Comfort items, hygiene supplies, books, blankets, and handwritten notes — delivered to veterans on extended VA Medical Center stays and inpatient mental-health units. Designed in coordination with VA volunteer services. Average package: $40 per veteran.
Funding Ask
$5,000–$100,000 underwrite the next round of packages
A $5,000 grant funds ~125 care packages. A $25,000 grant funds 600 packages and a quarterly delivery cycle to 4 VAMCs. A $100,000 grant scales to a 12-month program covering 10 VAMCs and ~2,500 veterans.
Inpatient veterans are forgotten — and isolation drives outcomes
~9 million
veterans enrolled in VA healthcare
Source: VA Annual Performance Report FY2023
~170
VA Medical Centers with inpatient services
Source: VA Office of Construction & Facilities Management
~200,000
inpatient mental-health admissions per year (VA + VA-affiliated)
Source: VA NCVAS / SAMHSA TEDS-A
Suicide risk peaks
90 days post-discharge from inpatient psychiatric care
Source: JAMA Psychiatry 2014 (Olfson et al.); VA 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Report
A veteran admitted to a VA inpatient unit — for a long-term medical condition or psychiatric stabilization — often loses contact with friends and family during the stay. The post-discharge period (the first 90 days) carries the highest suicide risk of any window. A care package delivered during the stay communicates: someone outside knows you are here. Outcome studies on post-acute social-connection interventions show measurable reductions in 90-day re-admission and self-harm.
The program model
How a dollar becomes an outcome
1
VAMC partnership
We coordinate with VA Voluntary Service (VAVS) at each partner VAMC. VAVS approves package contents and identifies units to receive deliveries.
2
Package assembly
Packages are assembled by volunteers (often other veterans) at a regional hub. Standard contents: hygiene kit, comfort items (blanket, sleep mask, ear plugs), book or puzzle, handwritten note from a peer veteran or service-member family.
3
Delivery
Packages delivered monthly to partner VAMCs. VAVS distributes to approved units. We follow all VAVS contraband and safety policies.
4
Continuity bridge
Each package includes a card with the Veterans Crisis Line (988 + 1) and a QR code to our /find-us page. Some recipients later contact us for emergency aid or housing assistance — care packages create a trust bridge to longer-term programs.
Data-infrastructure moat. We operate the only Model Context Protocol (MCP) server in the US veteran-aid sector — 41 tools exposed to AI assistants (Claude, ChatGPT, Glean) at warriors-fund-api.emperormew.workers.dev/mcp. Our 100,400-record veteran-resource directory is FIPS-tract geocoded to 99.92% precision, joined with US Census ACS, CDC PLACES, and HUD CHAS data. No peer veteran nonprofit operates comparable infrastructure.
Trust signals. Texas 501(c)(3), IRS ruling year 2021, EIN 86-1336741. Candid 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency. Four consecutive Form 990s on ProPublica. 3-year program-expense ratio averaging 88%.
Restricted-gift policy: donor restrictions honored per Gift Acceptance Policy + IRS regulations on charitable giving. Restricted gifts of $50,000+ require Board acknowledgment.
Common funder questions
Are these packages permitted under VA Voluntary Service rules?
Yes. We coordinate with VA Voluntary Service (VAVS) at each partner facility. VAVS reviews and approves all package contents in advance. We follow all VA contraband, safety, and fragrance policies (no scented items, no glass, no electronics, no perishables).
How do you ensure packages reach the right veterans?
Distribution is handled by VAVS and unit clinical staff, not by external volunteers. We never have direct contact with patients on inpatient units. This protects patient privacy and respects clinical workflow.
Can my employer team assemble packages as a CSR / volunteer activity?
Yes. We host quarterly assembly days at our Texas hub and can coordinate regional packing events for corporate partners. Each event yields ~200-500 packages. Contact partnerships@warriorsfund.org with team size and date preference.
How do you measure outcomes for what is essentially a comfort program?
Two layers: (1) operational metrics (packages delivered, VAMCs reached, downstream contacts initiated by recipients), (2) recipient-survey outcomes — VAVS partners distribute optional anonymous survey cards. We do not claim packages alone change clinical outcomes; we frame them as a low-cost trust-bridge that creates an entry point to our broader program portfolio.