06/06/25
by Victoria Ritter
Just as crafting can come in various forms, the act of engaging in creative pastimes comes with multiple benefits. Help Heal Veterans, a national nonprofit based in Winchester, CA, is dedicated to helping veterans and active-duty military through its therapeutic craft kits.
The organization was founded by a San Diego businessman in 1971 after he visited vets at Balboa Naval Hospital. While talking with those who had been wounded in the Vietnam War, a young Marine expressed a need to stave off boredom.
“So, our founder went out to a local hobby shop, bought some arts and crafts supplies and brought them back to the ward,” said Joe McClain, CEO of Help Heal Veterans. “They were such a big hit that he kept going. He knew this was something that our guys need to help them with the healing process.”
The organization, originally known as Help Hospitalized Veterans, quickly grew from a local movement to a national nonprofit. At its headquarters, craft kits are manufactured and sent to VA hospitals, military health care centers and partner nonprofits across the U.S., Puerto Rico and abroad to deployed military. Help Heal Veterans has distributed 33 million kits, serving 21.5 million veterans and active-duty personnel since its inception.
“There is true joy in being part of something bigger than yourself,” McClain stated. “Serving in the military, you’re part of a bigger cause – you’re actually making a difference. It’s the same working at Help Heal Veterans. Just the fact that we provide a tool to help people cope with some of their challenges is important. I’m honored to be a part of that.”
The whole kit and caboodle
McClain wants to provide kits that have the “best therapy value” where recipients have fun doing the craft and are proud of what they made. Help Heal Veterans’ kits feature projects such as wooden clocks and models; leather bags, purses and keychains; jewelry; adult coloring books; needlework; and fine art. On average, a kit takes about an hour and a half to complete. No matter the project, all materials must be self-contained within the kit as well as safe enough to be used in a healthcare environment.
“We always try to leave room for people to embellish and make it their own,” McClain stated.
While some recipients have followed the included instructions, others have taken creative turns – choosing to disregard the instructions, not use all of the given materials, even combining elements from various kits to create something original.
McClain recalled how one young woman receiving palliative care at a local hospital took birdhouse kits, put her own spin on them and left them to the medical center to use in their gardens. “That shows that how leaving space for creativity can give someone a chance to express themselves when they’re facing big challenges,” he said.
Help Heal Veteran’s mission is to “heal the invisible wounds of war through creativity.” Its kits are meant to be a tool to heal from the wounds of war, build resiliency and support long-term success. In a 2018 survey, veterans shared how these creative kits took their minds off their problems, helped relieve their pain and improved fine motor skills. McClain further noted how some veterans used kits to reconnect with family members.
“It’s amazing how something so little can help the healing process in different ways,” he said.
Putting things together
Help Heal Veterans is unique in the nonprofit world as it’s a manufacturer, distributor and service provider. It has a staff of 18 employees, including a team of craft care specialists at sites in Chicago, San Antonio and Temple, TX. These craft care specialists offer hands-on help with kits and help coordinate volunteers.
The manufacturing site in California is outfitted with laser cutters and printers, leather-punching machines and a full wood shop. Help Heal Veterans also partners with Care-Rite which brings in intellectually disabled adults to help in the manufacturing process. “They’re awesome folks,” McClain said. “It’s really special to see what they do to help us with our mission.”
Materials are bought and donated by various companies. Help Heal Veterans has a partnership with Southwest Airlines to use upcycled leather from seat covers to be made into whole kits or as smaller pieces. Additionally, La-Z-Boy donates fabric that is, in turn, put into the kits. About 60 to 70 percent of Help Heal Veterans’ products have upcycled materials, estimated McClain.
“We’re always looking for ways to upcycle materials and turn them into craft products,” McClain said. “It’s the right thing to do, it makes for a great story and makes the craft fun, and it helps with costs.”
Serving those who’ve served
Help Heal Veterans serves a diverse population – men, women, those who live in urban and rural settings, Vietnam veterans to 18-year-olds who are just returning from service. The organization makes 150,000 to 170,000 kits a year, reaching roughly 100,000 veterans.
“The need is probably three times that,” McClain stated.
There is a priority system in place to reach as many as possible. Help Heal Veterans’ main focus is VA medical centers, military hospitals and nonprofits specializing in veteran programs. Individuals who have a true need can also apply for kits, but the process may take longer if the need isn’t critical. Those interested in receiving kits can apply on the organization’s website, healvets.org.
McClain’s long-term goal is to never have to return a request for help. “Though the wars are over, now is when all those issues that have been suppressed are starting to pop up,” he said. “This is the time when the biggest need comes up.”
People can support Help Heal Veterans through monetary donations, which go toward manufacturing and shipping costs as well as purchasing. “We don’t get any government grants,” McClain explained. “All of our donations come from small individual donors, for the most part.”
McClain encourages people to spread the word on Help Heal Veterans and the power of engaging in creative activities.
“The story of creativity healing – not just for veterans or active military – is something the industry needs to spread more,” McClain said. “Creativity does make a difference in people’s lives, and there is good science to why it works that way. The more that people understand that creativity heals, the better.”
