WISH for OUR HEROES (W4OH) is a national 501(c)(3), dedicated to assisting the men and women of the United States active-duty military, and in some cases, Veterans.
Military life is difficult – men and women selflessly serve our nation, while working for little pay, putting their lives on the line, and dealing with the secondary affects that can tear families apart. WISH for OUR HEROES wanted to provide resources to the “average” military member, in order to make their deployments a little easier, and to improve the quality of their family lives while home or during deployment.
WISH for OUR HEROES started with the goal of providing one wish for every deserving military member. There are no requirements – military members simply had to be on active-duty at the time the wish is submitted. The priority is to always grant basic needs or emergencies first – anything from putting food on the table to assisting with car repairs, home repairs, baby supplies, clothing, etc. When basic needs are met, W4OH also enjoys providing fun things like sending the troops to athletic events, sending them on vacation to get re-acquainted after deployments, meeting celebrities and more. You can view a sampling of some of the wishes WISH for OUR HEROES has granted by viewing the news pages or visiting the wishes page.
WISH for OUR HEROES launched in November of 2009, in honor of 1SG Thomas G. Wells, who was a career Marine. The founders of WISH for OUR HEROES served on active-duty and while deployed, they recognized that a serious need existed within our military ranks. There were so many great charities in existence, but the majority of them focused on specific groups or categories (wounded, etc). There were no charities that focused on not only helping military members falling into these extreme categories, but also helping the average, hard-working military member going through a difficult time. WISH for OUR HEROES saw the toll that war takes on families back home, and decided to create a charity to assist military families with basic necessities: food, shelter, transportation, child needs, medical expenses (not covered). Small issues can spiral into larger issues, and larger issues can spiral into things like divorce, suicide, and all of those problems our military members face as a result of daily military life.
When the charity started, the founders began taking donations at stoplights and collecting $1 at a time to assist our heroes. Money was donated, and then WISH for OUR HEROES would utilize the funds to grant a wish. Then they would raise more money, and grant more wishes. Over time, other people learned about the mission of W4OH and wanted to get involved. Those people told other people, and the W4OH network began to grow. No money was spent on marketing… just a wonderful group of people who wanted to give something back to our heroes. Now W4OH has a very large network of volunteers across the country who have dedicated their lives to making sure our military families have what they need.
Today, WISH for OUR HEROES is a national 501(c)(3) that grants wishes across the globe. Through 2015, WISH for OUR HEROES has provided more than $10 million in assistance to our heroes. With chapters in Texas, Indiana, Florida, Arizona, and Colorado, and a network of volunteers across the country, W4OH has granted at least one wish in 48 out of 50 states. W4OH has partnered with many corporations to inch closer to its ultimate goal of granting one wish for every deserving member of our U.S. military. Individuals or corporations who would like to become sponsors to assist military families can choose from multiple ways to contribute. Volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization, and we encourage anyone who may be interested to register as a volunteer.