Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) was founded in 2007 by women veterans to provide American service women and veterans with the resources and community support to heal their wounds and re-adjust to civilian society. SWAN has since become a civil rights organization that works to secure equal opportunity and the freedom to serve in uniform without the threat of harassment, discrimination, intimidation or assault and to secure quality health care and equal benefits for women veterans and their families. In just five years, SWAN has established itself as the leading organization that focuses on gender-specific needs and issues faced by women in the U.S. Military.
Women make up 15% of today’s U.S. military. More than 356,000 women currently serve in the Armed Forces (Active Duty, National Guard and Reserves) and more than 280,000 women have been deployed thus far to Iraq or Afghanistan. Although 1.8 million women have served in the military, enormous barriers to equal treatment, equal opportunity and improved quality of life still persist. Few organizations exist to provide gender-specific support and services to address the challenges service women and women veterans face
The majority of SWAN’s clients are women who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, major depression or other mental health conditions associated with gender discrimination or sexual violence. Most are dealing with the challenges associated with mental illness, challenges acquiring veterans’ benefits, maintaining housing and employment, and caring for family members.
SWAN’s main vehicles for providing direct services are through its Legal and Social Service Referral Helpline and Yoga for Vets NYC.
When a service woman or woman veteran calls the Legal and Social Service Helpline, she receives compassionate guidance from an experienced woman veteran. A Legal Director assesses the legal needs of clients, provides advice or refers clients to other legal representation within SWAN’s network of pro bono legal services. Yoga for Vets NYC Program offers two free classes each week for veterans, their families and veterans’ service providers at Integral Yoga Institute in NYC. Classes are taught by veterans and focus on the specific physical, psychological and emotional needs of veterans.
How your purchase helps:
10% from every product purchased at ONEHOPEWine.com is donated to a charity of your choice from the drop-down. Every Charity Tuesday we will introduce and feature a new non-profit in the Shop & Give drop-down, allowing us to give hope to a greater number of important causes beyond those we support all year. If this is a cause that speaks to you; something that makes you feel connect, select SWAN at check out and 10% of your purchase will be given to them. It’s just that easy.
