North Forty News recently published an article about how Healing Warrior Program is expanding access to care in Northern Colorado.

“With the help of the SSG Fox Grant Award, Healing Warriors Program is expanding its program to provide even broader suicide prevention services to Veterans and their families in the Northern Colorado Area.”

Read the full article at the North Forty News website.

Claudia Garofalo from Colorado and Company on 9News Denver KUSA-TV recently sat down with Healing Warrior Program’s Board Vice Chair Murphy Phanhdone to talk about the program’s services. Watch the segment on YouTube or below.

Blacktie Colorado recently published an article about Healing Warrior Program’s 2022 Star-Spangled Gala.

“If you’re part of the military community you already get it. If not, what you learn will make an impact. Star-Spangled Gala is a grassroots fundraiser that feels like a cherished reunion. Family-friendly, both kids and adults get a kick out of the event’s aquarium location. The grownups also have the opportunity to support small-but-mighty Healing Warriors Program. Its mission? To improve the wellness of veterans and their families through non-narcotic care.”

Read the full article and view photos from the event at the Blacktie Colorado website.

Ken Clark interviews Ana Yelen, retiring Co-Founder of Healing Warriors Program to talk about the work being done for our Veterans and the Fundraising Gala celebrating Ana’s retirement and Veterans.

Watch the segment on YouTube.

The Healing Warriors 5K Fun Run and Walk is a family- and pet-friendly event help at the beautiful Spring Canyon Park. Perfect for serious runners and walkers alike, participation in the 5K will benefit Healing Warriors Program clinics, whose mission is to lessen the factors that lead to veteran suicides.

Registered Participations will receive a race shirt, American flag and goodie bag! Activities at the park begin at 10:30am. Come juoin us and enjoy free snacks, food trucks, music and much more!

Today, AARP announced its 2022 AARP Purpose Prize award recipients and fellows, the only national award that celebrates people 50-plus who use their knowledge and life experience to solve challenging social problems. These extraordinary Americans use their experiences and selflessly dedicate their lives to build a better future for the world around them.

Alongside the Purpose Prize winners and fellows, AARP will present award-winning television and film actor and activist Michael J. Fox with an honorary Purpose Prize Award for his work in advocating for Parkinson’s research. After going public with his diagnosis in 1991, Fox launched The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in 2000. Today the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s drug development, the Foundation has funded more than $1 billion in global research programs. Fox currently sits on the Foundation’s Board of Directors and serves as its inspirational leader. He travels and frequently speaks on behalf of the organization, which the New York Times described as “the most credible voice on Parkinson’s research in the world.”

“AARP is honored to celebrate these extraordinary older adults, who have dedicated their lives to serving others in creative and innovative ways,” said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins. “During these trying times in our country and globally, we are inspired to see people use their life experiences to build a better future for us all.”

Each AARP Purpose Prize winner will receive a $50,000 award for their organization. AARP also announced the AARP Purpose Prize fellows, who will be honored for the mission-focused work of the organizations they lead and will receive a $10,000 award to further the mission of their organization. Both winners and fellows also receive a year of technical support to help broaden the scope of their organization’s work.

This year AARP also announced a new award category called the AARP Inspire Award. Starting today, the general public will have the opportunity to vote at www.aarp.org/InspireAward for the AARP Purpose Prize winner they would like to win the AARP Inspire Award, using review criteria of impact, personal story, and innovation. The AARP Inspire Award recipient will be announced during the virtual event celebration on December 15, 2021. The winner’s organization will receive an additional $10,000.

The 2022 AARP Purpose Prize winners are:

William Bracken – Fountain Valley, Calif. – Bracken’s Kitchen

• Bracken’s Kitchen produces meals to contribute to solving the growing issues of food waste as well as food insecurity. The organization uses a unique approach to repurpose donated and recovered food that would have otherwise gone to landfills.

Raymond Jetson – Baton Rouge, La. – MetroMorphosis

• MetroMorphosis aims to transform urban communities from within. The organization seeks to develop and mobilize a critical mass of engaged citizens to design and implement sustainable solutions to persistent community challenges.

Alan Miller – Bethesda, Md. – News Literacy Project

• News Literacy Project teaches people of all ages and backgrounds know how to identify credible news and other information, empowering them to have an equal opportunity to participate in the civic life of their communities and the country.

Ify Nwabukwu – Lanham, Md. – African Women’s Cancer Awareness Association

• African Women’s Cancer Awareness Association’s mission is to reduce the burden of cancer on African immigrant women and their families by providing equal access to screening and care for African women.

Rita Zimmer – New York, N.Y. – HousingPlus

• HousingPlus’ mission is to provide community-based housing and comprehensive services to women – including women with children – to support them in overcoming poverty, homelessness, addiction, trauma, and the effects of incarceration.

The 2022 AARP Purpose Prize fellows are:

Larry Berger – Pittsburgh, Penn. – SLB Radio Productions

Rebecca Bonner – Philadelphia, Penn. – The Bridge Way School

Terri Chandler – Las Vegas, Nev. – Future Smiles

Dexter Frederick, M.D. – Tampa, Fla. – Brain Expansions Scholastic Training

Sheila Jaffe – New York, N.Y. – The Felix Organization

Ilima Ho – Lastimosa – Waimanalo, Hawaii – Ke Kula Nui O Waimanalo

Shellie Layne – Birmingham, Ala. – At Home Foundation

Terri Winston – San Francisco, Calif. – Women’s Audio Mission

Ana Yelen – Boulder, Colo. – Healing Warriors Program

###

About AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation’s largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org, www.aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates, @AliadosAdelante on social media.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Nearly a third of Vietnam veterans have experienced Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD in their lifetimes. The percentage of veterans from other wars who have also suffered from PTSD ranges from 11 to 20 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Our veteran community is challenged by so many different factors. We’re seeing a lot of grief. In fact, the recent Afghanistan issues have really resulted in our Vietnam veterans being triggered: the return of nightmares, the flashbacks. So we see any veterans from any age group,” said  Ana Yelen, the co-founder of Healing Warriors Program in Fort Collins.

Most often, PTSD treatment involves various types of psychotherapies or medication, but the Healing Warriors Program focuses on other options for treatment.

Watch the PBS segment on www.rmpbs.org