homescontents

Sponsorships Are Helping Veteran Families

Veteran family support services By helping qualified veterans and their families access the resources they need to transition or maintain permanent housing successfully, we aim to prevent homelessness. There are many ways a veteran can get help.

SERVICES

Through SSVF, Centerstone’s Community Support Specialists provide guidance and coordination to veterans and their families, helping them make informed decisions, understand their options, and access VA benefits.

In addition, Community Support Specialists will connect veterans and family members with other resources in the veterans’ local community.

When available, some of these resources include:

  • Labour Services
  • Housing services
  • Financial advisory services. 
  • Legal services
  • Assistance with transport (public transport)

Temporary financial assistance may be available to assist veterans with the costs of maintaining permanent housing or finding affordable housing. Some of the expenses that may be covered include security deposits, utilities, or other costs associated with housing the veteran.

Fitness

SSVF is for veterans with or without family members. The veteran must have a qualifying military discharge (DD-214) from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, or National Guard (as long as they are deployed outside of the state). All DD-214s are accepted, except when a service member has been dishonourably discharged.

In addition, a veteran’s combined household income cannot exceed fifty per cent of the median income determined by HUD. If not currently homeless, the veteran must have housing problems so severe that they will become lost within the next 30 days without intervention from the SSVF. Finally, they must have plans to move into a permanent home within the next 90 days.

What You Can Expect

Interested veterans and their families will work with a Centerstone Community Support Specialist to complete a screening and eligibility assessment. SSVF participants work closely with Centerstone SSVF staff to identify barriers and determine what support services are needed to meet the most important needs.

SERVICE FEE

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs funds SSVF. It is available at no cost to eligible applicants in 25 counties in Central Tennessee, 20 counties in Kentucky, and seven counties in Southern Illinois.

COMMUNITY SERVICED

Centerstone provides SSVF services in the following counties in Central Tennessee: Bedford, Cannon, Cheatham, Coffee, Davidson, Dickson, Giles, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Lawrence, Lewis, Macon, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Perry, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson, and Wilson.

SSVF services are provided in the following counties of Kentucky: Allen, Ballard, Barren, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Edmonson, Fulton, Graves, Hart, Hickman, Logan, Marshall, McCracken, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson, Todd, Trigg, and Warren.

People in the following Illinois counties can get help from the SSVF: Franklin; Jackson; Johnson; Massac; Pope; Saline; and Williamson.…

Why It Is Important To Pay It Forward

Gratitude may seem like a simple emotion, but Robert Emmons argues that it inspires kindness, connection, and transformative life changes. And he researched to prove it.

Elizabeth Bartlett is a professor of political science at a Midwestern university. By age 42, her irregular heartbeat had become life-threatening. A heart transplant was her last hope, and she was lucky enough to receive one. In a book describing her journey, she writes that she was grateful for her new life, but being grateful was not enough.

I have a desire to give something back. Thank you. to say thanks. Give things. Give thoughts. I was giving love. So gratitude becomes the gift, creating a cycle of giving and receiving, an endless waterfall. Fill up and overflow. Maybe not even to the giver, but to someone else, your path crosses. It is simply passing on the gift.

However, the benefits of gratitude are rarely discussed today; in fact, in contemporary American society, the meaning of gratitude is often overlooked, rejected, or even dismissed. What Bartlett describes is true gratitude. As this short passage illustrates, gratitude is more than a pleasant feeling; it’s also motivating. Gratitude serves as an important link between receiving and giving; it prompts recipients to share and increase the good they have received. Because so much of human life is about giving, receiving, and repaying, gratitude is crucial in our social interactions. Famous sociologist Georg Simmel stated that gratitude is “the moral reminder of mankind.” If every act of gratitude, he continued, were suddenly eliminated, society would crumble.

Part of the problem, I think, is that we don’t have a sophisticated discourse on gratitude because we’re out of practice. The late philosopher Robert Solomon noted how relatively rarely do Americans talk about gratitude. Even though it forms the basis of social life in many other cultures, we usually don’t pay much attention to it in America- except on Thanksgiving one day. On the other hand, we scrutinize anger, resentment, happiness, and romantic love.

It has been argued that men, in particular, may resist experiencing and expressing gratitude, as this involves dependence and debt. A fascinating study in the 1980s found that American men were less likely to view gratitude positively than German men and as less constructive and helpful than their German counterparts. Gratitude assumes so many judgments about debt and dependency that it’s easy to see why supposedly self-reliant Americans wouldn’t feel good even talking about it.

