I was the recipient of an IBot PMD through The Robert Irvine Foundation in September 2023. This gift has completely changed my life. Because of the IBot, I now have the ability & independence to watch my grandkids play soccer, compete in cross country & track & field events that previously were virtually impossible to access in my manual wheelchair. There are many other things that are now possible because of the generosity of The Robert Irvine Foundation & its many generous donors. I will be forever grateful to this wonderful organization for giving me the opportunity to make lasting memories with my family & giving me back my independence.
Wonderful organization - keeps the focus on the end recipient - our military, veterans, and their families. So grateful to the Robert Irvine Foundation for what they do - from programming to grants. If you are looking for a veteran organization to support, this is the one!
The Robert Irvine Foundation blew my comrades, family, and myself away. The quality of their support to my fellow service members speaks to the culture of gratitude and follow-through the organization has embraced. It appears that this dedication flows from the top down, as evidenced by Mr. Irvine’s passion for supporting military, to the gentlemen who facilitated the 1/5 Marines STA Platoon reunion this Oct: Charlie Williams, Bob Yarnall, and their crew of other badasses. If you have a chance to work with the RIF, or to donate to help them further their cause, you’ll be grateful you did.
jotterRIF 11/17/2023
Thank you for taking the time to write about your Reuniting The Brave experience. All of us at the Robert Irvine Foundation strive to provide compassionate support to our nation's heroes through our programs.
I had the opportunity to attend 3 Robert Irvine Foundation events this past year, and each was an impactful experience. Talking with our wounded veterans at the foundation's annual charity golf tournament was inspiring. Then, I had the chance to be part of an IBOT presentation to Tracie Stuckey, a wounded police officer, and I could see the joy of being more independent. That independence carries over to the entire family. Thank you, Robert Irvine Foundation, for all you do to support our military and first responder communities.
I recently had the opportunity to support Marine veterans from the Surveillance & Target Acquisition Platoon (Scout Snipers) and their families at a Robert Irvine Foundation "Reuniting the Brave" event. Most of these Marines last spoke 20 years ago. Listening to the conversations and seeing the connections among the service members, their families, and the Gold Star Family members was incredible. Hearing a Gold Star spouse say, "I wouldn't say this anywhere else, but here, I feel safe to have this conversation," reinforced the importance of events like this. Patriot Point gave us the perfect setting to provide quality family bonding time.
Over the course of the weekend, we were able to provide connections to multiple support services to help these families overcome the challenges they faced during their time in service.
I had the opportunity to speak with a few of the unit members in a small group setting, and one thing they all expressed was the anxiety they felt about coming to the event. As we talked, the root cause of the anxiety was that they worried about how their fellow Marines would view them today versus who they were when they served together. Once that was on the table, the overwhelming response by all was that none of that mattered; what mattered was that they could reconnect with their military family. Many expressed that this reconnection was the best therapy they experienced in the past 20 years.
Since this Reuniting the Brave event took place at the start of the VA's Buddy Check Week, we asked those in attendance to reach out to unit members who were not in attendance. Watching as the Marines and their families huddled around the phone to Facetime with fellow Marines across the country, seeing the tears of joy in reconnecting produced some emotional moments. As the weekend ended, I was reminded of the importance of staying connected with our military family, as they are the only ones who truly understand the sacrifice and challenges we face. Those connections also provide a great support network and a sense of purpose & belonging.
jotterRIF 10/29/2023
Thanks, Bob, for sharing your firsthand experience at the Robert Irvine Foundation‘s Reuniting The Brave event. Peer support is essential to post-traumatic growth.