COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.–This year’s charity of choice during the Defense Credit Union Council’s annual meeting was the Robert Irvine Foundation.
During the four-day meeting funds were raised for the foundation, which seeks to support and strengthen the physical and mental well-being of service members, veterans, first responders, and their families.
The organization, which was founded by the well-known chef and entrepreneur Robert Irvine, said it further seeks to provide “these heroes with life-changing opportunities that unlock the potential in their personal and professional lives through food, wellness, community, and financial support.”
Experiences Shared
Sharing his experiences in both the miliary and with the foundation during the Defense Credit Union Council’s annual meeting, VP David Reid, who was part of the Army’s Special Operations unit and the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Regiment, noted he lost friends and nearly his own life during action in recent U.S. military campaigns in Afghanistan.
In one mission, Reid stepped on a mine pressure plate and the resulting explosion led to leg injuries and a broken back. Reid said he found himself looking at the stars and “thinking this might be my last night on earth. It was one of the toughest nights of my life.”
Reid would end up going through 11 surgeries, and yet nine months after the last surgery he ran in a marathon.
Support From ‘Brothers & Sisters’
“That was purely because I had the support of the brothers and sisters to the left and right of me. It was the people missing a leg who came in to physical therapy who shared stories with me and gave me hope,” he told the meeting.
He noted that the military instills a sense of purpose in its service members who understand they are “there to serve.”
“To be abruptly caught off from that was so disturbing to me,” Reid shared. “I had to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.”
Reid said when he was studying to become a physician he also did work with veterans’ organizations, and that’s when he met Robert Irvine, who asked him to just spend a year with the foundation and see its work. That was eight years ago.
“We do some incredible things,” he said. “We’ve grown from a mom and pop entity to a multi-million foundation.”
Areas of Support
That foundation supports a wide variety of things for veterans, including:
- Food programs
- Mobility devices
- Financial support
- Service dogs that “can smell suicide,” and others that will wake veterans up from nightmares.
- Home renovations
“One of the reasons I am involved in it so much is the authenticity it brings to the table,” Reid said. “It’s all about the genuine things that can be done.”
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