In an effort to support local veterans, a South Jersey-based nonprofit recently awarded a $25,000 grant to the Bar X Project, a Berlin organization that reunites post-9/11 combat vets with their former units.
The grant from the Patriot Fund will support the Bar X Project’s mission of helping veterans transition back to civilian life. The fund finances services to which veterans are entitled through the rest of their lives.
By partnering with organizations like Bar X, the Patriot Fund can make a more direct and lasting impact on the lives of vets and their families. It has expanded its reach beyond the area into Florida; Pennsylvania; Indiana; and Maryland, among other states. The goal is to strengthen partnerships with veteran organizations across the country.
Bar X is an all-volunteer organization that began in 2011 to help post-9/11 soldiers reestablish the camaraderie formed during service and gain tools for professional and personal success. It is a vital support system for those veterans, some of whom have found life difficult after service.
Bar X’s executive director, James Moran, is a Marine who served after 9/11. He emphasized the need for his organization’s services.
“Veteran suicide has been a public crisis for the past 20 years,” he explained. “The 2024 VA (Veterans Administration) report reveals that 17.6 veterans are taking their lives each day, despite the VA spending $10 billion annually on mental-health services. This figure remains distressingly high, and we now lose more veterans annually to suicide than we did in 20 years of war.
“These staggering numbers are what drove us to change this narrative.
Moran noted that he has witnessed first hand the bravery and courage displayed by young men and women in life-threatening situations who didn’t hesitate to put themselves in harm’s way.
“Some didn’t make it home,” he said, “many were injured, and all of us returned forever changed. War leaves its mark.”
With the Patriot Fund grant, Bar X will offer 10 post-9/11 vets an all-expenses-paid trip to Montana this summer.
“The cost of the trip is fully covered,” Moran pointed out. “Veterans only need to bring their ID to board the plane. Once there, they will stay at a beautiful riverfront ranch, generously donated or discounted for our program. Over the course of the trip, veterans will participate in our therapeutic program, developed over 14 years, which blends structured activities with free time to embrace the healing power of the American West.
“Most importantly,” he added, “they will do this alongside their fellow service members. For many, it will be the first time they have seen their comrades since their time in combat.”
Moran highlighted the way Bar X approaches PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) in vets.
“Since 2011, we’ve been at the forefront of supporting veterans’ healing journeys,” he related. “By reconnecting veterans with their fellow service members in a serene and therapeutic environment, we offer healing, hope, valuable life lessons after war and a renewed sense of purpose.
“We aim to transform post-traumatic stress into post-traumatic winning, showing veterans how to turn their battle experiences into tools for helping others who’ve faced trauma.”
Michael Wilkinson, chairman of the Patriot Fund, relayed the organization’s commitment to broadening its impact.
“As the Patriot Fund expands beyond South Jersey into Pennsylvania, Florida, Indiana and Maryland, our goal is to strengthen partnerships with veteran-focused organizations in these regions, providing direct, impactful support,” he noted.
“Looking ahead, we aim to extend our reach nationwide, ensuring that veterans across the country have access to the resources and support they need.”
For more information about the Patriot Fund and the Bar X Project and how to support their missions, visit their respective websites.
