Semper Fi Fund - Mischler Financial Group

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Lorem Ipsum Semper Fi Fund
Areas of Assistance
The Semper Fi Fund has developed a personalized and innovative approach to helping service members and
families overcome the challenges posed by their injuries. Our case managers are not limited to a specific
program based on a diagnosis but are able to offer support across all of our programs. We believe this flexible
approach is the best way to ensure all service members and families, regardless of the type of injury, receive
rapid assistance to meet their needs. We offer financial and emotional support to our service members and their
families through the following programs:
Service Member and Family Support
Monthly financial responsibilities continue even if a family member has taken unpaid leave from employment
to assist their injured or critically ill loved one. Paying mortgages and utility bills, covering airfare for family
members, helping with food and lodging, and providing gas cards to help offset the expense of traveling to and
from medical appointments are just some of the ways we help ease the financial burden of lengthy
hospitalization, recovery, and transition periods.
Since the beginning, the Semper Fi Fund and America’s Fund have been providing support to the caregivers
who’ve dropped everything to care for their wounded, critically ill, or injured service members. Recently, we
expanded our caregiver support to include weekend retreats where groups of caregivers are reunited for a time
of rest, recovery, and rejuvenation. Studies show that caregivers often neglect their own health and wellbeing,
and we want to make sure each caregiver has useful tools and strategies for managing their mental and physical
health once they return home. Throughout the weekend, caregivers are able to attend a variety of professionally
taught classes including: therapeutic journal writing, stress management, gentle yoga, sleep and nutrition
classes, and understanding PTSD and TBI. We’ve held three such retreats since January, and our goal is to
coordinate approximately 15 retreats in 2015.
Housing Assistance
Most wheelchair bound service members and those with catastrophic injuries require adaptive housing.
Handicap modifications are costly, but necessary. Bathroom modifications usually cost around $25,000, while
kitchen adaptations can be even more expensive. Minor renovations such as doorways and handicap ramps can
cost $7,000 and $10,000, respectively. To ease the financial strain caused by home modifications and
adaptations, we will evaluate the need and then provide funding toward the cost of the home modifications and
adaptations. We can also grant assistance to those who have fallen behind on their housing payment due to
injury, recovery, and rehabilitation costs.
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Semper Fi Fund
“This weekend was amazing! I learned so much and I was able
to connect to many wonderful caregivers. Now I can take this
and grow into what my husband needs and deserves.”
Transportation Assistance
For those who have lost limbs or are paralyzed as a result of their injuries, modified transportation is vital for a
successful rehabilitation. Specially modified vehicles can cost upwards of $40,000. Funding provided by the
VA is applied toward the vehicle and, depending on the service member’s need, the Semper Fi Fund can pay a
portion of the remaining balance, significantly reducing or eliminating the financial burden of a car payment.
We can also help with car payments and repairs to ensure service members are able to attend medical
appointments and maintain employment.
Education and Career Transition Assistance
This program is a multifaceted approach to help service members succeed in the civilian world. Education
assistance can help with the cost of class fees, books, software, and other items not covered by the service
member’s education benefit. Career assistance can offset the cost of tuition for training and certification,
business attire, resume writing, and gas cards for traveling to internships.
Sometimes, despite a service member’s best effort, transition out of the military does not go as planned. Our
transition assistance can bridge the gap between active duty pay and VA pay, help with moving expenses, and
provide for immediate needs like food and transportation.
Specialized & Adaptive Equipment
The right device or piece of equipment can go a long way toward helping our heroes and their families establish
their new normal, but these innovations are often quite costly. With the help of our Specialized and Adaptive
Equipment program, service members and their families receive the life-changing devices and equipment they
need to live with dignity and independence. Therapeutic mattresses to ensure a good night’s rest, power lift
recliners to provide comfort, and baby cribs that are wheelchair accessible are just a few of the items we can
provide to make daily life easier.
Many of our service members have found incredible healing through participation in physical activities. In
addition to well-known adaptive equipment like hand cycles, mono skis, and racing wheelchairs, we also
provide equipment for sled hockey, adaptive bows for archery, and specialized wetsuits for swimming and
surfing. We’ve even assisted with adaptive saddles for horseback riding, customized tractors and all terrain
vehicles (ATVs) for farming and ranching, and wheelchair accessible exercise equipment.
Therapeutic Arts
Research shows the arts provide a positive outlet for injured service members and can help accelerate their
physical, emotional, and mental rehabilitation. Grants for therapeutic arts can cover musical instruments, music
and art lessons, art supplies, and cameras for photography.
Support for those with PTSD and TBI
Assistance through this program includes paying for individual and family counseling and purchasing iPads for
managing appointments and using therapy-based applications to help with memory, concentration, and overall
brain function. We also provide access to cutting-edge therapies such as Irlen lenses (a special filter that eases
light sensitivity and headaches due to TBI), Alpha-Stims (a drug-free alternative to treating pain, anxiety,
insomnia, and depression), and Cellumas (a device that uses light therapy to manage pain).
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Semper Fi Fund
“Because of Semper Fi Fund’s grant, I now have a basketball
chair fit for me to practice my favorite sport. Wheelchair
basketball is my outlet that helps me heal mentally and
physically.”
The Peter Murphy Semper Fi Fund Sports Program
Composed entirely of injured service members, Team Semper Fi and Team America’s Fund provide
encouragement, motivation, and assistance with developing individual goals through sports. Participants have
overcome significant challenges and have embraced the fighting, athletic spirit on their road to recovery. Both
teams provide an exciting outlet and powerful peer support for our wounded service members and their
families. Team Semper Fi and Team America’s Fund provide coaches, specialized sporting equipment, team
uniforms, entry fees, and travel expenses for team members to compete in athletic events such as archery, track
& field, hockey, shooting, basketball, and skiing across the country.
Outdoor adventures, our newest athletic offering, gives injured and critically ill service members the chance to
participate in coordinated outdoor events to learn new skills while bonding with other service members who
have gone through similar experiences. Camps and trips planned for this year include: an introduction to
outdoor pursuits camp, a ski camp, a snowboarding camp, a white water rafting trip, a fishing trip, and a
mountain biking camp.
Veterans to Veterans (V2V)
When service members transition out of the military and return to their local communities, feelings of isolation
and loneliness may pose challenges to adjusting to civilian life and finding employment. PTSD, TBI, and
significant physical injuries may create additional obstacles and place extreme stress on veterans and their
families. Veterans to Veterans (V2V) is our holistic approach to help transitioning service members make a
smoother move to civilian life. V2V pairs struggling veterans with a veteran peer (Veteran Lead). Veteran
Leads help each veteran develop an individualized plan that reflects his or her specific needs. Some veterans
may need help finding a job or pursuing an education, while others may need to receive additional treatment or
therapy before moving forward. From walking a veteran through the VA process to providing encouragement to
seek treatment, our Veteran Leads are a vital source of support.
Internship to Employment
The Semper Fi Fund’s Internship to Employment program is a unique, holistic approach to helping veterans
find meaningful trades, careers, or small business opportunities. Our primary audience is veterans who have a
70% or greater disability rating due to severe injuries, especially those with post traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Internship to Employment staff work one-on-one with veterans to
identify a career path they are passionate about and to connect them with short-term technical training or
internships with companies looking to hire veterans.
“As for my wife and I, they have been a tremendous support
and help to us overcoming the obstacles PTSD brings to our
routine/lifestyle. Semper Fi Fund invites us to all kinds of
events for the family, and they even covered our bills for two
months so I could get treatment, which allowed me to know
truths about PTSD and learn coping skills that have aided in
my continuous improvement ever since. I thank God for them.”
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