Together with Veterans looks for community input

SHINNSTON, W.Va (WDTV) - The American Legion Post 31 in Shinnston was working on an initiative to help lower the veteran suicide rate in Harrison County. Then expand across the state.

Clifford Shingleton, facilitator of the local Together with Veterans program, received a call asking if the legion would help bring this initiative to Harrison county. As Shingleton said, it had the highest rate of veteran suicides in the state.

“The first goal is to find the veteran service organizations in North Central West Virginia and get them all in one room talking about what services they offer and how they reach veterans,” he added.

Shingleton explained Together with Veterans was a rural veteran suicide prevention program. He hoped to connect with different veteran service providers across the state.

“These agencies don’t even know what the other agencies offer. One program doesn’t know what another program offers. How do veterans in our community know about these things? If we as service providers don’t know what’s going on,” he said.

Shingleton invited veterans, active-duty military, family, friends, and members of the community to share what they thought veterans in the community needed and what problems they were dealing with.

Then they could start with those concerns first.

A dinner was held at Post 31, followed by a presentation prepared by Shingleton about this program.

He also hoped to connect with as many veteran organizations and groups as possible to provide more resources for those in need.

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