A Message about COVID-19
| To our Chicago Veterans family, We hope that at this time you are finding yourself safe, with all of your basic needs met, and with a strong support system near you. We know that with the current state of the country, and the virus, times are a bit unstable and that makes many of us nervous. The impact and loss of physical social connectivity and self-isolation are deeply felt throughout our communities. Our team is working on adjusting our programs and finding new and creative ways to continue to best serve our community during these times. Ultimately though, our mission to empower Veterans personally and professionally, provide an engaging and united community, and provide support to Veterans as they transition, remains integral and central to our planning. One of the biggest questions we get is whether we will continue forward with the Ruck March and other social and recreational events that help our veterans dealing with PTSD and negative thoughts. Without a doubt, we know that the suicide epidemic is also a crisis that our community faces and has faced for decades. We know that our annual Chicago Veterans Ruck March has brought the community closer, has connected thousands of Chicago Veterans and supporters throughout the years, and this event has become a time for the community to come together to remember our fallen brothers/sisters. For the safety of our community, we have decided that we will postpone our annual Chicago Veterans Ruck March and all in-person events. We recognize the significance and impact the event has on our attendees and community, and we know that the Veteran suicide epidemic needs to continue to have a voice in our communities. We are working with our partners to select a date later this year. More details will be published on the event page, feel free to follow the page on our website. During the last few weeks, we have been working to gather as much information as possible from our partners and government agencies in order to assist our community as much as possible. We have also shifted all of our current Employment and Educational workshops to our brand new virtual platform. We have made phone calls, sent emails, and text messages to our veteran community to ensure they are safe and have all their basic needs met. We have also begun to work on a series of activities that will encompass the following: 1) Educating and empowering you with information that will connect you to the resources that currently exist for the Veteran community to include partner organizations and Veteran-owned businesses. 2) Creating fun and engaging content featuring Veterans in the community that will keep you connected. 3) Hosting workshops to address some of the challenges and questions commonly experienced in the Veteran community. 4) Educating and informing you on of the importance of key health and safety messages. 5) Continuing to foster a supportive, engaging Veteran community to build on the camaraderie and social connectivity we all need. While you look after your family and friends, we also appeal to you to join us in your own way and reach out to a fellow veteran, sometimes a simple phone call makes a big difference. We have always believed that the Chicago Veterans community is defined by its resilience, courage, and the great spirit of camaraderie. It is these values that will get us through this difficult time and enable us to support and lift each other as we get through this epidemic. If you are in need or looking for additional resources please contact us. Thank you, Chicago Veterans |