'Face the Fight' new effort to prevent veteran suicide, seeks to cut rate in half by 2030
(TND) — A new enterprise to prevent veteran suicide launched Thursday, backed by $41 million in philanthropic grant money.
"Face the Fight" has the bold goal of cutting the veteran suicide rate in half by 2030.
Established by USAA and The USAA Foundation, Face the Fight seeks to break the stigma around asking for help, foster conversations about the issue, and complement existing suicide prevention efforts from the likes of the Department of Veterans Affairs and others.
Face the Fight will be a coalition of corporations, foundations, nonprofits and veteran-focused organizations, they said.
"Our service members stand tall in the noble calling to serve others, and we need to stand with them for challenges they may face, including mental health and suicide,” USAA President and CEO Wayne Peacock said in a news release.
USAA is joined by founding partners Humana Foundation and Reach Resilience, an Endeavors Foundation.
Together, they’re devoting $41 million to the cause.
They say they’ve worked with a team of experts to come up with their philanthropic strategy and identify how to truly make an impact in reducing veteran suicide.
The Veterans Crisis Line reportedly fielded a record number of calls, texts and chats in recent months.
And the latest VA figures show there were an average of 16.8 veteran suicides per day in 2020.
More than 120,000 veterans have died by suicide since 2001, according to Face the Fight organizers. And the veteran suicide rate is currently 1.5 times the suicide rate for the general population.
Veteran suicide is a national crisis,” Reach Resilience President and CEO Sonya Medina Williams said in the news release. “An estimated 50,000 more veterans will die by suicide this decade if we don't act now.”The Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7, and calls can be confidential. Dial 988, then press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text 838255.
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