TAKE THE PLEDGE TO TALK TO 10 VETERANS

The VA will host its second annual Veteran Buddy Check Week Oct. 21-25 that follows the mission of the American Legion’s Buddy Check program.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will hold its second annual Veteran Buddy Check Week Oct. 21-25. Both the VA and American Legion Buddy Check program have the same mission – to check on the well-being of veterans. Since the Legion’s Buddy Check program launched in 2019, more than 1 million veterans have been reached by phone calls, texts, emails, letters, cards and face-to-face.

During VA’s Veteran Buddy Check Week, veterans and their families are encouraged to take the pledge to talk to 10 (#Talkto10) veteran friends and watch the peer wellness video that includes VA S.A.V.E. suicide prevention training. The goal of Veteran Buddy Check Week is to connect veterans with their service brothers and sisters, decrease isolation, increase access to VA care, and offer mental health and crisis intervention support. The VA has a toolkit with key messages and resources, social media graphics and sample content posts to help spread the word.

The American Legion will be part of the VA’s virtual Veteran Buddy Check Summit on Oct. 22 from 9-11:15 a.m. Watch here. The summit will feature a Buddy Check Townhall with VA leadership and presentations from veteran-affiliated organizations.

Additionally, more than 70 VA Veterans Socials – veteran-led community-based social events that offer a space for veterans to support and connect with each other – will participate in Veteran Buddy Check Week. Many of these are held at American Legion posts. Find a Veterans Socials near you.

For American Legion Family members conducting Buddy Checks during Veterans Day week, download the Buddy Check Toolkit that explains the program, provides steps to conducting a successful Buddy Check, gives sample scripts and more. And share your Buddy Check stories and photos in the Buddy Check section of Legiontown.