Legion Supports Ill and Injured Veterans and Helps Raise Awareness

OTTAWA, April 28, 2016 /CNW/ - A recent article questioned The Royal Canadian Legion's donation in support of the Invictus Games for ill and injured Veterans. The Legion is extremely proud to support Invictus Games 2017 because it provides an excellent forum for our ill and injured Veteran athletes to inspire their recovery and support rehabilitation among their peers.

As part of our mandate, the Legion is committed to helping raise awareness for the issues facing our Veterans and help them deal with the stigma associated with being ill or injured as well as raising their self-awareness and self-confidence in their everyday challenges.

Donations received through the generosity of millions of Canadians each year allows the Legion to directly support Veterans in need. In 2014/15, the Legion distributed $17 million through the Poppy Campaign for Canada's Veterans.  Poppy Fund donations provided emergency assistance for food, heating costs, clothing, prescription medication, medical appliances and equipment, essential home repairs, and emergency shelter and housing assistance, and much more.

As well, funds were donated for medical training and research specific to Veterans, including $1 million towards the PET-MRI as part of the national mental health program to The Royal Ottawa. Another 500K from the Poppy Funds combined with $1.5million from Ontario Command Poppy Funds were used to support the Legion's Leave the Streets Behind Homeless Veterans program for hundreds of Homeless and near homeless Veterans across the country and another 500K from the same funds is used for Veterans transition programs.

Another initiative just announced by the Legion is the creation of the Operational Stress Injury (OSI) Special Section which offers a new way to strengthen our ability to support and advocate for Veteran mental health. It is a peer support network that will provide enhanced outreach and support for all Veterans and their families affected by an OSI.

The Legion is committed to ensuring every Veteran receives the care and benefits they deserve. By supporting the Invictus Games, we are helping raise awareness and further advocating for Canada's ill and injured Veterans.

We welcome this opportunity to highlight what the Legion does and what we stand for.  This is why the Legion exists!

SOURCE The Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command

please contact Bruce Poulin at Dominion Command, at [phone] ext. 241 or by cell at [phone] or [email protected]