MARION, Iowa - 51% of veterans live in rural areas and new federal agency is shifting its focus to serve those veterans and help combat a rising suicide rate.
Dave Lewis, chairperson of Healing at English River Outfitters or "HERO", tells our coverage partner KCRG-TV9 that this is long overdue and the assistance is welcome.
“We often look at each other and say, ‘how are we going to get on top of this issue?'" Lewis said. “It’s just too big for the current structure that is here to support.”
Lewis and his organization, HERO, work to try and incorporate around 400 veterans annually back into normal society. That includes the issue of mental health, which can be tough to approach. A veteran himself, it is an issue he knows all too well.
“I wasn’t sure if I wanted the help... that’s something we see in a lot of veterans we work with.”
Expanding tele-health and mobile veteran centers are just some of the goals of the nationwide effort.
HERO will be holding a 22-mile awareness walk on November 2 in eastern Iowa.
The money raised will go towards veterans participating in actives at HERO.