We like to think that we are our creators and can do whatever we want with our lives. We take things for granted, and we assume that we are fully responsible for all the good that comes our way. After all, we earned it, and we deserve it. A scene from The Simpsons reflects this mentality. When asked to say mercy at the family table, Bart Simpson says, “Dear God, we paid for all these things ourselves, so thank you for nothing.”

In a sense, Bart is, of course, right. The Simpson family made their own money. But on another level, he misses the bigger picture. The grateful person feels that much good is happening regardless of his actions or even despite himself. Gratitude implies humility-an acknowledgment that we could not be who we are or where we are in life without the contributions of others. How many relatives, friends, strangers, and those who have gone before have made our daily lives easier and made our existence freer, more comfortable, and even possible? It’s mind-boggling to consider.

Indeed, contemporary social science research reminds us that we will be at our own emotional and psychological risk if we overlook gratitude. Researchers discovered that gratitude is a powerful contributor to human health, happiness, and social connection after years of neglecting it—possibly because it appears to be a very obvious emotion with no interesting complications.

I started studying gratitude ten years ago. Although the emotion seemed simplistic at first, I soon discovered that gratitude is a deep, complex phenomenon that plays a critical role in human happiness. My research collaboration with Michael McCullough at the University of Miami has led to several important findings of gratitude. We have discovered scientific evidence that when people regularly work on cultivating gratitude, they experience a variety of measurable benefits: psychological, physical, and social. People have reported that gratitude has led to transformative life changes in some cases. More importantly, the family, friends, partners, and others who surround them consistently report that people who practise gratitude seem measurably happier and more pleasant to be around.

The Science of Gratitude

At the start of our research, Mike McCullough and I thought people who regularly practiced gratitude would have better mental and social functioning. We then did a series of experiments based on that thought.

In our first study, Mike and I randomly assigned the participants one of three tasks. We decided to encourage some participants to feel gratitude and others to be negative and irritable. We also created a third, neutral group to measure the others. Once a week for ten weeks, the study participants kept a short diary of five things that had happened in the past week. They either briefly described, in a single sentence, five things they were grateful for (“the gratitude state”), or they did the opposite and described five problems that they did not like (“the troubled state”). The neutral control group was asked to list five events or conditions that had affected them each week, and they were not told to emphasize the positive or negative aspects of those circumstances.

To give a taste of what the participants wrote about, examples of gratitude-inducing experiences included “waking up this morning,” “the generosity of friends,” “God who gave me determination,” and “the Rolling Stones.” Examples of problems were: “difficulty finding a parking space,” “messy kitchen that no one cleans,” “finances running out quickly,” and “doing a favor to a friend who didn’t appreciate it.”

While I thought we would see the benefits of gratitude, I wasn’t sure whether this result would be inevitable or unequivocal. Being grateful means allowing yourself to be put in the recipient’s position—feeling guilty, aware of your dependence on others, and being obligated to give something back. An exercise like ours can remind people to repay the kindness of others, and they can resent these obligations and even report strong negative feelings toward their benefactors.

So I was amazed at how dramatically positive our results were. At the end of the ten weeks, participants who kept a gratitude journal felt better about their lives as a whole and were more optimistic about the future than participants in either of the other two conditions. In other words, according to the scale we used to calculate well-being, they were 25% happier than the other participants. Those in the gratitude condition reported fewer health complaints and even spent more time exercising than the control participants did and significantly more time exercising than those in the fussing condition (almost 1.5 hours more per week). This is a huge difference. The people in the gratitude group also didn’t have as many symptoms of physical illness as the people in the other two groups.

We asked participants to keep a daily diary for two weeks in a second study. People assigned to re-express their gratitude demonstrated an impressive array of benefits: In surveys, we gave to all study participants, people who kept gratitude journals reported feeling happier, more enthusiastic, more interested, more attentive, more energetic, excited, and determined and stronger than those in trouble. They also reported giving others more emotional support or help with a personal problem and supported the idea that gratitude motivates people to do good. And this was not limited to what they said about themselves. We sent surveys to people who knew them well. We got similar results in

a study of adults with neuromuscular disease, many of whom suffered from fatigue, slowly progressive muscle weakness, muscle and joint pain, and muscle atrophy. Little is known about factors that influence the quality of life of people with neuromuscular disorders. This study gave us a unique opportunity to determine whether gratitude intervention can help improve the well-being of people with chronic physical illness.

