Our Mission: To 'End Veteran Suicide in our Nation!'
Join us (or help create) our 1st - Operation Fun on JBLM
on Saturday February 11th at 10:00 am.
Click here for event details and poster
Veteran Suicide is a community issue that demands a community solution!
Statistics:
The 2008 VA statistic was 18 per day, which is one every 80 minutes or over 6,500 per year. Many believe that this old statistic is just the tip of the iceberg. It's time for everyone to stand up and say 'Not in my Country' and join our 'National Alliance to End Veteran Suicide!'
Our Methods:
We are accomplishing our mission by connecting our Recent Veterans with Seasoned Veterans and the services of their local area. We create community around our Veterans and Families so that they know that 'they are not alone!' Our coaches establish action steps that move our Veteran towards a powerful future, so that there is no reason to even consider suicide.
Case for Action:
Without support a returning Veteran will withdraw from family, friends, community and life itself. The support services currently offered to a Veteran are typically designed to help them survive tough times (very reactive).
With our increased involvement in conflicts around the world the number of Veteran issues will only increase and their suicide rate will continue to rise. As Veterans leave Active Duty and transistion back to the Civilian world, if they are not connected to community they too will become part of this tragic statistic.
Our focus is to be much more proactive and create a community that surrounds our returning heroes so that they not only survive...they thrive.
Call to Action:
Latest statistics imply that we could have a half a million returning Veterans needing our assistance.
VetsMeetVets is a grass-roots effort calling:
all Seasoned Veterans, in every city and town of our great nation, to get involved now!
every non-veteran, family and friend to show your heart and get involved now!
those with leadership skills to be trained as a Coach and create action steps now!
every organization or business to partner with us on this great mission!
and every Recent Veteran to connect with us in this community to know that 'you are not alone!'
There are only 18 thousand towns in our nation and we only need one person in each to take the lead and connect with us to be like the pebble in the pond that causes a ripple of good things to happen.
Are you that one person? If so, click here to Get Involved now!
Join Our National Alliance to End Veteran Suicide:
We request that every individual and organization join our 'National Alliance to End Veteran Suicide'. Use our Registration page to join, adding 'National Alliance' in the comment field of the Registration form. If we all do a little it will add up to a lot. It's time for action, not talk and we request collaboration with all branches of our military and all military and Veteran support organizations.
Start by learning the signs of crisis : click here
Suicide Prevention:
Click here to watch our Introduction Movie
Click here to watch VA ad - Actor Gary Sinise Speaks Out on Suicide Prevention
Available 24/7/365
Homeless Veterans Program:
We have joined forces with the VA to end Veteran homelessness in five years. Our volunteer Homeless Veteran Liaisons work with our homeless Veterans to get them connected to the VA and other service providers.
Homeless Veterans: http://www1.va.gov/homeless/
1-877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838) 24/7
** Above link also has online Live Chat for Homeless Veterans **
Monthly Networking Sessions & Veteran Community Builder Events:
We host networking sessions and events, in the communities near the Recent Veteran, to bring them together with Seasoned Veterans and the resources of the community, to provide a lifting and mentoring like environment. This fun social gathering creates a lasting bond between the Recent Veteran and the Seasoned Veteran as well as their local community, its organizations and its service providers. In our monthly networking sessions Veterans and Family Members that want mentoring are connected with a Coach.
Note: more photos are available at www.Facebook.com/VetsMeetVets
Upcoming Events:
Please visit our Events page for our upcoming networking sessions, community builder events, or fund raisers.
Coaching Program:
For anyone wanting a higher level of involvement we offer our Coaching Program. Our coaches are made up of men and woman who are either past duty Veterans or family members who have been there and done that. They are trained to be dedicated listeners to hear what is needed most by the Veteran or Family Member that has requested a coach. Our coaches then provide the connection into the support services offered by their local community, county, state and federal programs. Our coaches act as a partner to verify that the appropriate actions are taken and results are obtained. A coach's main mission is that of a connector to ensure that the Veteran or Family Member knows 'that they are not alone' and that they are moving forward in action.
Veteran Community Action Network:
The VCAN network is formed by people in action, not by those talking about what we can do. Facilitators of these sessions rally organizations and individuals that are ready to take whatever action is necessary to support our Veterans and their Families. Projects are designed that create collaboration between organizations and cities in the network.
Our Community Organizers researh and catalog the resources in the region so that members of VCAN are able to make quick referals to other VCAN members ready to do whatever it takes.
We also invite all faith based organizations to join our Veteran Faith Based Network.
Veteran's Communications Platform:
We are seeking funding and gathering ideas on our huge offering that uses all of the greatest Internet Technologies to create community unlike anything seen before. This solution will provide the following benefits; 1) connect the active duty Veteran with their family and friends while away, 2) connect the returning Veteran with their peers after leaving the military, 3) connect the returning Veteran to other Veterans in their local towns, 4) connect the returning Veteran to the support/jobs/services of their local town.
How You Can Get Involved: click here to learn more about the different ways you can assist.
Donations are needed:
As a non-profit we accept all donations and appreciate your assistance. Your donation will be used to create the structure offering a safe place for our Veterans to share. It also funds the expenses incurred by our Coaches as they assist our Veterans and their families. VetsMeetVets is program of the Veterans Family Fund of America a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.
| Note: if the email links on our site do not work with your email client then manually send an email to info@VetsMeetVets.org with a subject like you see near the link. |