‘Veterans Tear’ fundraising effort being phased out

A project that was started two years ago as an effort to raise awareness about veteran’s suicide is being phased out effective Sept. 30. Tioga County’s Chapter 9 Veterans of Modern Warfare (VMW) President, Danielle Ingram, worked with award-winning master jewelry designer Michael Husted at Van Horn Jewelers in Owego to create a piece of jewelry, a pin called the “Veterans Tear.”

Proceeds from the Veterans Tear have benefitted two organizations, Binghamton-based Stand With Me: Assistance Dog Team Training, Inc., and the local chapter of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in their efforts to create a Peer-to-Peer suicide crisis phone line. 

Ingram shared, “Half of the proceeds have helped the Veterans,” and, to date; $2,000 has been given to Stand With Me, and $1,000 to the DAV.   

Francess McMahon, Stand With Me director, shared, “The donation that was made to Stand With Me from the Veterans Tear fundraising was very helpful to us in providing service-dog training for veterans in our region.”

McMahon went on to explain that funds donated to Stand With Me go directly toward providing training hours for veterans who are struggling with a service-connected mental health disability such as PTSD, TBI, or MST.

Ingram was pleased with the initial enthusiastic response about the Veterans Tear, however more recently there has been a sharp decline in interest. The VMW will be phasing out the fundraising endeavor, so individuals should order before Sept. 30.    

Ingram, a retired U.S. Air Force Major with 20-plus years of service, commented, “Veteran suicide rates have not gone down,” and added that she has learned that suicides among female Veterans has increased.

According to data published in the 2019 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at www.mentalhealth.va.gov/, 45,390 American adults died from suicide in 2017, of which 6,139 were U.S. Veterans, and that the suicide rate for Veterans was 1.5 times the rate for non-Veteran adults.  

Ingram is pleased that current legislation in process in Washington, D.C. is a step in the right direction toward helping Veterans, and it is her hope that it will eventually benefit Veterans in this region.

For example, the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act, H.R. 4305 was introduced last September and passed in the U.S. House in February. According to congress.gov, the bill was referred to the U.S. Senate and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee on February 10. H.R. 4305, if signed into law, will require the VA to create a pilot program that will, in turn, provide grants to nonprofits for instructing Veterans on how to train service dogs. A related bill, the K9s for Veterans Therapy Act, S. 2948, was introduced last November and is awaiting further action.

To place a Veterans Tear pin order, stop by Van Horn Jewelers located at 31 Lake St. in Owego or call them at (607) 687-3960. A light blue topaz teardrop set in sterling silver the pin is being sold for $100 and is hand-made and individually stamped. The teardrop represents the tears of heartache and pain associated with veteran suicide, while the silver frame symbolizes a ray of hope for the future. Ingram said that the piece could also be made into a pendant.

For information about Stand With Me, you can follow them on Facebook or view their website at standwithmeorg.com.  

Veterans who served in Desert Storm, Bosnia, Iraq or Afghanistan are welcome to join the VMW. Meetings are held on the first Saturday of the month at the Common Ground Chapel located at the intersection of West Main Street and Armstrong Place in Owego.

The VMW is active in the community and engages at various events, which has included hosting and participating at forums geared toward suicide prevention awareness. 

Veterans in crisis or having thoughts of suicide should call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).