NJVN Memorial Day Message
Michael D. Boll, Director, NJVN
A few years ago, I was approached by a friend and veteran of mine who expressed how extremely depressed he was and that he wanted to take his own life. Initially, I was completely shocked because this guy seemed to be upbeat and happy all the time. Immediately, I asked him to come with me to a private office so we could talk about his awful situation. This was the first time in my life that I had a friend talk to me about suicide, and I knew I had to really do my best to help him get through this horrible ordeal. We spoke for a few hours and I listened closely to everything he said. I was able to convince him to immediately get some help and we went to the hospital. I stayed with him at the hospital and met with him when he was released. I did everything to show my friend that I had his back, and because of this he is alive today. This awful situation inspired me to do whatever I possibly can to help others in need, and shortly after the New Jersey Veteran’s Network created our mobile outreach program.
In today’s day and age, most of you have known a veteran or first responder who has taken their own life. We lose nearly 22 veterans and approximately 300 first responders every year to suicide. Even with all the awareness and new anti-suicide programs available, this number has not changed, and in some cases has increased.
The VA hospitals with PTSD and mental health programs are packed with patients and unfortunately, the numbers continue to increase. More of our first responders are also seeking help and are utilizing some of the state pro-grams being offered. So many people want to help and put an end to this crisis, but sadly there isn’t a foolproof program available that will stop this ever-growing crisis from destroying our uniformed heroes and their family’s lives.
For the last two years, our team has been working tirelessly with other charities to come up with a better solution to help prevent this epidemic from continuing. Personally, we believe our Mobile Outreach Team is really making a difference and everyday it helps our uniformed heroes live a better way of life.
The first thing we learned as a team is that we must lose our ego and seek out other groups and organizations that are looking to save lives. Then we find the right volunteers who are committed and dedicated to being a men-tor to a person in crisis. Volunteers are ex- tremely valuable because they want to be there, and they usually care more than the people who get paid for their services.
To date, we have been able to change and save countless lives because of the in- credible commitment from the volunteers and other supporting groups. In the next few months we are excited to be launching the “Uniformed Heroes Project,” which is a statewide peer support/mentorship program for veterans, first responders, and active duty military. This project is a collaboration between the NJ VFW , NJ American Legion, NJ FMBA, PFANJ, NJSPBA, NJ FOP, NJ MAVA, NJ legistrators, other military/first responder organizations. The Uniformed Heroes Project will provide peer support training throughout the state for volunteers and host numerous recreational therapy events for our heroes in need.
ABOUT NEW JERSEY VETERANS NETWORK
We are a group of veterans and volunteers dedicated to helping our veterans and their families live better lives. Our mission is to identify veterans and connect them with resources and programs designed to meet their unique set of needs. Help us save Vets! We are always looking for volunteers, with various skills, to join the team. If you are a veteran or family member that’s in need of assistance; or are interested in volunteering, would like us to speak at your event, or contribute to our mission, call 973-332-1556 or email njvn1775@gmail.com To learn more about the team please check out our website njvn.org ( accomplishments). Help us save Vets!
