22 veterans die from suicide every day
For many of our veterans, returning from their service to our country and adjusting back into civilian life is a challenge, resulting in 22 veteran suicides every day.
Gail Charrier, Acting Dean of Student Affairs, is working to raise awareness for struggling veterans with the “22 in 22 Campaign,” which ran from Sept. 17-23 at Delaware Technical Community College Owens campus. This campaign encourages veteran supporters to come alongside our veterans.
“These funds are used to help those veterans and families struggling,” Charrier said.
With this campaign, challenges are put up on the website for local college students and supporters such as 22-minute events and walking 22 miles through the month of September.
Many soldiers enlist at a young age, often straight out of high school and have never really had to understand the cost of living as a civilian. Veteran Amber Curtis experienced this for herself. She was discharged as a Petty Officer Third Class after serving active duty in the Navy for six years.
“The (Navy) did and provided everything for me. Told me what to do and how to live my life,” Curtis said.
When their term of service is over, veterans go through a short adjustment program and then are discharged to start civilian life by finding a job, a home and other things required to live in today's world.
David Tidwell, Academic Counselor for Veterans and Service Members at Delaware Technical Community College Owens Campus, said, “The veteran’s biggest struggle with adjusting back into civilian life is money.”
Curtis went into hair styling which provides a commission-based paycheck.
“When I got out of the Navy, I had no idea what opportunities and resources were out there for me,” Curtis said. “This was a challenge for me because I was used to the stable paycheck every two weeks with no question.”
At Owens Campus, there are resources available to the veterans attending for example veteran centers, counselors, scholarships and more. But few veterans are aware of them.
Curtis, now studying elementary education at Delaware Tech, is able to use the newly finished Veteran Resource Center. This center, located in the Student Services Center, is a place for veterans to come together with others who understand their struggles of adjusting to civilian life.
“We are hoping to soon have chess available for our veterans here,” Tidwell said. “Recent studies have shown that playing chess quiets the mind and helps people struggling with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).”
For more information about veteran resources, contact David Tidwell at dtidwell@dtcc.edu or(302) 259-6073.
Navy veteran Amber Curtis pursues her degree in Elementary Education while using the equipment provided by the Veteran Resource Center located in the Student Services Center at Delaware Technical Community College Owens Campus. Photo by H. McQueen
With 22 veteran suicides every day, Delaware Technical Community College took action with a campaign to raise support for our veterans in need including selling t-shirts to raise money and awareness. Photo by H. McQueen.
Video by H. McQueen