If you haven’t served in the military, or don’t have a close friend or relative who has, you might not understand the struggles many United States veterans face when they return home. After all, many veterans are doing well, building careers and families. However, from 2005-2015, more than 75,000 Americans with military backgrounds committed suicide, according to a 2018 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) report.
Additionally, veterans suffer post-traumatic stress at twice the rate of non-veterans, and recent studies show that almost 25 percent of veterans have a service-connected disability.
But there is help. Through MISSION UNITED, United Way and its partners help military veterans and their families acclimate back to civilian life by affording them the services and support they need. In many communities, the 2-1-1 service is the entry point for MISSION UNITED and is available to help veterans 24/7.
In 2017, 2-1-1 received close to 300,000 calls from veterans or their family members. Most were requests for transportation to and from VA medical center appointments, or requests for housing or food assistance. Find out what’s happening in San Antonio, as United Way’s MISSION UNITED works to help veterans and their families acclimate back to civilian life.
Jose Cabello, a Marine Corps veteran and call specialist with 211, answers a call at the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County in Texas on July 6, 2018. ROSE L. THAYER/STARS AND STRIPES