Participants in the gratitude condition showed significantly more positive emotions and life satisfaction than the control group while also showing fewer negative emotions. They were also more optimistic about the week ahead and felt closer and more connected to others, although many lived alone and did not extend their actual contact time with others. These positive emotional and psychological changes didn’t just appear to the participants themselves: The spouses of people who took part in the study told us that people in the gratitude state looked happier than those in the control group.

Participants in the gratitude condition also reported getting more hours of sleep each night, spending less time awake before falling asleep, and feeling more refreshed upon waking. This finding is huge, as sleep disturbances and poor sleep quality have been identified as central indicators of poor general well-being and an increased risk of physical illness and premature death. It may sound simplistic, but the evidence can’t be ignored: If you want better sleep, count blessings, not sheep.

One of the important features of all these studies is that we randomly assigned participants to conditions. Many people prone to pessimism may have been placed in the gratitude group, just as optimists may have been in other circumstances. In addition, very few studies have been able to develop ways to make people happier or happier. We were able to do this with a simple exercise that took very little time.

Other studies have confirmed our findings and further testified to the benefits of gratitude, especially for social connections. Mike and I did some more research, and we found that people who report feeling grateful regularly are more likely to be friendly or helpful than people who report feeling grateful less often.

We also identified people with a strong propensity for gratitude and asked their friends to tell us about them. We then compared their friends’ responses with the feedback we received from the friends of less appreciative people. According to their friends, grateful people showed themselves to be more supportive, friendly, and helpful (e.g., lending money, showing compassion, compassion, and emotional support) than less grateful people.

Very informative research has been done by David DeSteno and Monica Bartlett of Northeastern University. The participants worked on a computer-generated task; when they were about to receive their score, the screen suddenly went blank. Another person in the room-a “confederation,” who secretly worked with the researchers-“discovered” the monitor’s plug had been partially unplugged, then helped display the participant’s scores. Upon leaving the lab, the participant was asked if they would volunteer to help with another, apparently unrelated experiment, which involved completing a tedious and taxing survey.

Compared to people who didn’t receive the favor, including some who were put in a good mood by watching a funny video clip, the people who received the favor and felt grateful to the ally were more likely to bother filling out the research. This shows that gratitude has a special effect on people who want to help, even more than the general effect of being in a good mood.

Why is gratitude good?

So why is gratitude good? For two main reasons, I think. First, gratitude strengthens social bonds, cultivating an individual’s sense of interconnectedness. Roger, one of the people we talked to in our study of people with chronic neuromuscular disease, told us a story that showed this.

Faced with mounting medical bills and a long spell of unemployment, Roger was on the brink of losing his home—until friends threw a benefit party to raise money for him. He wrote in his gratitude journal: “

Well, the big day came after much anticipation. About two hundred people showed up, bought lottery tickets, drank, danced, partied, and ate until 1 am! We went on stage to thank everyone with joy, tears, and hugs. My manager wrote me a check for over $35,000 the following week! Without that check, my house and car would have been on the market. It was great to see so many friends and colleagues. The first prize of $1,000 was returned to us by the winner (a stranger!). As I write, I keep thinking about more highlights. My doctor and nurse were also there, and our priest came over for a few beers. I felt like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life! I can almost feel myself bursting into tears as I write. My heart warms when I see the people who were there. I also need to help or reach out to others when I can help by speaking or simply listening.

In Roger’s response to that evening and his desire to help others. As a result, we can see how gratitude truly serves as “the moral reminder of humanity.”

A second reason supporting the power of gratitude is that gratitude increases one’s sense of personal worth. When we experience gratitude, we understand that another person wishes us the best, and in turn, we feel loved and cared for. If someone helps me, how can I not think that I have value in that person’s eyes?

It could be this link that explains why gratitude can be a powerful antidote to a depressed outlook on life. One of the reasons gratitude makes us happier is that it forces us to give up a belief that can accompany severe depression—that the world is devoid of goodness, love, and kindness and is nothing but arbitrariness and cruelty. By recognising patterns of benevolence, the depressed person can change his or her self-perception (“I guess I’m not much of a loser after all”). By feeling grateful, we recognise that somewhere is nice to us. And therefore, we can see not only that we are worthy of kindness but that kindness does indeed exist in the world, and therefore, life can be worth living.

