It’s almost Veteran’s Day; the time of year where veterans are celebrated and honored in ceremony and beyond. Whether it be through learning and discovery of the hard truths of veterans’ struggles, to spreading awareness, showing appreciation in-person, donating money directly to an impactful charity that helps veterans (see below) – it's all important and appreciated.
Support Veterans by Donating to StackUp
This year, we want to highlight an organization doing great things for veterans through gaming.
Stack Up was founded in 2015 and is a military charity supporting US and allied veterans through the power and shared love of video games and geek culture through four pillar programs:
- Supply Crates: sending boxes of games and gear to veterans deployed to combat zones, recovering in military hospitals, or struggling back home.
- Air Assault: flying disabled or deserving veterans to various gaming events like E3, Comic Con, gaming studio tours or esports events.
- Stacks: 30+ teams of volunteers getting out into their community and doing volunteer work locally.
- Stack Up's Overwatch Program (StOP): 24/7 peer-to-peer veteran suicide prevention online. If you are a veteran and need someone to talk to, please join Stack Up's Discord at discord.gg/StackUpDotOrg. Stack Up provides 24/7 suicide prevention chat through their Discord, free of charge, for veterans.
How You Can Help
- Donate here. Or, you can submit a physical donation, such as a console, game, or gently used laptop. Details here.
- Volunteer: You can volunteer your time and skills via local community initiatives or online.
- Fundraise: Content creators and streamers can fundraise through Call to Arms and become a top supporter.
- Subscribe: Those interested can subscribe to their social channels, including Twitch, Discord, YouTube and others.
- Buy merch: You can purchase apparel, accessories, and more from their online shop.
- Simply spread the word about StackUp and how it’s helping veterans’ mental health.
Why Video Games?
StackUp shares context, data, and studies on their site to highlight how video games can help mental illness and suicide prevention. See below for some highlights from their site:
“We recognize that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and emotional distress affect millions of individuals and are a leading cause of isolation, persistent health issues and hardships within our community.
Active duty military personnel face extraordinary pressure in the line of duty. However, after their service is over, we understand another challenge begins for many. It is okay to want to be healthy and seek help, whether facing troubling times, feeling a lack of purpose, or having lost the will to persevere. At Stack Up, we aim to break down the stigmas associated with these issues through the use of gaming.”
You can learn more here on how video games can help with mental illness and suicide prevention.
History of Veterans Day
According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the origins of Veterans Day came from the months leading up to WWI’s end. WWI officially ended in June 1919 when the Treaty of Versailles was signed, however, the temporary cessation of hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on, you guessed it; the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. November 11, 1918 is regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”
Veterans Day is observed on November 11 each year, with a purpose to celebrate American veterans and bring honor to our veterans for their patriotism and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
Additional Resources for Veterans:
If you’re a Veteran in a mental health crisis and you’re thinking about hurting yourself – or you know a Veteran who’s considering this – get help right away.
In addition to StackUp’s Discord, which provides 24/7 suicide prevention chat through their Discord, free of charge for veterans, you can also connect with caring, qualified Veterans Crisis Line responders for confidential help. This service is private, free, and available 24/7. Here’s how you can connect with a Veterans Crisis Line responder, anytime day or night: Call 988 and select 1. Or, text 838255 to start a confidential chat. If you have hearing loss, call TTY: 800-799-4889. You’re not alone.
