivers.
5. WWP helps with long-term care for seriously-injured veterans, many who have brain injury, spinal cord injury or other neurological issues.
"The sentiment from many became — their families would have been better off if they had died on the battlefield," said Jeremy Chwat, chief strategy officer at WWP. "These men and women served and sacrificed, and they should not be left without any financial help…"