Welcome Home, Soldiers
Since deciding in 2010 to donate a portion of proceeds of Highway of Heroes to Wounded Warriors, I’ve become even more aware of the importance of the work that the organization does to support soldiers who return home injured or traumatized and to their families. Stories of soldier suicides in recent months have underlined the desperate need for what the organization provides.
On March 12, Canada’s mission in Afghanistan, during which the Highway of Heroes phenomenon began, officially ended. News stories pose the question, “Canada in Afghanistan: was it worth it?” Not a question without an easy answer. But “Do soldiers who have returned home still need what Wounded Warriors strives to provide for them, now that the mission is over? Quite simply: Yes. PTSD, homelessness, depression, alcohol and substance abuse are but a sampling of the challenges that too many of these men and women face.
Whether or not you supported the Canadian government’s decision to involve our military in Afghanistan, please remember that those who served did so in hopes of improving the lives of others. Now that they’re back home, please consider making a contribution to Wounded Warriors to help improve their lives.
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Kathy Stinson is the author of the classic Red Is Best and the award-winning The Man with the Violin. Her wide range of titles includes picture books, non-fiction, young adult fiction, historical fiction, horror, biography, series books, and short stories. She has met with her readers in every province and territory of Canada, in the United States, Britain, Liberia, and Korea. She lives in a small town in Ontario.
