Military Organizations Partner to Serve and Support Air Force Wounded Warriors

San Antonio, Texas (May 27, 2021) The founders of the Inspire Up Foundation™ are proud to announce a collaboration and partnership with Air Force Wounded Warrior (AFW2) supported by Caliber Home Loans, Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC), the Green Beret Foundation, and Penguin Random House to support wounded, ill, and injured Airmen.

The pandemic deeply impacted the world, and America’s active-duty military and veteran community were not left unscathed. AFW2 is tasked with taking care of U.S. Air Force wounded, ill, and injured Airmen, Veterans, and their families by providing restorative care throughout their transformation back to duty, separation, or retirement. The goal is to leave them well-equipped to manage challenges, regardless of injury or illness. Through conversations between AFW2 and the military spouse led nonprofit, The Inspire Up Foundation, an idea for a warrior box was born.

Caliber Home Loans stepped forward with the initial donation for the project. BRCC provided over half of the coffee for free with the remainder below cost. Author and CEO of Team Rubicon, Jake Wood, and Penguin Random House, gave 250 books and the remainder well below cost. The Green Beret Foundation has offered volunteers as well as the facility to assemble and fill the boxes for shipment.

Through the united effort of these organizations a $7,500 budgeted project morphed into over $26,000 worth of items for these Airmen in need. Although the box cannot fix invisible wounds, the hope is that the items – alongside the realization of how many people care for them – will make a difference.

“Despite all of us coming from so many different organizations and wheelhouses, each organization shares the same mission of serving our military community,” Jessica Manfre, LMSW and CFO of the Inspire Up Foundation, stated. “Studies have proven that community, belonging and being seen are vital tools to combat and reduce suicide ideation. I am so grateful to each organization that collaborated with us to support these Airmen. It’s our hope that they [Airmen] know their family, military, and community isn’t just within the Air Force, we’re all in this together.”

“Caliber believes strongly in stepping forward to support our military and veterans. Being a veteran Air Force spouse myself, this project really hits home. I’m thankful that we could step forward to kickstart this endeavor to uplift Airmen in need,” Brittany Boccher, National Director of Military Community Engagement for Caliber Home Loans, said.

On June 4, 2021, veteran and military spouse volunteers will meet at The Green Beret Foundation headquarters in San Antonio to assemble and package all 500 boxes for AFW2 Airmen. The groups hope to inspire and demonstrate the collective power of service on impact.

“Suicide is not exclusive to one branch of the military. Our service members and veterans continue to battle mental health every day and it’s critical for organizations to come together to accelerate the impact of reducing the suicide statistics,” Brent Cooper, Executive Director of the Green Beret Foundation, said. “We are more than happy to be able to provide the workspace needed to the Inspire Up Foundation, one of GBF’s force multipliers, and work together to continue the fight against veteran suicide.”

The Inspire Up™ Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit that was created in February of 2020 by four military spouses after the founders of GivingTuesdayMilitary saw the need to do more to impact their communities. The organization focuses on supporting the military and first responder community while standing in the gap for those in need.

Air Force Wounded Warrior AFW2 is a Congressionally mandated, federally funded program that provides personalized care, services, and advocacy to seriously or very seriously wounded, ill or injured Total Force recovering service members and their Caregivers and families. AFW2 focuses on specific personal and family needs and includes programs that cover a gamut of situations throughout the recovery process and beyond.

Caliber Home Loans, Inc. is a proven leader in the U.S. mortgage market with a uniquely diversified, customer-centric, purchase-focused platform with headquarters in Coppell, Texas. The company is an approved Seller/Servicer for both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, an approved issuer for Ginnie Mae and is an approved servicer for FHA, VA and the USDA. The company carries multiple servicer ratings from Standard & Poor's, Moody's, Fitch and DBRS. The company has received the Military Friendly Brand® every year since 2017 and remains committed to serving those who serve. For additional Caliber Home Loan questions, please contact Rob Cushman at pr@caliberhomeloans.com.

Black Rifle Coffee Company is a veteran-owned coffee company serving premium coffee to people who love America. They develop explosive roast profiles with the same mission focus we learned as military members serving this great country and are committed to supporting veterans, law enforcement, and first responders. With every purchase made, they give back.

Penguin Random House is the international home to more than 300 editorially and creatively independent publishing imprints. Their mission is to ignite a universal passion for reading by creating books for everyone. They believe that books, and the stories and ideas they hold, have the unique capacity to connect us, change us, and carry us toward a better future for generations to come.

The Green Beret Foundation serves the Army’s Special Forces, our nation’s most elite soldiers. They believe Green Berets are our nation’s greatest assets. Every day, they honor their commitment to Green Berets past and present, as well as their families, by connecting them with the right resources to prosper and thrive. Because when these soldiers meet powerful opportunities, our nation’s most elite soldiers become our nation’s best leaders.