Legion Family members encouraged to reach out to veterans during U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ outreach effort Sept. 21-25.
Sept. 21 kicked off the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ third annual Buddy Check Week, which became a VA program in 2023 following the passage of the Legion-supported The STRONG Veterans Act of 2022.
º£½ÇÉçÇø began its own Buddy Check program in 2019, which has reached millions of veterans. And this month, we want to hear from American Legion Family members who are making their own Buddy Checks during the VA’s program week.
VA’s Veteran Buddy Check Week aims to build peer-to-peer connections, improve mental health, and increase access to VA resources. Veteran family members, caregivers, and survivors are also encouraged to participate.
During the week, the VA encourages anyone to and:
· Take the pledge and reach out and talk to 10 veterans; and
· Watch the Buddy Check Week peer wellness training video.
If your post, unit, squadron or chapter made Buddy Checks on fellow veterans this week, please share with us your stories and videos. Email sbrooks@legion.org with your stories and videos so we can share them through our media channels that reach hundreds of thousands of veterans and others.
Since º£½ÇÉçÇø’s Buddy Check program launched in 2019, more than 2.1 million veterans have been reached by phone, text, email or in person to check on their overall well-being. American Legion Buddy Check weeks are scheduled for the week of Veterans Day and the Legion’s birthday, but posts and Legionnaires conduct them throughout the year.
We have multiple resources available to assist with your efforts, including:
· Buddy Check Toolkit. The toolkit explains the program, shares how to organize a successful Buddy Check, provides sample scripts and more.
· Buddy Check door hanger. This printer-friendly doorhanger can be customized as a leave-behind when Legion Family members visit a veteran who is not a home.
· Buddy Check FAQ sheet. This sheet can be filled out and printed by post members to show what º£½ÇÉçÇø does at the department and post level to support veterans, children and youth, and active-duty servicemembers.
- Buddy Check