Causes

Military & veterans affairs Health & nutrition

Posted by

Jacob T.

Executive Director

Our mission

MVP's mission is to match up combat veterans and former professional athletes together -- after the uniform comes off -- to give them a new team to tackle the transition together. MVP shows them they are NOT alone.

What we do

Our members come together once a week for a workout facilitated by expert trainers in an elite gym. The gym provides a setting where veterans/players feel comfortable and confident. Participation in the workout is good for the body & brain. Following the workout, they participate in the "huddle". Facilitated by specially trained MVP staff, it offers support and shared experience in the hope of helping others choose strategies that will also help them be successful through a peer-to-peer mentoring model. The professional staff also provides connection and referrals as appropriate to necessary services. MVP recognizes that whether injured on the field or in the field of battle, athletes and vets often share physical challenges. They also share mental challenges. It has many names, but PTSD is not confined to wartime combat. It is a diagnosable mental condition that accompanies multiple kinds of trauma. As a result, both vets and plays face transition that is often accompanied by a loss of purpose and identity. Both vets and players were immersed in supportive military and/or sports cultures which they long for during transition and MVP provides that structure and culture.

In addition to the weekly sessions, MVP members can choose to participate in four community service projects and ten network building events. Our social events are inclusive of all of their peers, family, and friends supporting our MVP members through their transition. Our community service events strengthen the foundation for the transition process offering our members a renewed sense of identity and purpose.