Marine veteran Tim Hatcher still remembers the initial motto that propelled him and a group of veterans to serve and honor wounded and disabled North Texas service members.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe might not be able to change your life, but we\u2019ll help your life suck less for a little bit,\u201d Hatcher said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In 2013, Marine veteran Jeremy Spann \u2014 along with a group of servicemen like Hatcher \u2014 began Cowtown Warriors, a nonprofit aimed at helping wounded and disabled veterans across North Texas by offering financial emergency relief. Composed solely of volunteers, the organization hosts annual balls, skeet shoot events and other fundraisers to help local veterans coping with service-related disabilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of what Cowtown finds itself doing now is, \u2018Stop the bleeding, restore the breathing, treat for shock,\u2019\u201d Hatcher said, who served as the organization\u2019s previous president. \u201cIt\u2019s just triage. How do we get you stable? How do we get you to where you can get your blinders off and try to find the next job opportunity that\u2019s going to be good for you and your family?\u201d<\/p>\n
Since its inception, Cowtown Warriors has raised over $2.6 million for its cause and has helped over 150 local veterans, according to its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cowtown Warriors serves veterans of all branches who have a service-connected disability, honorable discharge and reasonable quality-of-life request, Hatcher said.\u00a0<\/p>\n When the nonprofit first began, volunteers focused on improving a veteran\u2019s well-being at their home through a new bed, new furniture or getting their home modified to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Hatcher said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Today, members of Cowtown Warriors find themselves serving veterans in a different way \u2014 financial planning and wealth management, Hatcher said.<\/p>\n \u201cOftentimes now they are in a state of despair, where rent has not been paid, mortgages haven\u2019t been paid, water, electricity is being cut off, the wheels have fallen off for some reason or another,\u201d Hatcher said of veterans they serve.\u00a0<\/p>\n The nonprofit stabilizes a veteran\u2019s financial situation by assisting with rent, mortgage or other bills.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cowtown Warriors also serves as space to refer veterans seeking mental health support or additional help to other local organizations, Hatcher said. The nonprofit has become a way for Marine veterans like Hatcher to connect with other service members looking to make a difference in their communities, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bart Lesniewicz got involved with the nonprofit in 2017 by volunteering at the organization\u2019s annual Cowtown Warriors Charity Ball.<\/p>\n Lesniewicz has been a part of the group since, rising up to serve on the organization\u2019s board of directors and responsible for vetting military veterans in financial need.\u00a0<\/p>\n A majority of veterans Cowtown Warriors serves come through a vetting process by Combined Arms and the Texas Veterans Commission before being screened by the nonprofit, Lesniewicz said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The organization verifies the potential recipient by looking over military paperwork, their financial need and visiting the veteran\u2019s home to see the situation firsthand, Lesniewicz said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a huge fiduciary responsibility to ensure that the money goes to what it\u2019s being said it\u2019s going to do,\u201d Lesniewicz said.\u00a0<\/p>\n As Hatcher thinks about the future of Cowtown Warriors, he hopes the organization will be able to move away from an entirely volunteer force and have its own space with a small group of employees available to help the nonprofit grow, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the meantime, Cowtown Warriors will continue to do its main function \u2014 serve veterans who need it most, Hatcher said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCowtowners are still needed,\u201d Hatcher said. \u201cIt can be a tough thing, but it needs to be done. If we\u2019re not doing it, who else is going to be doing it?\u201d<\/p>\n Marissa Greene is the faith and fellowships editor at the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n