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Canadians across the country have had to handle significant changes to their everyday lives as we continue to face the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many parts of Canada begin to ease restrictions, the impacts of the health crisis are still prevalent, and True Patriot Love Foundation remains committed to standing by the individuals who serve our country and supporting those most in need. 

Many military members face challenges such as regular separation from family and other loved ones, and an elevated risk of injury or worse. Veterans can also face challenges with mental health, rehabilitation and recovery from injury and transitioning to civilian life. The current pandemic and the COVID-19 deployment to long-term care homes can intensify these issues and induce more stress. How individuals respond to stress is critical to well-being. Scientifically, the ability to face challenges and learn and grow from the experience is called durability or thriving. True Patriot Love is committed to funding programs that help foster durability and in this newsletter you will find a few examples of the programs we have funded that provide trusting social relations with others, physical well-being, meditation, and an environment that re-establishes a sense of control over mind and body.

In addition to providing support during the pandemic by funding community-based programs, True Patriot Love Foundation has been working to ensure the government recognizes the needs of military members and Veterans so they can be included in COVID-19 relief programs. We’ve also partnered with the Vanier Institute to fund the COVID-19 Impacts: Veteran families survey. This survey aims to capture the thoughts, experiences, and perspectives of Veterans or members of Veteran families amid the COVID 19 pandemic. The results will provide quantitative data on the impacts of the health crisis on the Veteran community to inform our grant-making decisions and support the need for funding and policies from government organizations like Veterans Affairs Canada. Veterans and members of Veteran families are encouraged to participate in the survey, which can be accessed here. The Vanier Institute is currently crowdsourcing this survey, so we encourage you to share the link with your networks, Veterans and Veteran families. For more information, please contact: research@vanierinstitute.ca. 

We know that donors and supporters like you make all of this possible and we thank you for your generosity and commitment to those who have and continue to serve our country. 
 

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Programs that are building a thriving community
 

Valcartier Military Family Resource Centre: improving access to health care
Approximately 25 per cent of regular force personnel are required to relocate to a new location each year. This can create interruptions to medical care and health services for military members and their families – especially for those who relocate to remote locations where access to basic health care services is minimal. In fact, 44 per cent of military spouses find it extremely difficult to re-establish medical services after relocation. Issues include, finding a new doctor, acquiring specialist referrals, and losing a priority position on a waiting list. 

We are pleased to support the Valcartier Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) through the 2020 Bell TPL Fund. Located in Quebec, this  MFRC will be offering military members, Veterans and their families a telemedicine service. This service will provide individuals with access to doctors and nurses who will be able to virtually consult and treat various health issues. 

The military and Veteran community in Quebec is over 100,000 strong. This program will help ensure individuals who have and continue to serve our country will be able to access health care services much easier than before. 


Soldier On: supporting military members and Veterans through sport
This year, True Patriot Love partnered with Soldier On with the intent to support Team Canada in the Invictus Games 2020 at The Hague. Because the Games have been postponed until 2021, staying connected is more important than ever. In light of the pandemic, Soldier On has been offering its members, including Team Canada athletes, virtual programming consisting of a combination of tutorials.

These tutorials range from advice on how to cope with social isolation and adaptive yoga, to sporting activities like fly fishing and kayaking. They’ve also provided inspirational video messages from notable ambassadors like hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser and actor Ryan Reynolds.

True Patriot Love is proud to see program partners like Soldier On maintain a peer-support network through sport, ensuring that military members and Veterans never feel alone. 

 

Currently, there are over 600,000 Veterans in Canada, and studies have shown that one third of Canadian Armed Forces members have difficulty transitioning to civilian life.

With funding from the 2020 Bell TPL Fund, True Patriot Love has supported the Veterans Transition Network (VTN). Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the program would span three weekends, where participants would spend over 100 hours living together and take part in group sessions led by psychotherapists, counsellors, and past graduates of the program (paraprofessionals). With your generosity, the program has been able to implement a new model that consists of in-person sessions (adhering to social distance practices and gathering limitations) and video-conference follow-ups. Participants leave with a renewed sense of self and critical tools to successfully transition to civilian life. 

In addition to the unique stressors related to service, Veterans may feel an increase in isolation, emotional irregularities and struggles with relationships due to the pandemic. VTN's new service model will help participants overcome these challenges amidst these uncertain times.