How arrangement still saves the life of veterans through games after a decade

Veterans have had help from Department of Veterans Adaptation to the challenges of professional life for years. But employees in the suicide crisis of the department and other workers who managed phones were among the recently dismissed in clearing the workforce of the federal government.

More than 2% of VA’s test workforce has been rejected in recent weeksS Steven Machuafounder and CEO of ArrangeFounded by the military charity, focused on a shared love for video games, it is not sure how this will be shaken.

But Machuga hopes that society will not forget about the contribution of veterans to the country and the fee of their victims over the years.

Stack Up helps service members fight the effects of combat injuries, depression and post -traumatic stress through the benefits of the game. Charity efforts include Overwatch’s arrangement programProvides vital 24 -hour consultations on mental health and support for military officials, veterans and civilians acting as they deal with personal struggles.

The 10th anniversary of Stack Up comes this November, and Machuga is trying to enter as many people as possible and “remind them that we are out and try to help veterans.” He attended the recent Dice summit to help drum support for Stack Up and Veterans.

“This is disappointing. Like much of the game industry, we are shrinking, “he said. “We expanded during Covid. We had money. Then the money stopped entering. We had to close our Florida warehouse for our delivery crates program. We came to where we spend responsibly. We spend inside, but it’s not much fun. “

He noted that the support was slipping.

“Every year, more and further than September 11, and people are not really as supportive as before,” Machuga said. “We are just trying to hold as many meetings as possible and to talk to people and to inform them that we are still out, we are doing a good job.”

In the past, Stack Up was sending the Xbox and PlayStation Game consoles abroad to where US soldiers were located in combat areas. Now that the unfolding of the wars and the overseas countries have cooled, the work has turned more to supportive fighters who have come home and are still fighting. Nowadays, Stack Up will send veterans to the event “Culture of Manipulation” or places like Disneyland.

This is an effort, unlike something that has support from very large corporations. And she brings veterans through a shared love for video games.

“Games are becoming such an important part of the conversation because many veterans since September 11 are gamers. You know, 21 to 35 -year -old male veterans and women are already gamers. This is no longer a strange thing. Everyone does it now. So games and online games, online game communities are many of how these guys and gels remain related to the people they have served. “

Those who are still located also use games to stay related to their friends and family at home. This is one of the suicide prevention keys – making sure no one is isolated.

“We have to make sure that people feel like part of something. When you are in the military, you are part of something more big than you. This is the thinking of the football team in high school. And many of these veterans come out of the military and work hard to work somewhere. They left their friends behind in the military. Sometimes they feel that their best days are behind them. “

In the name of suicide prevention, Machuga wants veterans engaged and happy and part of a community they feel as part of something. And he believes that positive reputation and mental health comes with the game of games and related online games.

Unfortunately, support for charity organizations as a whole seems to be reduced as the economy becomes unpredictable. Donations are decreasing and people do not often have extra money for charity. During the pandemic, the giving was stronger. But now it is customary to see people who work in multiple jobs and launch Gofundme campaigns for health reasons, he said. In 2024, Stack Up donations were $ 830,000, which is 20%.

“The economy is diminishing and so donations are reduced and we are struggling with it,” Machuga said.

Earlier last year, Stack Up has passed over 60,000 veterans, supported through all its programs over the last 10 years. Last year, there were 1,500 requests to support veterans and the charity managed to support only about 250 of them.

“It was a good run. This is the good news and knowing that we have kept people alive, ”he said. “Having a community in which someone enters our discord and has a bad day and they need someone to talk to, or actively save a person’s life, get them the resources they need to do it at night, from there, the real tire meets the path, right there. This is a good feeling. “

Among the official programs, Stack Up still provides consoles to those located abroad or those who recover when they return home. The group flies with disabilities or deserves veterans to various games for games and manners, theme parks or studio tours such as Riot Games and Blizzard. There are veterans in several dozens of “piles” that go out to work voluntarily in their communities. And there is the Overwatch program, which is a team to prevent suicide for Discord suicide. The group has a Los Angeles headquarters in a mansion, which is retrofitted in a community center for veterans by homeless.

The main opportunities for fundraising come on the day of memory in May, which is a month of military assessment, and then on November 11, which is the day of the veterans. From time to time, one of the military game companies will help to boost donations. But the group does not have official support such as the donation of Call of Duty, which helps veterans find good jobs and are regularly promoted inside the Call of Duty games. Ubisoft, Kingsisle Entertainment and others have helped in the past. Bohemia Interactive, a manufacturer of ARMA, is actively working with Stack Up to do something this year.

Veterans often do not cope when it comes to charity organizations that are considered more successful or deserving as charity organizations for young children.

Machuga knows that support for variety, justice and inclusion programs has decreased in the new administration. But he noted that the maintenance of veterans was not always classified as an effort by DEI in the first place. Veterans are a minority group, often less than 1% of the US population. But a different type of thinking is needed to be considered veterans as a value of support. This is part of the reason why it is difficult to raise money for organizations like Stack Up.

“I have been working with the game industry for 15 years, trying to scream and kick and shout for veterans and support the troops, and that falls on deaf ears,” Machuga said. “These are gesture gestures like stickers on your car’s yellow ribbon.”

He appreciates the support that enters, but wants it to be more as he sees people to shine when they receive PlayStation or Xbox from the veterans group.

“In the past, we supported the troops and then over the years you saw that it was falling from a rock where it was no longer there,” he said.

But Machuga continues, and he asks for help.

“We appreciate it when people support the troops, regardless of everything. But I still believe. My father serves. I served. My whole family serves. And we are replaced by a 35-year-old son who grew up on an iPad with Minecraft on him, “he said. “And we know that games help people with mental health. People tell us they had a good time. They wonder, “Where did the time go?” Instead of staring at the ceiling all night. “