The Woodlands Edition | December 2024

Nonpro t

BY ANGELA BONILLA

Combined Arms, a Houston-based organiza- tion that also works with Montgomery County veterans, has a mission to support veterans and their families, helping them to access resources and thrive in their communities, according to its website. The organization works with local communi- ties and organizations such as the Montgomery County Food Bank as part of this eort. According to its website, the organization identied an increase in food assistance requests from veter- ans by using data-driven insights, and in 2022 it started its Veteran Mobile Food Pantries program in Montgomery County. Combined Arms has stated it wants to bring greater awareness to U.S. military veterans’ needs such as food security as well as the growing need for mental health support that is lled in part by local nonprot Combined Arms helps veterans thrive in their communities

Combined Arms, a Houston-based organization that also works with Montgomery County veterans, aims to create a support platform for veterans and their families to have access to resources in order to thrive in their communities.

Numbers to know 72.2% of suicides involving a rearm in 2021 were veterans

organizations. A new chapter

Combined Arms began in 2017 in Houston, and it has expanded across the state with the help of 30 partner organizations. As of 2023, it has been launched in all 254 Texas counties through a system known as the Texas Veterans Network. “Think of us as the connector, and we have the technology platform that can really track what veterans need over time. What that enables us to do is identify what gaps and resources might exist, but also [to] get smart about at what age do veterans need certain resources and ... how a veteran connects with us,” Combined Arms Executive Director Mia Garcia said. Texas Veterans Network is described as a one-stop shop with user-friendly navigation to directly connect members of the military commu- nity with organizations. “Tracking everything in real time allows us to see the big picture: which agencies are most frequently requested, which specic resources within those agencies are in highest demand, and where there may be gaps in the resources oered,” Garcia said in a news release. Next steps In addition to working with the food bank, Combined Arms oers food for veterans in need as well as resources from the Department of Vet- erans Aairs. For example, the VA gave out gun

In 2021, suicide was the 13th leading cause of death for veterans overall

120,000+ veterans have died by suicide since 2001

50% who die by suicide did not have a known mental illness

7.4% of working-age veterans as well as 17% of post-9/11 veterans and military families face food insecurity

The organization works with local communities and organizations such as the Montgomery County Food Bank.

SOURCES: COMBINED ARMS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, FACE THE FIGHT‘COMMUNITY IMPACT

locks through an initiative launched in September at the food pantries. “We at [the] VA really feel strongly that secure storage, via rearm block or temporary out of home storage or just dismantling the rearm, makes a huge dierence in the safety of not just the veterans and the people they even care about, but the community at large,” said Elizabeth Kleeman, suicide prevention program manager

with the VA. How to help To nd ways to help or donate, visit www.combinedarms.us

Since 2023, Combined Arms has been launched through the state of Texas to all 254 counties.

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