Testimonials

A Veteran Peer’s Story – Delivering hope through peer support

Matthew served eight years in the Army with the 1st Cavalry Division. He left active duty in 2016 to start a new chapter while staying in the Army Reserve and going to Rutgers University. The transition wasn’t easy. “I ran into a lot of difficulties with that transition back,” he said.

In 2014, he hit one of the lowest points in his life and nearly became one of the 22 veterans a day who die by suicide. “That was probably when I was at my lowest low,” he recalled.

That’s when he found Vets4Warriors and our 24/7 peer support line run by veterans and military family members. Talking with other veterans who had been through similar experiences made a big difference. “I sort of realized there was a big connection between me and the people I was talking to,” he said. “Vets4Warriors is an organization that offers peer support from veteran to veterans, meaning that veterans or active military members that call, they’re talking to veterans of the military branches as well.”

Today, Matthew works at Vets4Warriors himself, giving back by supporting other veterans who reach out. “You know you can help them because you know what that feeling felt like,” he says.