A phone call can save a veteran’s life
Michael D. Boll, President, NJVN
Every year we honor the fallen, who have sacrificed their lives so we can live in the best country in the world. Please reflect on the service our heroes perform to keep us safe and protect our way of life. This Memorial Day we are asking people to call and check on our active duty soldiers and veterans that have served. Every day we lose twenty-two veterans to suicide and 40 percent of veterans that return from combat are diagnosed with PTSD. Unfortunately, this number has not changed much, and we feel that recreational therapy and peer support can really make a difference for our veterans living in crisis. The New Jersey Veterans Network (NJVN) is fully committed to combat this epidemic by aggressively seeking out veterans in need. Our goal is to contact the veteran before they fall into a deep state of depression and provide them lifesaving and lifechanging resources.
Over the last few years, the NJVN has been able to provide thousands of meals to our veterans and active duty soldiers. Thousands of veterans were given new suits and clothing from our storage area, over thirty newly refurbished automobiles were gifted to disabled veterans, and the most important thing the NJVN does is save lives through our peer support /mentorship program.
The NJVN works from the heart and is therefore able to work with all the other amazing veteran charities that share the same common goal, putting veterans first. Our donations go directly to the veteran’s programs, which allows us to assist veterans and their families throughout the entire state and host numerous recreational therapy activities as well. This year we are starting up a few veterans’ retreats and will focus on increasing events at our state veteran hospitals and shelters.
We are always looking for volunteers that can both assist with upcoming events and help mentor veterans so they can live better productive lives. Volunteers are the most important NJVN resource, and we would love to have more people help us save lives. If you need assistance or are interested in joining the team, please send us your name, email, and phone number to NJVN1775@gmail.com or call 973-332-1556. Check out our website NJVN.org for our services and accomplishments.
