Hear directly from a wounded hero whose life you saved!
SFC Bryan Schrader
United States Army (Ret.)
Dear Friend,
My name is Bryan Schrader. You and I have never met. But I’ve been told you’re one of the reasons I’m still alive today.
I’m also writing because there are many veterans in the same dark place I was ... and I want to ask you to help them like you have helped me.
I am just one of many disabled, dysfunctional, lost vets in America today. I served 22 of the best years of my life in the United States Army with some of the best this nation ever produced.
Throughout my career, I was identified by the accomplishments I achieved every day. I felt 10-feet tall and bulletproof — and proud as can be.
Then, one day, I had a parachute accident. I woke up in a hospital three days later. And that one accident seemed to define my life ever since. After all those years in the military, doing all those things, and then all of a sudden -- that’s it.
After leaving the Army, I became very lost. I fell into darkness as I struggled endlessly to fix my life on my own.
Going to the VA, talking to psychologists, and taking prescription medication didn’t help me. And I was too proud to ask for any help outside of what the VA gave me at the time.
MY SUPPORT FOR WOUNDED HEROES LIKE
SFC BRYAN SCHRADER!
YES, I want to continue my support for wounded heroes like Sergeant First Class Bryan Schrader with my tax-deductible gift to Freedom Alliance!:
SFC Bryan Schrader and his family.
SFC Schrader in the Army.
I went down this destructive path for several years — until I opened my eyes and finally saw how bad my family was suffering. It took seeing their distress for me to swallow my pride and ask for help.
That’s when I met Freedom Alliance. Everyone within this organization welcomed me as if I was one of their closest family members.
I cannot express enough how genuine everyone at Freedom Alliance is — they are truly good people.
Everyone at Freedom Alliance has an incredible passion for what they are doing and the reasons they are doing it. I have witnessed so many volunteers working tirelessly to help me, my wife, and my two children. I’ve seen them help the families of other vets like me.
People don’t work that hard if they don’t believe in what they’re doing — and if they don’t truly care about those they’re helping. I’ve seen this firsthand. Because, with your help, Freedom Alliance has changed my life in so many ways.
First, when I was in my darkest place, I went on some fishing trips with a few of my fellow veterans who were also struggling. That was by far the best medicine I could have received.
The first time I went on a Freedom Alliance fishing trip, I found I wasn’t alone in my struggles. I discovered I didn’t have to stay off the grid and hide from everyone.
I found people just like me — brothers I could trust and talk with. We could “compare notes” together and, in turn, help each other through the rough times and make some sense of our lives.
Anyone who has ever struggled with something significant knows the difference it makes if you’re not alone. That’s where the healing really started for me. For this reason alone, I will be forever thankful to Freedom Alliance and the support of friends like you who make their work possible.
But through Freedom Alliance, you’ve done even more for me.
Freedom Alliance partnered with US Bank to give me a mortgage-free house to restart my family’s life.
This is the greatest, and also the very hardest, thing I’ve ever accepted from anyone. It was hard to accept because I’ve worked hard for everything I’ve ever gotten. I don’t, to this day, feel like anyone owes me anything or want any “handouts.”
Yet, after I got out of the service, I was no longer able to provide for my family like I had. I was failing at everything — no matter how hard I tried. But this house is an incredible gift that has given my family a place to call home again. And it has renewed and strengthened our relationships with each other.
I didn’t know how much our lives revolved around having a home until we lived without one for so many years. You see, I was trying to run from my problems instead of facing them. So we lived in a van for more than a year-and-a-half. Then, we lived in a trailer for about four years.
Because I was running from my problems, I dragged my family along on a dark journey that killed us spiritually, mentally, and financially. The road I took us on just broke us in every way you can think of.
Now, here’s where things stand today.
I have been humbled by my life’s journey. But with the blessing of Freedom Alliance, I can focus on fixing my problems much easier than before. And, just as importantly, my wife and kids are enjoying life much better now.
There are so many other veterans who are where I was before I met Freedom Alliance. Former service members who are in their own dark places and who could spend the rest of their lives lost — or even worse.
This is why I wrote this letter.
So many vets are fighting their own demons. And Freedom Alliance will never give up on helping them win those fights. Never. They tell me they will continue helping as many vets as possible as long as our nation has people serving in uniform.
And they also tell me something else: Freedom Alliance can only provide programs for veterans like me because of the caring gifts received from friends like you.
Words cannot describe how grateful my wife and I are for your generosity. Without friends like you, the programs that helped me turn my life around — that I believe actually saved my life — might never have been possible.
My sincere hope is that Freedom Alliance can continue its programs for wounded veterans and military families. So that as more former service members return home broken and lost, they get the help needed to allow them to heal and find their way.
While I still have my struggles, I feel more confident about dealing with them and being the husband and father my family deserves.
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. And thank you for your generous support of Freedom Alliance.
Love and Respect,
Bryan Schrader
Sergeant First Class, US Army (Ret.)
P.S. I loved my time in the military more than anything in the world. And even with the many troubles I’ve had, I’d do it all over again without hesitation.
I also hope I’ve been able to adequately describe how very grateful my family is for friends like you. I pray you will continue to help military veterans like me heal from the wounds of war — and help save their lives — with your generous support of Freedom Alliance. May God bless you. And may God bless America.