It’s so illuminating when fate puts opportunities and people with their stories in my path. I’m honored to be on the Associate Board of Directors for the EveryDayMatters Foundation, it’s a nonprofit the company I work for started. The mission is erasing stigma surrounding mental health. This gets accomplished by everyone by their deed, impact, and word. That’s a very distilled down, elevator pitch of what we’re working toward.
Today, another board member and I met with a local organization with a global reach with veterans, a group near to my heart. My dad, stepdaughter, and I along with many other family and friends are former military service. Vets are unfortunately an at-risk population with mental health and part of everyone’s life whether you’ve considered this or not. My point, if you voted or didn’t vote that’s because of millions of service members defending an ability to freely choose. Thank you.
The conversations today about how programs and services provided at no cost who need it and delivered with customer service, excellent service was essential to them. They impressed me so much at their mission-centered attitude and focus with a funding structure built to sustain and grow to help even more. I know there are hundreds if not thousands of quality nonprofits doing fantastic work, but I met these folks today. We laughed, got serious, and laughed more. There where next steps and commitments to make introductions whether we formalize the relationship or not. All because it about helping veterans heal, get better and have better lives.
This population is a higher risk for many mental health disorders because the jobs are hard, and it takes it’s a toll on the service member and all of their direct family. Some of the posts are dangerous, some are not, but you’re life changes forever because of this service for our family and us. It’s way more than a job. The life after the service, unfortunately, defines too many fellow service members negatively. Let’s stop this, these folks like many need many different things to stay or get back on the right path.
I was just compelled to share a great experience today. Night friends.
Kindly,
Bryan
Ps. Thanks Jen for connecting the dots.