The Independence Fund
Restoring independence to our nation's heroes since 2007
Founded in 2007, The Independence Fund is committed to serving the Veteran community by providing innovative programs and services to support the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual independence of our service members, combat Veterans, their Caregivers, families, and those Allies who served in combat alongside our troops. The mission is accomplished through innovative mobility and adaptive technologies and therapies for combat Veterans; suicide prevention; Caregiver and family support; and Veteran advocacy with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, other government agencies, federal and state legislators, and other partners.
Our Work At-A-Glance
Advocacy - amplifying the voices of the Veteran community and supporting real, legislative reform.
Allies - supporting the ongoing resettlement and cultural needs of wartime, Afghan
Allies. Caregiver - equipping and empowering military Caregivers while providing an opportunity for respite.
Family - meeting the entire family's needs for comprehensive healing and recovery.
Mobility - restoring the physical independence of wounded, injured, and ill Veterans of all eras.
Independence@Home - meeting the emergent and ongoing physical and financial needs of Veterans facing crisis.
Operation RESILIENCY - fostering mental health and wellness by reuniting military units who sustained casualties and post-combat suicide.
TIF Tactical - providing unforgettable experiences to re-engage wounded, injured, and ill Veterans with hobbies like hunting and shooting.
Veterans Justice Initiative - training law enforcement to de-escalate and de-criminalize Veterans facing mental health crises.
Our Impact: By the Numbers
3,487 Veterans and Caregivers supported through Independence@Home
2,673 All-terrain trackchairs ordered
2,144 Adaptive sports grants
166 Veterans engaged through TIF Tactical
2,078 Caregivers assisted
299 Families assisted
600 Operation RESILIENCY participants
8,503 Veterans supported through Feeding Independence
3,591 Cases served through Casework
3,419 Officers/first responders trained through VJI
Sarah Verardo
Chief Executive Officer - The Independence Fund
Sarah Verardo is a national advocate for military and Veteran communities. Her incomparable passion and drive to support wounded Veterans can be connected to her vast experience with her husband, Sgt. Michael Verardo, who was catastrophically wounded in Afghanistan in 2010. Her expertise and drive serve her well as CEO of The Independence Fund.
A master at building effective public-private partnerships, Sarah has facilitated pilot programs with the United States Government to tackle the most urgent issues in impacted communities.
Sarah is also a co-founder and board member of Save Our Allies, a NGO dedicated to saving our wartime Afghan Allies and providing them with dignified resettlement as they become part of the fabric of America.
Her work continued in Ukraine following Russia's unprovoked invasion in February 2022. Sarah advises Administration officials and members of Congress and has been instrumental in shaping national policy that directly improves the lives of diverse populations.
Verardo regularly appears on cable news to commentate on the sacrifice of Veterans and Military families. Sarah is a savvy and engaging media personality, a respected subject matter expert, and a celebrated advocate for global populations.
The Verardo Family
SGT Michael Verardo & Sarah Verardo
Retired Army SGT. Michael Verardo served as an Infantryman in the 82nd Airborne until his medical retirement in 2013. He deployed with Bravo Company 2/508th Parachute Infantry Regiment to conduct combat operations in August 2009 and the unit suffered a 60% purple heart rate. Wounded initially April 10, 2010, Michael requested to be returned to duty and was wounded on his first foot patrol just two weeks later. This patrol had catastrophic and life-changing consequences. The improvised explosive device immediately blew off Michael's left leg, much of his left arm, left him with burns on over 35% of his body, a traumatic brain injury, severe facial damage, damage to his airways, and other polytraumatic conditions that required a field blood transfusion.
On April 24, 2019, Mike's ninth Alive Day, he had his 120th surgery post-Afghanistan. His condition has required years of physical, occupational, speech, and visual therapies. Originally listed as death imminent post-injury, Michael has continued to defy the odds.
In 2021, the state of North Carolina passed House Bill 138/Senate Bill 132 designating every April 24th as Wounded Heroes Day in honor of SGT Michael Verardo and all of North Carolina's wounded Veterans.
Propelled by her experiences as a military Caregiver and impassioned Veterans advocate, Sarah has become an unparalleled leader in the Veteran community.
Compelled by the federal Administration’s move to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in spring 2021, Verardo kickstarted an effort in July to open The Independence Fund’s programs criteria to all Special Immigrant Visa recipients living in the US. Because of this advocacy, TIF was the first national VSO to include combat interpreters in Veteran programming. As the withdrawal escalated, Verardo created the Allies program at TIF, offering SIV holders financial assistance, and all Afghans navigation of available resources.
