What is H.E.R.O.E.S Care?
H.E.R.O.E.S. Care stands for Homefront Enabling Relationships, Opportunities and Empowerment through Support, and it is S3’s #coffeeforacause this August!
H.E.R.O.E.S. Care is a 501(c)3 based in Missouri. This non-profit is structured as an affiliation of partners working together to support military families in the communities where they live. H.E.R.O.E.S. Care unites well-established national organizations into a powerful force for good. Together, they provide complete, proactive support for members of all branches of the military and their families; from pre-deployment and deployment to family reintegration and post-deployment.
This support includes emergency financial aid, employment opportunities, and mental health care services for military families. These services are facilitated by a network of tens of thousands of trained caregivers and thousands of professional mental health and other service providers working together to create a whole system of support for military members and their families.
Why H.E.R.O.E.S Care?
H.E.R.O.E.S. Care strives to address the alarming number of suicides among members of the military, as well as the effects of PTSD on military family members. Many of these families suffer in the absence of a responsive support structure that can recognize a crisis and intervene with assistance. The H.E.R.O.E.S. Care model was designed to be a comprehensive, local support system that is able to detect problems and provide appropriate mechanisms for action before a situation escalates to a crisis level.
The H.E.R.O.E.S Care Difference
The H.E.R.O.E.S. Care model of support sets itself apart by combining:
- The ability to meet critical financial and material needs of military families
- The ability of trained Hometown Support Volunteers to provide direct support and coordinate community efforts
- The resources of local professional mental health care providers to intervene when appropriate
- Job training and placement services to address the changing needs of the family employment dynamic
- Meeting the recognized needs of military families in the communities where they live
Additionally, the structure of H.E.R.O.E.S. Care was designed to:
- Allow other non-governmental organizations with specialized expertise to partner with the program while maintaining their independence of action and organizational control
- Act as an augment to, and not a replacement for, any existing federal or military program
How Does H.E.R.O.E.S Care Help Military Families?
Each service member enrolled in the program designates their Primary Care Receiver—the adult family member or significant other who will receive support during their deployment. A Hometown Support Volunteer (HSV) is assigned to that person—essentially a local volunteer trained by H.E.R.O.E.S Care in caregiving and the deployment cycle. The HSV stays in regular contact with the family member, coordinating local support efforts.
The HSV is trained to recognize when professional mental health care may be needed and is authorized to recommend any member of the family who may need help. The HSV also has direct access to affiliate organizations such as Give an Hour, a non-profit dedicated to providing free mental health care to veterans, active duty and their family members; and the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network, which can provide spouses with employment opportunities.
The HSV care giver stays in this supportive role for the family for up to two years post-deployment, based on the wishes of the Primary Care Receiver.
H.E.R.O.E.S Care offers other additional services and programs, including food assistance and legal will creation.
Coffee for a Cause
In support of the critical work H.E.R.O.E.S Care does for our military familes, the S3 August #coffeeforacause is Paupa New Guinea. During the month of August, buy our medium roast, single-origin Paupa New Guinea coffee and a portion of the proceeds will be donated directly to H.E.R.O.E.S Care.
To learn more about about H.E.R.O.E.S Care and the different ways you can help, please visit their website.
You can also follow H.E.R.O.E.S Care on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.