GIVING BACK: Yellow Ribbon Fund

Blog

February 06, 2026

Each issue, the editorial staff of Military Embedded Systems will highlight a different organization that benefits the military, veterans, and their families. We are honored to cover the technology that protects those who protect us every day.

This issue we are highlighting the Yellow Ribbon Fund (YRF), a nationwide charity that helps returning U.S. service personnel injured during active duty, most of whom are recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital. The 501(c)(3) charity – which recently marked its 20th year of serving military veterans – has as its stated aim to enhance the lives of military families facing medical crisis and recognize the importance of keeping returning service members’ families together during the critical recuperation phase.

The organization was founded in 2005 by a group of business owners near Walter Reed and Bethesda Medical Center who realized that families of service members at the facilities needed shelter, caregiver support, and other resources. Over the next few years, the YRF expanded nationwide to 10 chapters; the organization runs various events and programs, arranged by staff and volunteers, aimed at helping patients and their families stay together and begin to heal. The YRF runs parties for personnel and families, outings and trips, and even weddings.

Two of the major YRF programs are Crossroads and Keystone: Crossroads provides practical support to post 9/11 active-duty and disabled veterans by offering rental cars, hotel stays, and fully-furnished apartments at no cost to the families while the personnel are receiving medical treatment. Keystone takes that concept a bit further, offering families the chance to participate in recreational and respite events, fitness and wellness activities, life-skills training and educational classes, networking, and peer-to-peer support, all of which the organization says work to boost morale, promote self-care and resilience, and foster friendships and family bonding.

For more information, visit https://yellowribbonfund.org/.