VETERANS SUICIDE HOTLINE: 1-800-273-8255 (press 1)
The Mission continues
Yes... Summit for Soldiers is going through some changes, but hopefully for the better! As we focus on the best way to continue serving our Veterans and Families, we want to share that our primary mission is about a "movement" that anyone can partake in.
It is a simple formula, built around three concepts: Awareness, Simplicity and Encouragement. These are things you can do, without fancy bells and whistles.
Awareness: All of us can share our stories, struggles, and resources that have worked (or not). Have the conversation, don't just avoid it.
Simplicity: We do not need complicated answers for complicated issues, what we need is a simple approach. Everyone always seems to have an "answer" to interject, but fail to understand that there is no cookie cutter solution. The SFS approach is to simply remove the isolation while we walk the road together as we sort through the issues. Most of us just need a friend that understands, sometimes quietly, but willing to be by your side.
Encouragement: We don't need to tell people they are not alone; we need to show them. The important moments are not how we over come and succeed, but how we pull together and persevere when things are going bad. Those who are struggling silently need to hear from those of us who have been there. It is not easy, and it means you may need to be vulnerable by exposing and sharing your struggles, but that is how we can get down in the hole with each other when nobody else will.
So... get out there and help us remove the Isolation and build our network of support and camaraderie for each other. Get into the outdoors and take a break from the issues... reset... then grab a buddy and do it again! But most importantly, when that buddy calls in the middle of the night, struggling, drunk, upset...the easiest thing you can do is just answer the phone.
It is a simple formula, built around three concepts: Awareness, Simplicity and Encouragement. These are things you can do, without fancy bells and whistles.
Awareness: All of us can share our stories, struggles, and resources that have worked (or not). Have the conversation, don't just avoid it.
Simplicity: We do not need complicated answers for complicated issues, what we need is a simple approach. Everyone always seems to have an "answer" to interject, but fail to understand that there is no cookie cutter solution. The SFS approach is to simply remove the isolation while we walk the road together as we sort through the issues. Most of us just need a friend that understands, sometimes quietly, but willing to be by your side.
Encouragement: We don't need to tell people they are not alone; we need to show them. The important moments are not how we over come and succeed, but how we pull together and persevere when things are going bad. Those who are struggling silently need to hear from those of us who have been there. It is not easy, and it means you may need to be vulnerable by exposing and sharing your struggles, but that is how we can get down in the hole with each other when nobody else will.
So... get out there and help us remove the Isolation and build our network of support and camaraderie for each other. Get into the outdoors and take a break from the issues... reset... then grab a buddy and do it again! But most importantly, when that buddy calls in the middle of the night, struggling, drunk, upset...the easiest thing you can do is just answer the phone.