We are receptive beings, dependent on the help of others, on their gifts and their kindness. That is why we are called to gratitude. Life becomes complete when we can give to others what we have received ourselves in the past. In one of our studies, a 33-year-old woman with spinal muscular atrophy captured these dynamics:

All my life, people have been involved in helping me get dressed, shower, go to work or school, etc. I hoped that I could do something very important for someone else one day, as others have always done for me. I met a man who was married and very unhappy. He and his wife had a son, who died when they were seven months old. For ten years, they stayed married and tried to have another baby. They were never able to have a child again. They divorced, and he became my friend and lover. He told me about his lifelong dream of having another child. I became pregnant with him and miscarried. I got pregnant again and had an ectopic pregnancy. (No loss of my tube, thank goodness!) One-shot solved the problem. On December 20, 1998, I got pregnant for the third time, and our beautiful son was born. I’ve never felt so grateful for anything in my life. I was really able to give something back to someone. My mother, who had to die before I was two years old,

It is gratitude that enables us to receive, and it is gratitude that motivates us to return the goodness that has been given to us. In short, it is gratitude that enables us to be fully human. There are many companies that help Disabled Veterans.…

Companies Are Helping With Disabled Vets

Do You Love Home Renovation Shows? Be Inspired By Transforming These Veterans’ Homes Into A Military Makeover.

Our military personnel show an unwavering commitment to service and are there when we need them most. Still, US government research shows that returning servicemen are at greater risk of homelessness and housing problems than their civilian counterparts.

What happens when they need help finding safe and stable housing – one of the most basic human needs of all? Who serves them?

Recently, we took a closer look at a program aimed at improving home stability and making home dreams come true for active, retired, and veteran military personnel and their families. Military Makeover with Montel is a unique Lifetime home improvement series that engages conscientious designers, contractors, landscapers, and other home improvement professionals like the guys at MaconGutterCleaningPros.com to transform homes and lives of military families across the country. 

PODS Moving and Storage was honored to be a proud sponsor when the Military Makeover team completed an extensive renovation at the home of an Atlanta veteran and his family. Read on to learn more about this veteran’s service, his home transformation, and other government and non-profit programs aimed at helping veterans and their families achieve safe housing.

SERVING IN THE SHADOW OF TRAGEDY

Meet Marcelino Marquez – Father, Husband, and Master Gunnery Sergeant with over 27 years of service in the US Army and Reserves. During his long time in the military, Marquez served in Mortuary Affairs for five years. This military branch includes the recovery and treatment of soldiers who died on the battlefield, including the processing and transportation of post-combat remains.

Mortuary Affairs service involves a particularly harrowing and difficult set of tasks, often leading to long-lasting consequences as unit members work to return to civilian life. In particular, studies show that Mortuary Affairs staff have some of the highest rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, including intense psychological pressure that can manifest years and decades later.

Marquez now works and lives outside of Atlanta with his wife Frances and three children — 11-year-old twins Jacob and Isabella and 9-year-old Maya — along with their dog, Rex, and Perry, the parakeet. He reports that he still fights every day to cope with the memory and aftermath of his military experiences.

HOUSE MAKEOVER FOR A HERO  

After Marquez’s years of service and continued recovery, his family said their home needed some major TLC. This is where the military makeover came into play. Not only did the Marquez family’s home get the repairs it needed, but they also got the home of their dreams. A total kitchen renovation, all-new furnishings, and a high-tech entertainment system give it the “wow factor” that makes shows so much fun to watch. 

Practically speaking, solar panels and a new energy-efficient HVAC system will save the family thousands of utility bills, while new siding, windows, floors, and floors throughout the house mean few maintenance concerns for decades to come. Thoughtful touches like a fully equipped garage gym and home office complete with CaptionCall technology to help Marquez communicate confidently over the phone despite hearing loss will support his physical and mental health.

Dive into the big reveal and watch the home transformation video here:

PROTECTION OF FAMILY PROPERTIES DURING RENOVATION

The renovation was so drastic that in the process, the family had to move and temporarily relocate. To avoid clutter and protect the family’s property, PODS provided on-site storage solutions and temporarily relocated the family’s property to a secure PODS storage facility. The sponsorship also included loading assistance from professionals. This paved the way for the design and built teams to make a seamless transition from old to new.

“PODS is so proud to serve the men and women who serve our country,” said Jason Felty, PODS operations manager in Atlanta. “It is a special honor to even be asked to be part of a military makeover. It’s only a fraction of what anyone can do to give back after the sacrifices they’ve made.” 

