The Independence Fund — Caregiver & Family Program

Caregiver and family support program · The Independence Fund, founded 2007, Charlotte, North Carolina

For the heroes behind the heroes, in its own framing: retreats, virtual events, respite, and community for caregivers of severely wounded veterans, plus family retreats and aftercare for the whole household. The fund says it has assisted more than 2,100 caregivers and more than 300 families through these programs — one of the few national programs built specifically for the caregiver’s own recovery.

Why we carry them. VA’s caregiver program is a bureaucracy; this is the respite-and-community layer outside it, run by an organization led by a caregiver.

Start here — their essential work

• Veteran Caregiver & Family Programs — The program itself: caregiver retreats and virtual community, family retreats, art therapy, and tailored aftercare — plus who qualifies and how to apply.
• Veteran Advocacy Program — Its advocates work directly with federal and state officials and take individual cases where a veteran needs a voice with government.
• Veteran Casework Program — Caseworkers for benefits, VA medical eligibility, caregiver assistance, and discharge upgrades — more than 5,000 cases since 2018, by its count.
• Trackchairs for Veterans — The hallmark program: all-terrain trackchairs gifted to veterans who lost mobility to service — 2,723 chairs to date, by its count.
• Feeding Independence — Drive-thru groceries and household essentials for veteran families — more than 13,000 veterans served since 2020, by its count.
• Programs for Wounded Veterans — The full program index, including Operation Resilience unit reunions and the Veterans Justice Initiative.

Summaries are ours. The work is theirs — we link to it, we don’t lift it. Visit The Independence Fund — Caregiver & Family Program →