Battle Forge Nation hosts coffee Tuesday morning
PRESCOTT – Tuesday’s coffee was hosted by Battle Forge Nation, an organization made up of veterans helping veterans.
However, the organization is also open to civilians who are interested. According to Jerry Hightower Battle Forge Nation is a 501(c)3 group which means donations are tax deductible. The goal is for veterans to help veterans who are in crisis. BFN is roughly 20 months old and is already a nationwide organization. Hightower said they also have volunteers in Guam, the Philippines and other island nations, with goals of going into South Korea and expanding to include active military in Europe.
He said more than 22 veterans a day are committing suicide for one reason or another. Sometimes it’s post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other times it’s simply not being able to pay their bills, but the idea is to reach out to these veterans and help them get on their feet so they don’t consider suicide as an option. Hightower said members of BFN stay with the veterans they’re helping for a year or so, basically as long as needed, working to help them get on their feet financially and emotionally.
Too many veterans are homeless, he added, which leads to suicidal thoughts and attempts. BFN is also working with the Warrior Foundation to help in this area. Follow ups are done to make sure the veterans getting aid are able to continue making it on their own.
Since its inception, BFN has helped more than 5,000 veterans and more than 1,300 already this year alone. Hightower encouraged veterans to join BFN and be its eyes and ears because they know other veterans, including those who may need help.
Nationwide, there are 15,000 members. However, in Arkansas there are only 42 members. He said this needs to change and anyone can join.
BFN is also including first responders to its list of people it helps because these people, while not in combat, deal with some of the same problems, including PTSD from what they see and do on the job.
Anyone interested can go to the BFN website at battleforgednation.org. Civilians can join on the home page, but there’s another area for veterans to sign up.