Watch the charging process in action below:

HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS AND SOLDIERS 

When it comes to post-military life, housing and maintenance are often the number one concern for veterans and their families. If you’re a veteran, you may qualify for one or more of these public and private programs: 

GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS FOR HOUSING FOR VETERANS:

  • VA Home Loan Benefits and other housing assistance are available to military members, veterans, and surviving spouses through the VA. The site provides details on VA Home Loans and other housing programs to help buy or build a home; refinance an existing home loan, or improve your current home. 
  • The VA’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program promotes housing stability and community integration of military members and their families by assisting veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
  • HUD-VASH Veteran Housing Assistance is part of Section 8 for Veterans, a partnership between the VA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This grant and benefits program provides veterans with housing assistance in the form of rental vouchers and other supportive housing services. 
  • Disabled veterans’ housing grants may be available to eligible veterans and military members with service-related disabilities to purchase, build, or modify an existing home.

TOP NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AIMED TO ASSIST VETERANS IN HOUSING: 

While the VA offers comprehensive programs, the bureaucracy can often be difficult for veterans to navigate, especially during times of crisis. Supported by both government and private grants, these non-profit organizations often help veterans cut through red tape while also offering special programs aimed at filling the gaps with veteran housing assistance and aiding military personnel—members on their return to civilian life. In addition to veterans in need of services, these organizations can be a good place to start if you’re looking for a way to help veterans. 

  • Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is a non-profit organization that supports veterans and their families through the instability of housing, employment, and access to benefits and medical care.  
  • National Coalition for Homeless Vets is a national network of community-based service providers for veterans and their families. This non-profit organization provides support with job placement, emergency and temporary housing, legal aid, health services, and more. 
  • Wounded Warriors Family Support helps with post-military problems such as housing instability, marital conflict, disability, financial stress, and health care gaps.
  • United Way’s Mission United program coordinates among several outreach groups to connect veterans with housing initiatives, health care organizations, and employment services. Its mission is to honor and improve the lives of military members as they work towards a self-sufficient home and civilian life.
  • Homes For Our Troops works to build and adapt homes for seriously injured servicemen and their families. Through this program, retired veterans injured in the Iraq-Afghanistan war (post 9/11/01) who qualify for the VA Specially Adapted Housing Grant Program may be able to receive free home construction or renovation to help with their injuries and/or physical disability. 
  • Military Makeover with Montel accepts applications from active servicemen, veterans, and their families to be considered for a home transformation.

Taking Care of Veterans

How can a veteran get the Help he needs?

Veterans Day is a day to thank and honor both dead and living veterans of the United States. Unlike Memorial Day, Americans celebrate only those soldiers who died due to wounds received in battle. Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day and was considered a legal holiday on November 11, 1918. It was a day to honor the end of World War I, and in 1938, legislation was passed dedicating the date 11-11 as the cause of world peace. In 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill announcing that 11-11 would no longer be called Armistice Day. From that day on, it would be called Veterans Day.

Fifty-seven years later, on 11/11/11, Americans will gather to honor veterans of all wars. At exactly 11:00 AM, a color guard from each branch of the military will honor the victims of war with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns (Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) in Arlington National Cemetery.

Factors Complicating Veterans’ Experience

You may have received enemy fire, explosions, or personal injury, feared for your safety, witnessed combat casualties and lived in harsh conditions from day to day, or experienced military sexual harassment and trauma. You may currently be dealing with losses such as homelessness and unemployment.

Military factors that may complicate your experience include training accidents and combat injuries resulting in death, a lengthy process to recover your friend’s body and transport it home for burial, limitations on viewing the remains due to the injuries, and the soldier’s young age, as nearly one-third of US troops killed in Iraq were between the ages of 18 and 21. Now that you’re back home, you may have to deal with unwanted media attention, civilian reactions to military deaths, and vengeful political protesters at the funeral.

As a veteran, you face a variety of issues, including a long wait for doctor’s appointments, driving several hours to see a mental health specialist, your spouse’s seeking a divorce or divorce, job loss or lack of suitable work, and negative stereotypes of military or veterans in the movies. Many veterans feel out of control while eating, and they have haunting images as a result of military trauma and need alcohol and/or drugs to get through their day. You may feel worried, anxious, irritable, frustrated, and preoccupied with anger.

Some veterans take prescription drugs without medical supervision and think about committing suicide. Too many veterans are hopeless, furious, and withdrawn from their friends, family, and communities and have no meaning in life. The VA suicide line receives about 10,000 calls per month. There are 950 suicide attempts per month by veterans receiving care from the VA, and eighteen veterans die by suicide every day. Five of them are under the care of the VA.

