MANCHESTER, NH – Veterans dealing with the basics of getting back to life after deployment – including relationship stresses, employment, housing and mental health issues – are in good hands through services provided by Easterseals NH – a safety net that will continue to be there in times of need thanks to a $100,000 grant from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation.
The award was announced Nov. 14 during a brief presentation at Easterseals’ Manchester headquarters, which is also home to Veterans Count Manchester. Easterseals President and CEO Larry Gammon said the grant, which is the largest single donation to the organization to date, will help fill the critical need for services to veterans.
“Support from the community is critical to help ensure our veterans do not have to struggle after sacrificing so much for our country and the Anthem Foundation sets a high bar for generosity,” Gammon said. “Something we’ve learned is that we need to help not only our warriors, but their families as well. This grant will make a tremendous impact for military families across New Hampshire and Maine.”
The needs range from the simple task of feeding people to providing counseling services to help ease the emotional pain many veterans grapple with in the aftermath of combat.
During the presentation Grisel DaCorte Suarez shared her personal story – a complicated one that spans several years – leading to how she and her husband, Tech Sgt. Siddartha Sosa Rodriguez, found help through Easterseals NH veteran services, and how they now are able to pay forward the support that helped them through a critical time, including Rodriguez’s two deployments.
You can hear her story below: Viewing time is nine minutes.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch4JKgxJ5FI]
