August 30th, 2021

Hunt Heroes Foundation, Stop Soldier Suicide and Blue Star Families Join to Support At-Risk Veterans and Active Members for National Suicide Prevention Month

El PASO – August 26, 2021 – Hunt Heroes Foundation (HHF), the non-profit organization founded by Hunt Military Communities (HMC), announced today that it will host a one-hour webinar in observance of National Suicide Prevention Month at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, September 24, 2021. Joining HHF in this effort are Stop Soldier Suicide, the first national, veteran-founded-and-led 501(c)3 nonprofit focused on military suicide prevention, and Blue Star Families, the nation's largest non-profit dedicated to supporting military families and strengthening communities across the United States.

According to the Watson Institute, 17 veterans commit suicide per day. Military suicides have now climbed four times higher than deaths in war operations since 9/11. Combining totals of both active-duty service members and veterans, an estimated 30,177 have died by suicide, compared to the 7,057 deaths of the post 9/11 wars.

The live webinar will consist of an in-depth conversation between the key speakers, followed by a Q&A opportunity for all attendees. Topics of focus will include the impact of combat experience on mental health and suicidality, warning signs and diagnosis of PTSD, and impacts of COVID-19 on mental health among the military.

“Military suicides are a devastating and all too common loss among military families. It’s crucial that we continue to increase awareness and teach prevention to our active-members, veterans, and their loved ones,” said Chuck Eastman, Stop Soldier Suicide Community Affairs Manager and Veteran. “The more high-risk clients we’re introduced to, the more suicides we can prevent.”

Chuck will be one of the key speakers on the webinar, alongside Katy Burndine, Stop Soldier Suicide Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Jessica Strong, Blue Star Families Co-Director of Applied Research and Army Spouse, and Jason David, Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom Veteran, Purple Heart recipient and active duty Chief Master Sergeant.

“We are grateful to partner with Stop Soldier Suicide and Blue Star Families in our efforts to shed more light on such a vital topic,” stated Brian Stann, CEO of Hunt Military Communities and Chairman of the Hunt Heroes Foundation. “By joining forces, we have a much greater chance of reaching veterans and active-duty service members who have yet to find the support that is available to them.”

The webinar will be conducted via Zoom. Attendees are encouraged to register at NSPM.HuntHeroesFoundation.org. If attendees are unable to register, the event will also be accessible on Friday, September 24, 2021 at the same link.

This event will also be accessible via teleconference by dialing 877-853-5257, meeting ID 827 0338 7449 (inside the U.S.) at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the event. International numbers are also available.

For those unable to join the live event, a replay of the webinar will be available after the event.

About Hunt Heroes Foundation

Formed in 2018, the Hunt Heroes Foundation proudly serves military families, partners, and communities through opportunities and ideas generated by our people and partnerships. Together, the HHF will discover new ways to ensure we help bring a positive change to the communities in which we live and work.

About Hunt Military Communities

Hunt Military Communities, the largest military housing owner, offers unsurpassed quality and service to more than 165,000 residents in approximately 52,000 homes on Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Army installations across the USA. We do this through our core values: safety, kindness, efficiency, enthusiasm and selflessness and our 5-Star Service commitment.  With a 50-year legacy and a partnership with the Department of Defense, HMC strives to ensure the integrity of our military communities and the families who live there.  For more information, visit www.huntmilitarycommunities.com.

About Stop Soldier Suicide

Founded by three Army combat veterans in 2010, Stop Soldier Suicide is the nation’s first 501(c)3 organization dedicated solely to the prevention of service member and veteran suicide. Veterans are at 50% higher risk of killing themselves than their peers who have not served. SSS’ mission is to reduce the military suicide rate through the use of enhanced data insights, focused client acquisition, and best-in-class suicide intervention services with a goal of a 40% reduction by 2030. The organization provides service members and veterans of all branches and all generations – regardless of discharge status – with free, personalized care at no cost to them. SSS is not DoD or VA-affiliated, and is not government funded.

About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families is the nation’s largest grass-roots military family support organization, with a mission to support military families to improve military readiness. Its distinctive approach builds stronger communities around military families through knowledge and programs that address the unique needs of those who serve.  Blue Star Families’ nationally recognized surveys and analysis give military families an important voice that informs policymakers and its military family programs. It uses the power of its collective resources and cross-sector collaborations to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of members of military families to strengthen the troops, their families, and our nation as a whole. For more information, visit bluestarfam.org.