Organization: Warrior Songs Founder and executive director: Jason Moon ORIGIN: Singer/songwriter Jason Moon served in Iraq from 2003 to 2004 as a general construction equipment operator in a combat engineer battalion. After he was honorably discharged from the Wisconsin Army National Guard in By Karen Werner August 2004, Moon struggled to return to civilian life. Overcome with emotions about his combat experience, he was unable to finish a single song. Moon was plagued by insomnia, depression, hypervigilance, nightmares and other symptoms. Troubled by the changes, he sought treatment and was diagnosed with PTSD. Moon’s road to healing was difficult, culminating in a failed suicide attempt in 2008. After being released from the hospital, he vowed not to let PTSD control his life and started connecting with other veterans struggling with similar challenges. C H ARITY SPOTLIGHT {giving back} AUGUST 2020 | 34 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA HEALING FROM THE WOUNDS OF WAR Warrior Songs uses music to help veterans relieve PTSD

In 2009, Moon was interviewed for the documentary “On the Bridge” and asked to record an original song for the credits. The experience inspired him to start writing music again and led to his 2010 album “Trying to Find My Way Home,” which chronicles his journey to overcome the difficulties of living with PTSD. Moon toured the country over the next year, meeting many veterans who told him about the positive effect his music had in their own recoveries. He learned he could turn his pain into something they could relate to — music. Believing other veterans could benefit from the cathartic process of creating music, Moon formed Warrior Songs, a nonprofit bringing hope and healing to veterans through music. KNOWN FOR: Operating on an annual budget of $50,000, Warrior Songs provides free services to veterans, including four-day intensive creative arts healing retreats. Since starting in 2010, the organization has served more than 45,000 veterans and given away more than 30,000 CDs. VOLUNTEER WHO MAKES A DIFFERENCE: Connie Baptiste, an Air Force veteran who serves on Warrior Song’s board of directors. She recently headed up an emergency COVID-19 assistance program that helped 22 at-risk veterans receive $250 emergency cash assistance grants. Baptiste performed a song on the award-winning “Women at War: Warrior Songs Vol. 2” and is co-producer on “Veterans of Color: Warrior Songs Vol. 4,” due out in 2022. She is also a chef and a senior ambassador at Women Veteran Social Justice. BY THE NUMBERS: Since 2010, Moon has traveled over 400,000 miles and given more than 500 performances to over 25,000 civilians and 10,000 veterans. Since beginning his veterans’ advocacy work in 2008, he has helped raise more than $500,000 to assist veterans in healing from the wounds of war. To learn more, donate or purchase CDs, go to warriorsongs.org . After Jason Moon returned from active combat duty in Iraq, he was plagued by PTSD symptoms and didn’t finish writing a single song for five years. Connie Baptiste ( above right ) contributed the song “Always on Top” to the 2018 release “Women at War: Warrior Songs Vol. 2” and served on the five-woman leadership committee for that CD. FRONTDOORS MEDIA | 35 | AUGUST 2020