As you amazingly faithful Patriots and donors recall – our motto for this year was “We can do more in ‘24” and, indeed, we did –collaborating with Chief Joe Pisano in launching the Veterans Standing Together Across America (VSTAA) campaign; partnering with Patrick Romeo for his 10,000 mile suicide prevention campaign; signing a book contract with FORBES Foundation; marching to DC with our film, Brainstorms, all to keep the needs of our brain-battered Veterans front and center in the minds of a then dysfunctional Capitol Hill Congress calling to vote on keeping the government open or shut it down. Thankfully, so many members of Congress took time to meet with us and supported the Veterans' initiatives. THANKS TO YOU, our loyal support system, we were able to “do more.”
This is our New Year mantra "MORE ALIVE in ’25!"
We want everyone to get out of the post pandemic slump; the division of the election; the hardships of life and actually become MORE ALIVE next year! and encourage others to do the same especially when it comes to assisting our Guardians, our Veterans, with their struggles to establish futures in the civilian world.
I am making some changes in 2025 - for myself and for Resurrecting Lives Foundation. First of all, I’m moving back home to NE Ohio where our VSTAA flag is honored to be on display in the Rotunda of the Mahoning County Courthouse. Our thanks to the generous and patriotic nature of our Mahoning County Commissioners, especially our champion, Carol Rimedio-Righetti, who spearheaded this permanent housing for our Ohio Veterans – offering a place of honor and healing, for all Veterans to sign the flag frame. We also thank our great collaborators at the Mahoning Veterans Memorial, Mr. Fred Schrock and Ms. Jennifer Baun, for embracing our vision to bring Veterans,
and communities, together under the flag.
The move to the Youngstown area also puts me in very close proximity to the National AMVETS office which recently relocated to Washington, Pa, only 90 min. away. As you saw from our previous newsletter, AMVETS has been so very supportive of our efforts in Ohio, where the Sons of AMVETS donated nearly $10,000 for the suicide prevention events in our state this past year. AMVETS, also took the lead in arranging Veterans' signings in our “sister” states of HAWAII – in honor of the Asian Pacific Veterans and in Alaska, a tribute to our native Alaskan Veterans – where SERVICE is a way of life.
In 2025 we want to COME ALIVE with our VSTAA project and are seeking flag adoptions in the states of Pennsylvania, Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas, as well as installing a second VSTAA flag in California – near Los Angeles. Please stay tuned for these announcements.
Our events serve as a bridge to introduce our Veterans to the communities they are serving, and introduce our communities to the aspects of leadership, fellowship, and service that our Veterans bring to the communities.
WE WANT CAPITOL HILL to COME ALIVE in 2025 and pass lasting legislation to KEEP THE GOVERNMENT open and solvent PERMANENTLY so that our military members and their families are not anxious about payment stoppages every quarter or so. We want legislation for suicide prevention previously mentioned in our newsletters, on our website and in our podcasts to KEEP VETERANS ALIVE – and reverse the rising suicide rates we have been experiencing. EVERYONE who offers their lives for us should be compensated with a FUTURE of gratitude and success, and we MUST collaborate with our legislative branch to get that done.
In the spring of 2025, our Forbes Foundation book will be published, a collaboration of mine with board member and Washington Post Pulitzer Prize finalist, GARY LEE. Together we will embark on a book tour to recruit our nation to properly care for our “caretakers” of Freedom.
Our working book title:
Guaranteeing our Guardians Gold Standard Care-
From deployment to employment and beyond
This is a CALL TO ACTION for our nation to truly support the 1% of our population willing to offer their lives for our safety and freedom. The fact that since 2001, nearly 5 times more Veterans died by suicide than by combat is a testimony that current military/civilian integration is not working. We want that promise of a future after military service to BE ALIVE in 2025! We strive to keep our Veterans alive and well, thriving in their post military careers. The rewards are great for all of us when Veterans and their families lead our communities in service.
GREAT medical advances in research and in practice MUST be delivered to ALL Veterans in a very efficient manner and should begin within 2 weeks after military discharge. This should be a mandate for successful diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of the signature wound of our recent wars, Traumatic Brain Injury, (TBI) and associated Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
PLEASE JOIN US in our mission.
It is a mission not just for our Veterans, but for our nation. ALL of us owe ALL of our freedoms to these courageous “volunteers” – our Guardians; to whom we owe everything good about our way of life. We can make their lives better, and, in turn, our nation stronger!
Resurrect a Hero – Strengthen a Nation
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has".
- Margaret Meade
Let’s COME ALIVE in - '25!!!
- Chrisanne Gordon -
