TOLEDO, Ohio — As September honors National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, a recent article mentioned how the U.S. Department of Defense launched its 2023-2024 annual campaign, "Connect to Protect: Support is within Reach."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said suicide is an American public health crisis, which does impact military members and veterans especially hard. The data shows they're among the group with higher-than-average suicide rates.
One local veteran organization, Task Force 20, has been working for over seven years to help that number go down. The organization has also been honoring other organizations, civilians and veterans who are also working to do the same.
Task Force 20 founder and executive director, Jason Graven said it's important to make sure these community members know that they're seen and heard. This is the third year for the honor banquet, where Veteran of the Year, Civilian of the Year and Origination of the Year receive a trophy, as well as a financial donation to the group helping veterans' mental health.
This year's Veteran of the Year, Retired Army Sargent First Class, Steve McCarroll, said after 23 years, 10 month and 27 days in the military - in 2018 after retirement - he realized he needed something.
"Even the strongest needs to sometimes be told they need help," McCarroll said.
He said he was looking for his family outside of his wife and kids - his traditional family.
"That's kind of something I felt, a void. I needed to fill that void. So, I found out about this wood working program," McCarroll said.
He joined the Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute, which gave McCarroll - who'd been interested in woodworking since high school - an outlet he didn't realize he needed.
From just attending the classes, his participation grew to mentoring fellow veterans and leading the classes, which lead to him eventually becoming the Institute's veteran communications director. This position brings him a lot of pride to help his fellow veterans.
Graven said it's stories like McCarrolls is what Task Force 20 wants for all veterans. For everyone to find their way.
"The ultimate goal is to get veterans off the couch, away from drugs and alcohol. Re-engaged into society, around a healthy and active lifestyle," Graven said.
For those who participate with the Task Force, it's hitting the gym. Meanwhile, other veterans like McCarroll find hitting nails with hammers is more their style. But both agree it doesn't matter.
"For some people there's a quilt program. They knit, they make quilts. There's all kinds of different outlets for veterans to get involved in," McCarroll said. "To maybe have an outlet, maybe talk the same language no matter what year of the military we served in."
The most important thing about any program offered is to keep veterans from isolation. Graven said those who do it best, like McCarroll, definitely deserve recognition.
"Being able to see the looks on the faces of those we're awarding. It's a really fulfilling moment," Graven said.
The Task Force 20's banquet will be at The Pinnacle in Maumee on Friday, September 8, from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. For more information on the event, click here.
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