What do veterans go through?

Veterans deal with long-term grief disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, and traumatic brain injuries. They may experience unwanted memories, volatile behavior, poor sleep, suspicion, withdrawal, and are more likely to have drug and alcohol disorders. Physical reactions include chronic pain, digestive disorders, Gulf War illness, and respiratory diseases. Physical disabilities include amputations and spinal cord injuries. Emotional reactions include feeling empty, furious, guilty, overwhelmed, and sad. Cognitive responses include forgetfulness, guilt, confusion, flashbacks, and self-doubt. Behavioral responses include feeling detached from the environment, intolerance, mistrust, refusing to talk, and sleep disturbances. Afraid of the future, abandoned,

Why Veterans Don’t Get Help

While what you are going through may be similar to what others are going through, many veterans refuse to seek help because they fear it will only make things worse. They feel stigmatization about how they will be perceived and shame that prevents them from seeking help. Some veterans don’t have the time to get Help because of responsibilities or don’t have the energy because of overwhelming grief, depression, and stress. Veterans may distrust professional helpers based on past contact or culture or have relatives who do not approve of seeking Help outside the family.

Good news for veterans:

It’s no secret that veterans have their feelings bottled up. I recently presented a program for veterans and asked them about those feelings. They mentioned three important points: 

1. trust, 

2. insecurity

3. anxiety. 

I asked them if they could prepare soldiers returning home for the challenges they could expect. What they would tell them Twenty of the best responses were: “

  1. You can do it!” 
  2. Go on vacation.
  3. Your family needs you.
  4. Become computer literate.
  5. Get all your medical records.
  6. Know that you have advantages.
  7. You will receive much praise.
  8. Ask for advice and seek therapy.
  9. Ask for Help with financial planning.
  10. Be part of your faith community.
  11. Always be ready for the unknown.
  12. Some problems don’t arise right away.
  13. Learn all you can about the GI Bill.
  14. Everything will seem uncertain.
  15. It will be hard to find a routine, but make sure you get one.
  16. Drinking won’t solve your problems.
  17. Find something to live for, and don’t kill yourself.
  18. Learn what the hardest to deal with and talk about it is. 
  19. You will not experience problems that other veterans do not.
  20. Join a group with your VA because being with other veterans will keep you going.

There’s a VA creed that I particularly like: “It takes the courage and strength of a warrior to ask for help.” The first strategy to improving your health is to get to know your mental health providers. Psychiatrists can offer individual therapy or work with psychologists who can provide group, marriage, and family counseling. Contact social workers to help you with your medical and benefits referrals and job counseling. Counselors can help you with grief. Your primary mental health provider is your main point of contact and coordinates your mental health treatment plan. Talk to your VA Medical Center physician who cares about your physical health and your mental health.

Veterans can draw strength from both affirmation and acronyms. I’ve listed them both and hope they help!

A confirmation from veterans: 

The following affirmation can help you find meaning in your experience and build resilience in your life: “I’m a veteran. I can accomplish anything I set out to do. I’m in control of the things that happen to me. I will have a positive attitude. I can guard my boundaries. I am confident in my role in life. I can change some of the problems I face. I am optimistic. What happens in my future is generally up to me. I feel connected to others. I’m a veteran. ” 

An acronym for “veterans.” 

An acronym is when you take the letters of a word and make a meaningful sentence with each of those letters. The main point about the abbreviation “VETERANS” is that it describes ways to stay resilient: 

Appreciate what you have learned about the power within you. 

Choose a word, phrase, or creed that comforts you. The 

true meaning of sharing your story is found when you find meaning in it. 

Educate yourself about self-compassion and stress management. Re-evaluate

who you are and what you have learned from serving your country. A lot of people 

find positive growth from being in the military. The new 

normal starts with getting out of the way. Stay

spiritually connected with those who have died serving their country. 

Extra Help for veterans

Many organizations can assist veterans, including the American Legion, American Veterans, Black Veterans for Social Justice, Coming Home Project (for vets and families), Department of Health and Human Services Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-TALK, Veterans Press 1, National Association for Uniformed Services, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, National Military Family Association, National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates, Salute, Inc. (financial assistance), and Salute, Inc. (financial assistance). In colorado, Sponsorships are helping Veteran’s families.

There are many companies that are helping Disabled Veterans.…