CaringBridge Partners with VA
Platform connects service members, Veterans and their caregivers with loved ones during a health journey
CaringBridge, a global nonprofit social network, has partnered with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to aid in Veterans’ connection and communication with their support communities.
CaringBridge provides free, secure, personal websites — as a dedicated platform — to assist family and friends in communicating with loved ones during any type of health journey.
Through this partnership, CaringBridge highlights a tailored destination page that directly focuses on the needs of service members, Veterans and their families. Each customized website supports healing and connection in various ways, keeping families and friends informed and linked using interactive journals and providing access to resources on the site.
In addition to coordinating supportive tasks and connecting users to personal fundraisers, CaringBridge has collaborated with VA medical centers and staff to offer training to help facilitate online outreach and support for Veterans and military families. The organization’s customer care staff have also been trained on VA resources and how to make referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line.
“For more than 21 years, CaringBridge has been used by families, including military,” says Liwanag Ojala, CEO of CaringBridge. “Veterans and their caregivers use CaringBridge to share their combat injuries, rehabilitation, cancer, and mental health struggles, but we knew we could do more to support our service men and women. CaringBridge is honored to be partnering with VA to be there for our veterans on any health journey.”
“Partnerships with organizations such as CaringBridge, that can offer impactful support and connection, are an integral part of our public health approach to ensure we reach all Veterans,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “Particularly, collaborations like these help in preventing Veteran suicide which remains one of VA’s highest priorities.”
For more information on how veterans and their loved ones can use CaringBridge throughout their health journeys, visit www.caringbridge.org/military-service/.
Veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a Veteran in crisis, can call the Veteran & Military Crisis Line for confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, send a text message to 838255 or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.
Learn about ways to support veterans in your community by visiting https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/BeThereSupport.aspx.
About CaringBridge
CaringBridge is a global nonprofit social network dedicated to helping family and friends communicate with and support loved ones during a health journey through the use of free personal websites. Their mission is to amplify the love, hope and compassion in the world, making each health journey easier. Nearly 90 percent of all funding comes from individual donors.
Since its founding in 1997 by Sona Mehring, more than 740,000 CaringBridge websites have been created. Combined, they have received 2.1 billion visits. Today, CaringBridge CEO Liwanag Ojala leads a team of 35 professionals with expertise in the fields of technology, customer care, finance, fundraising and marketing. For more information, visit www.CaringBridge.org.
