Veteran Suicides Since January 1, 2022

 1,639

About the Disabled Veteran Empowerment Network (DVEN)

Welcome to our disabled veteran support center. My name is Robert Hess. I’m a 90% disabled Vietnam veteran with 80% of my disability combat-related. Almost all of my disability stems from Agent Orange-related prostate cancer and combat-related PTSD. I know firsthand the challenges disabled veterans face in getting their lives back on track.

Important Veteran Statistics

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are roughly 22 million veterans in the general U.S. population. The number of veterans from our recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is expected to surge to 3.9 million by 2021, and there still are 7.2 million veterans from the Vietnam war alone.

Roughly 30% of our newest veterans have a service-related disability and almost 8% live in poverty. 16% of our older veteran population are similarly injured and 7% of that broader group are living in poverty.

The Veterans Administration now provides medical care for over 5 million veterans and more than 40,000 veterans are diagnosed each year with cancer. That’s a staggering number. There is a huge need in America’s veteran population.

Why Create The Disabled Veteran Empowerment Network (DVEN)?

DVEN is a program of the Cancer Journeys Foundation, which is the successor to the Project Cancer Awareness Project.

The Prostate Cancer Awareness Project 501 c3 non-profit charity was formed in 2006 to help veterans with prostate cancer measure their risk and find their cancers while they still are treatable. We expanded our mission to include support for all cancers in 2016, and the Prostate Cancer Awareness Project became The Cancer Journeys Foundation, also a 501 c3 non-profit charity, EIN 81-1880936.

In 2018, we came to understand how many veteran cancer survivors also are coping with PTSD.  In early 2019, we created the DVEN program to provide more focus on our disabled veteran population.  Because of the uniqueness of the military veteran community, we decided to create a separate website for the veteran program – DVEN.org.

The Cancer Journeys Foundation operates and supports the following program websites:

Thank you for your support of the vital programs.

Thank you for visiting DVEN and for your support of our disabled veteran community.

Warm regards,

Robert Hess

picture of Disabled Empowerment Network Founder founder Robert Hess

Member:
Disabled American Veterans
Veterans of Foreign Wars
American Legion

Federal Trade Commission Lists Fraudulent Veteran Charities

The Federal Trade Commission has identified the following veteran charities as fraudulent:*

  • American Disabled Veterans Foundation
  • Act of Valor
  • Donate that Car, LLC
  • Donate Your Car
  • Foundation for American Veterans, Inc.
  • Healing American Heroes, Inc.
  • Healing Heroes Network
  • Help the Vets, Inc.
  • Medal of Honor
  • Military Families of America
  • National Vietnam Veterans Foundation
  • Saving our Soldiers
  • Vehicles for Veterans, LLC
  • Veterans Emergency Blood Bank
  • Veterans Fighting Breast Cancer
  • Veterans of America
  • Vets Fighting Breast Cancer
  • VietNow National Headquarters, Inc.

*Source: Federal Trade Commission Date: July 18, 2018

Veteran Charities We Support

We have carefully screened the following veteran organizations using the GuideStar* database. We know donations to these organizations will directly benefit veterans and their families.

We thank you in advance for your vehicle donation.  Our material improvement program for donated vehicles assures that our donors receive the highest possible donation tax deduction, allowing us to make the largest possible donation.

  • Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
  • Fisher House Foundation
  • Gary Sinise Foundation
  • Hire Heroes
  • Homes for Our Troops
  • Operation Home Front
  • Stop Soldier Suicide
  • Veterans Moving Forward
  • USO

*GuideStar is the world’s largest database of non-profit charities.