A perfect time to reach out to veterans

Dear American Legion Family members,

The holiday season is upon us. While it is a joyous time, for many this time of year often brings sadness, loneliness and depression. And these feelings can lead to thoughts of suicide for our veterans. This is where we need to Be the One to ask our veterans how they are doing, listen when they need to talk and reach out when they are struggling. We can help save the life of a veteran by putting our Be the One initiative into action. 

There are excellent resources on the Be the One web page, betheone.org, to help you share this message and carry it with you always, especially in these next few months with the holidays.  Let’s all Be the One to save the life of a veteran.

This season also is an opportunity for American Legion members to reach out and perform Buddy Checks. A simple phone call will go a long way as some veterans and Legionnaires are home bound, lonely and could use a visit for camaraderie. You can invite them to your post’s holiday meals or events. A little recognition and showing of care goes a long way.

A Buddy Check kit can be downloaded at legion.org/buddycheck.

When you reach out to veterans, share about the many American Legion programs that can provide needed assistance at this time. That might be The American Legion’s Temporary Financial Assistance program if they have young children in the home and are facing a financial hardship with paying a bill, or they may need to speak with an American Legion service officer to help file a VA claim. Whatever the need may be, our veterans must know that we will Be the One and they are not alone