HomeFront Sitrep with Challenge America

At Challenge America - a 501(c)3 nonprofit - we have made it our mission to connect service members, veterans and their families to resources and solutions that build community and give purpose to their lives. From the beginning, we set out to challenge the status quo by designing and scaling innovative, evidence-based solutions to the needs of the military community - no matter where they live. By leveraging technology, creative arts and community solidarity, we are challenging America to think differently about how we serve our military.

We integrate community building into every aspect of our programs and services. Our Military Sisterhood Initiative, for example, forged a national peer support network designed exclusively for women of the military. This initiative provides a safe space where more than 2 million military sisters can connect and support one another. The Challenge America: Veteran Arts Community (CAVARTS) takes a similar approach by leveraging the power of the arts to forge a new national community of Veterans who share an interest in or passion for the arts.

We also leverage technology and innovation to generate solutions to the unmet needs Veterans encounter in their daily lives. Challenge America Makers for Veterans (CAMVETS) connects teams of designers, developers, and engineers with injured Veterans, then challenges each team to design and build working prototype solutions that meet the needs of their Veteran teammates. We then leverage strategic partnerships to develop and scale these solutions in order to make them accessible to thousands of Veterans and others facing similar challenges.

We also believe in healing through the arts. Launched in 2016, our Music Therapy Programs offer Veterans the tools they need to more effectively cope with the trauma of their military experience. Challenge America has partnered with the VA to expand the reach of our program by offering virtual workshops. It is our goal to scale this program over time, making it possible to reach the many rural Veterans who are underserved by programs like ours.

Ultimately, we believe that community, not charity, is the answer. Working together, we can ensure that all veterans, service members, and their families have access to the community support and integrated resources they need to live the lives they earned and deserve.

Now is the time. The challenges are great, but the possibilities are greater.

Thank you for accepting the challenge!