American Legion "Be the One" Campaign
The program will destigmatize asking for mental health support, provide peer-to-peer support and resources, and educate everyone on how they can "Be the One" for a Veteran in need.
Today, the No. 1 issue facing the veteran community is suicide, according to the National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report. It is estimated that between 17 and 22 veterans or servicemembers take their lives each day. That’s more than 6,000 annually. The rate of suicide for veterans is more than 50% higher than that of non-veteran adults. As the Global War on Terrorism continues, there will be more veterans facing mental-health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
American Legion Post 156 will be instrumental in the success of this campaign. We have the power to foster unity and camaraderie, and we can mobilize support quickly to veterans in crisis. In non-emergency situations, we can also:
- Educate members, other veterans and civilians about the campaign.
- Display resources at our post and in your community.
- Share events or success stories on the legiontown.org platform.
Post 156 will incorporate the "Be the One" Campaign into our 2023-2024 seasonal Buddy Call Campaign so that we can identify Veterans in Crisis and/or in need!
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Merit and Zoe Video
Linked here is a moving video that was recently shared at Legion College. There are a few potential triggers in the video, so please be cautious: it talks about Veteran suicide and the struggles that come with it. Let us all make an effort to begin normalizing the fact that people are struggling, and that it is normal and acceptable to ask for help!
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