Vietnam Veteran Vito Pampalona, Yellow Ribbon Fund Help Wounded Vets and Their Families As They Return Home From Service

Southfield (CW50) - Yellow Ribbon Fund was founded over 16 years ago to serve injured service members and their families as they returned home from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. The organization recognizes the importance of keeping the family together during the critical recuperation phase of a wounded vet.

The organization has created two key programs: Crossroads and Keystone, are each design to provide services to these men and the families who are needed by their sides in their time of need.

Crossroads helps in the transition process by providing rental cars, hotel stays, and fully furnished apartments for patients and their entire families while at Walter Reed —at no cost to military families. Whereas Keystone provides transitional services and training to caregivers, at any point in their journey: health and wellness education and events; life skills development and educational opportunities; family retreats; peer-to-peer support and networking.

Vito Pampalona, the Director of Yellow Ribbon Funds' Michigan Branch, joins Lisa Germani on Community Connect to talk about the various programs the organization offers, as well as how his own experience returning home as a Vietnam veteran help change how he wanted veterans of today to be treated when returning home from military service.

Pampalona also discusses his annual Christmas party that he holds for wounded veterans and their families so they can be together in the hospital during the holidays.

The Yellow Ribbon Fund is holding their "An Evening Honoring Our Heroes" event on November 11th. Donations can be made at here.

You can learn more at YellowRibbonFund.org

Watch Community Connect, Saturday at 7am on CW50