“The campaign is called A Weight Off Their Shoulders because when they’re in Iraq or anywhere in the world, they carry these ruck sacks that are heavy and when they come home people think that the weight is removed, but it’s not,” said Martinez in an interview with WGN Morning News. By giving them a home, you take weight off their shoulders and give them a positive outlook in life.
To those veterans that are still struggling, Martinez says, “Just keep hanging in there, don’t give up, you are not alone, there’s a lot of people, there’s a lot of resources, find a way to get involved with different organizations and stay connected to the community that exists—the brotherhood that exists outside of the military and go talk about what is happening, talk about what you’re feeling.” There are a lot of veterans that are committing suicide and everyone has to do their part in preventing those suicides.
Other organizations Martinez dedicates his time to are the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, Glasswing International, Free the Children, the Viscardi Center, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). See the interview below: