SUPPORT

There is an important need to heavily invest in community right now. This is where we go wrong when we transition from Defence – we lose that support network. Too often we don’t identify our need for community until we are in crisis, or until it’s too late.

Meet Jason Isaac

Jason was in a dark time in his life, he needed to find purpose. He discovered our newly established Veteran Support Force Facebook Group that was formed in the Christmas Break of 2020 – he listened, watched and began to engage with the content within that group and that’s when he jumped on board with VSF.

To us, his positive attitude and support he was offering to the other members of that group was aspirational. Jason soon officially became our volunteer community coordinator and his motivation and passion for the Veteran community began touching the lives of many (and still does).

Jason describes that moment as a turning point and a very significant time for him in his life – since then he has gone from strength to strength. While it did offer Jason purpose – It also created a core pillar of community – driving it within VSF for others and simultaneously  creating it within his own life.

We spoke to Jason specifically for this campaign and he shared with us some of his own experience with what VSF Support means to him.

Being part of VSF (my experience)

I love what we are doing within VSF. It’s addressing things that are really important when it comes to mental health. Through the group and the buddy system, driving mateship has started to remove the stigma of isolation. Veterans can get caught up thinking they are dealing with issues by themselves. You can become enclosed within your 4 walls, very quickly. The work we are doing helps to break those walls down and makes sure they don’t feel alone.

Supporting a Veteran (some advice)

Give a Veteran a call or go out for coffee and normalise it being a regular routine. 

Be open and honest.

They may not want you there, but knowing you are there for whatever reason, at any time of day and that you persistently reach out to them is key. Because one day, they will remember that people do care about them.

Veteran Support Force exists to Support the Veteran Community combat the current mental health crisis and bring about the systemic and cultural change needed to set the conditions for current and future veterans to achieve their true potential after service.

And it’s people like Jason who make this possible.

YOUR SUPPORT NETWORK

Questions to ask yourself:

• Who is in your support network that gives you no option other than to be your authentic self? 
• Who can you contact at any time to have a chat? 
• Who is there on the good days, not just the bad? 

Do you need to build your support network?

Let’s not wait until it’s too late to build your support net that is there to catch you when you fall and celebrate your successes.

Some ideas: 

• Join the VSF facebook group to grow in community and start making connections in your local area to overtime build the support network you desire – CLICK HERE

• Reach out to a friend and lock in a regular mental fitness session over coffee

• Go and support someone else – we come from service, helping someone else helps us too and in turn builds our allies.

FINALLY

If you would like to support VSF to continue to do what is needed, while showing your support to Veterans – Purchase your Australian Veteran Support Pin Today – CLICK HERE