In a move that was at once vital and inspiring, the August 2021 collapse of Afghanistan led Verardo and three others to co-found direct-response rescue and aid organization Save Our Allies. Since, SOA has evacuated more than 17,000 US citizens, SIV holders, and wartime Allies from the country and assisted in medical and humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine. Stateside, The Independence Fund's Allies program has remained committed to the successful and permanent settlement of these Allies.
Sarah and Michael and their three young girls live outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, and remain active members of their community.
Innovative programs and services to support the independence of the Veteran community
Our Vision
We believe every servicemember, Veteran, Caregiver, their families, and those Allies who served in combat alongside our troops, who have been affected by their service to our Nation, should be able to have their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual independence restored.
Our Programs
Advocacy
For Veterans returning with the scars of war, the fight doesn’t end upon their arrival home. Unfortunately, some of the biggest battles are with the very institutions who are supposed to be on their side; whether it be the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or Congress, when they simply don’t understand the challenges Veterans face, or when they turn a deaf ear. The Independence Fund's Advocacy team assists where the needs are greatest right now; amplifying the voices of those who fought for us.
Allies
In July 2021, in advance of the withdrawal of all American troops from Afghanistan, The Independence Fund became the first VSO to open programming eligibility to Afghan combat interpreters living in or being resettled in the United States, ensuring that wartime Allies would be recognized as key members of the Veteran community. In September, following the fall of Afghanistan, the Allies program began providing financial stipends to SIV holders and SIV-pending Allies in the US, as well as connecting all resettled Afghans with proper resources, appropriate partner organizations, interpretation services, healthcare, and more nationwide.
Caregiver
The Independence Fund is proud to serve Caregivers of all eras. By providing small group retreats, military Caregivers are provided not only with an opportunity for respite, but a chance to receive resources, support, and empowerment in a peer-to- peer environment. The Independence Fund was the first VSO to host a national retreat for male Caregivers: fathers, husbands, and brothers of our nation’s wounded.
Casework
The Independence Fund's Casework team supports Veterans and Caregivers as they navigate the challenges that accompany post-military benefits and VA resources. Our Casework team specializes in:
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Service-connected Benefits
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VA Medical Eligibility
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Caregiver Assistance
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Upgrading Your Discharge
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Status Community
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Resources
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Medical Referrals
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Vocational Rehabilitation
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Unresolved Medical Issues
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Access to Medical Care
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Legal Resources
Family
The Independence Fund’s Family Program, open to families of catastrophically wounded Veterans, focuses on art therapy, respite, and comprehensive individual aftercare. With the understanding that true independence can only be reached through total family care, The Independence Fund tailors its family program to provide aftercare that is specifically created for each family and partners family's facing similar post-military concerns.
Independence@Home
Independence@Home provides direct support to catastrophically disabled Veterans, Caregivers, and families with physical and emergent needs including housing, utilities, childcare, and transportation services. Our Feeding Independence events provide Veterans with groceries and supplies through contact-less, drive-thru events at local VA medical centers throughout the country.
Mobility
The Independence Fund's hallmark program provides catastrophically wounded Veterans the chance to regain their independence through the use of specialized all-terrain trackchairs. The program is open to Veterans of all eras who have undergone a severe loss of mobility from a service-connected catastrophic injury or illness.
Operation RESILIENCY
Operation RESILIENCY reunites post-9/11 military units who survived traumatic experiences together during their deployment and have been affected by Veteran suicide once home. Relying on the trust and brotherhood forged in combat, military units gather to address their next, and most important mission on the home front: Preventing Veteran suicide. Together, Veterans engage in peer-to-peer support, physical activity, and social connectedness to build resiliency skills. Since 2019, The Independence Fund has been proud to include the unit’s combat interpreter Allies in reunions, as they served alongside our Veterans shoulder- to-shoulder in combat and now fight alongside our Veterans on the home front. OpRES attendees participate in a four-day retreat and leave with tools and resources to use when the load gets too heavy.
TIF Tactical
Our TIF Tactical adaptive shooting program provides opportunities for our nation’s catastrophically wounded, injured, or ill Veterans to re-engage with hunting and shooting sports. TIF Tactical provides Veterans with unforgettable opportunities nationwide through partner ranges and hunting locations.
Veterans Justice Initiative
With a goal of confronting deeply-rooted mental health and substance abuse issues within the Veteran community, The Independence Fund's Sarah Verardo founded the Veterans Justice Initiative (VJI). Compelled by the experiences of her husband's battle buddies facing mental and legal crises, Sarah, with the support of the State of North Carolina, launched VJI in 2022. The innovative program connects Veterans and law enforcement with shared experiences, training, and resources.
The Veterans Justice Initiative assists law enforcement agencies, first responders, and frontline workers to understand the nuances and true scope of Veterans’ mental health obstacles once they return home from service. Early intervention and casework is crucial to Veteran mental wholeness.
