Whats your perception?

FACT

260,000 veterans will be homeless this year.

1. Give a veteran a ride

2. Donate frequent flier miles

3. Buy veteran-friendly holiday cards

4. Help build a home for severely injured vets

5. Keep veterans off the streets

6. Send a care package or a letter

7. Help them take flight

8. Share their stories

9. Say thank you by doing somthing and not just saying it.

The Black and white Photography I you see is about suicide prevention. I know the photograph can come off a little strong and revealing, my motivation and idea behind it was to show the severity of the situation america is having to face. Everyday a family is affected by a veteran taking their own life because it can become to much for one person to handle and this can be very traumatic for the family and children. I personally came home from Iraq with injuries that were not fully address even though I was seeking out help but seeking out help and still performing an infantryman's job is almost impossible then you throw into the mix a wife and child and its a recipe for disaster. Before I had even turned 22 I had joined the Army, married, deployed and now was suffering and loosing my wife and child as our lives were growing more distant and apart. Every time I have seen posters for support veteran information 90% of the time the images used are soft and only show someone depressed Like this:

(Do you honestly believe these poster shock people or make them stop and take a second look?)

yet when you see a commercial about abused animals they reveal all, cuts, scars, abuse, hurt and all the above right in front of anyone watching the TV screen. I once found myself in a horrible situation, homeless and self medicating through alcohol and no one not even family had took the time to reach out to me and offer me help mind you I was a 22 year old disabled veteran sleeping out of my car.  I honestly was at a point where I felt everything I had done meant nothing and accounts for nothing, no one would hire me and no one would help, even when I did my best to cover up my injuries and never really seeking out help because the circumstances were never in my favor. I believe I was becoming weak and useless to society and I began to question my own life. I would have rather ended my life then to be a burden or harm someone else and I just could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. When I was left with nothing I decided to enroll myself into college because I had no other form of income and had not yet been evaluated by the VA because I continued to convince myself there was nothing wrong me even though I was suffering. This was one of my best and one of my worst choices, by that I mean I made the right choice to educate myself and try to force myself to open up and break free from my anxiety also giving me income to help my situation but I did not know that it would be one of the hardest things to do with out the proper support and help. College can be stressful enough and at the same time I was sleeping out of my car in the parking lot until I was able to seek out the proper help through the VA. With the help of the VA I have been able to start addressing my issues, injuries, situation and problems, it has not been easy considering I am currently still on this path and praying for the best outcome as I continue to put forth my best effort but any one suffering with PTSD and other disabilities knows sometimes things are just to much for ourselves to carry alone, and some days can be very overwhelming when your trying to put the pieces of your life back together on a limited budget. My question to world is how would I ever explain or share all of this in one image? I believe if we all show little more compassion by understanding the severity of the situation but also understanding the impact you can make in a veterans life. My other question is why would people let or not care enough to go out the way to help a veteran when we are and can be a huge assets to family and employers. As long as veterans have door opening up for them and people finding the time as some have done in my past. I would not have honestly made it out of the hole I was in if it had not been complete strangers reaching out and offering me help. Honestly I live with he fact everyday until I reach my goals I feel as if I would be unable to ever repay some of the people that had helped me or been there for me. Life can be overwhelming at times and you might not be able to do everything you want or need to do, but you can not obsess over it, its important to stop and think outside the box and I personally have trouble doing it myself everyday  Learning to cope and deal has not been easy but changing my perspective on things and putting forth effort has been a huge help because if its one thing I learned is no one is going to help you until you start to help yourself  I know I will have to live with my injuries for the next how ever many years and I can either continue to let that hold me back from advancing my life or I can push myself out of my comfort zone and continue to give it best. Honestly if there is anything I can control or affect it would be the outcome of my children lives and I want whats only best for them and I know that theres important knowledge that they will not learn at school that I will need to pass down to them so they have a better understanding of the environment and world they live in so they can have a chance of making a more conscious decisions and better choices.

https://youpic.com/photographer/Never2Much/michael-vascellaro-from

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help veterans in your community by volunteering at a shelter, being a mentor or legal aid, organizing a Stand Down program or developing a veteran burial program in your area. Check out the community-based vet organizations that need volunteers in your area. 

You can also advocate for homeless veterans in your local government and community. Or donate directly to the NCHV.

FACT
65,000 Veterans have recorded their individual war stories at the Library of Congress' American Folklife Center