Page 382 - Total War on PTSD

getting help because they are afraid of being labeled by society. On a positive note, over the past several years PTSD awareness and treatment has made great improvements. In the past it took months to get an appointment with the VA and when seen the doctors would just prescribe addictive medications and not treating the issues. Also, the civilian community saw our Veterans as damaged goods who they thought could snap at any moment. Many of our Veterans started to believe this and felt they had no one and had no purpose in life.
During our short existence, MTB Vets had been awarded two grants, hosted the first annual MTB Vets Charity Golf Scramble, hosted the 1SG Brent Myers Memorial Ride, attended Veteran workshops, and donated time and resources to spreading awareness about PTSD and how Veterans can enhance the community and the work place. Every get-together, every ride, Veterans and civilians praise what we are doing to bring awareness and needed help to our Veterans. Seeing the smiles on Veterans faces after a ride, hearing them laugh about the ride afterwards, and seeing them return is why MTB Vets was created.
How does MTB Vets help our Veterans other than getting them out on the bike? MTB Vets uses the bike as a positive tool for Veterans. Our goal is to create a community for our Veterans where they feel accepted for who they are even if they don’t ride. We are building a foundation for our Veterans and provide a ring of reciprocity for Veterans and their spouses. We do this in several different facets. One, there are other non-profits trying to make Atlanta the premier destination for Veterans. They have partnered with companies like Coke, Home Depot, Sun Trust, and UPS. These companies are aggressively seeking out Veterans to fill their ranks because they know the benefit our Veterans bring. We network with these other non-profits in order, if needed, to assist
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