Free Counseling for Military Families across U.S.

All of us at Give an Hour are grateful for the support received from so many donors through GlobalGiving, which continues to make possible the ongoing work providing counseling to active duty service members, veterans, and their loved ones. The most recent survey of our volunteer providers tells us that the demand for Give an Hour’s services is growing. As of May, 2014, 119,200 hours were reported donated, an increase of more than 7,000 hours in the past three months.

The experience of war will continue to affect those who serve and their families for years and decades to come, and the mental health community has the opportunity to play a critical role in their healing. We are proud of our partnerships and relationships with the major mental health associations. Together, we are doing great work to reduce the stigma associated with mental health care.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Military Appreciation Month. There is no better time to get involved, whether or not you are a mental health provider. In addition to donating through Global Giving, a very simple way is to follow Give an Hour on social media channels and to share our news and messages with your networks. We will continue to update you with reports on Global Giving, too.

As all counseling through Give an Hour is provided on a totally confidential basis, we can not share many personal stories, except for those by people who ask us to share them, such as the following by Justin Constantine. A wounded warrior who has decided to make helping others his life mission, he hopes that sharing his own story will inspire others to seek the help they need.

 Justin Constantine, Lt. Col (retired), Marine Corps Reserve, volunteered for deployment to Iraq in 2006 and served in the Al-Anbar Province as a team leader of a group of marines performing civil affairs work while attached to an infantry battalion. While on a routine combat patrol six weeks into his deployment, he was shot in the head by a sniper. Thanks to his fellow marines and the courage and skill of a U.S. Navy corpsman, Mr. Constantine survived. Through teamwork and a positive mental attitude, which includes a willingness to openly discuss issues surrounding his injuries, he has had quite a successful recovery, which has included receiving counseling through Give an Hour. Although Justin qualified for mental health services through the Veterans Administration, they were only available during regular business hours and he could not take the necessary time off from his demanding job. His GAH counselor was willing to meet him on weekends and near his home. Justin’s personal awards from his time in Iraq include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, and Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal. Mr. Constantine received Give an Hour's "Commitment to Service" award in 2012. He has started his own business as an inspirational speaker and serves on the Board of Directors of the Wounded Warrior Project, Give An Hour, and SemperMax. In addition, Justin began the Master of Laws (LLM) program at Georgetown University in the Fall of 2012 focusing on National Security, and will graduate this year.