By Noelle Darilek
PeopleFund employees pledge to take part in the 22 day push-up challenge this month to show their support for veterans and raise awareness for veteran suicides.
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and this week is specifically dedicated to veteran suicide prevention. Many veterans around the world battle daily with depression and PTSD, which in turn can lead to suicide.
The 22 day challenge aims to shrink the veteran suicide rate to zero. In honor of the 22 veterans who lose their lives every day to suicide, beginning on September 12th participants will do 22 push-ups per day for 22 days total.
To PeopleFund employee, veteran, and wife of a soldier, Jessica Rumph, the 22 day challenge means a lot to her. “Promoting awareness for suicide prevention is not merely a challenge to me, it’s a necessity,” she says. “The 22 day challenge is my way of speaking for the veteran community, and sustaining an initiative for community outreach and support.”
PeopleFund will also show their support for the cause by sponsoring the 22K ruck march benefiting the South Texas Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans Association. The association works to provide veteran suicide and basic needs assistance for those in the Rio Grande Valley area. The event will take place on November 19th.
In addition to the special veteran services that PeopleFund supplies, there are veterans on staff. This includes PeopleFund President and CEO, Air Force Col. Gary Lindner. He is passionate about creating opportunities for veterans to live healthy, happy lives with social and economic justice. In addition, PeopleFund employees Jessica Rumph and Grant Bennett are veterans on staff as well. Many veterans return from service and do not know where to begin their civilian careers; or they may find a slow job market and changing in-demand skills leave them with few options for livable wage work. PeopleFund aims to close those gaps by making it possible for veterans to provide for their families through entrepreneurship and start their transition to civilian life smoothly.
“PeopleFund is an amazing organization that takes pride in supporting the military,” Rumph says. Through the challenge, she says, “we have the ability to work as a team to promote a dynamism of hope, compassion, and strength to the community.”
Several employees will be participating in the 22 day challenge this month and have become involved in supporting the cause. Rumph believes “this challenge has the ability to save lives; an entity that is absolutely priceless.”