My name is Autumn Baber and my husband is a US veteran of the US Navy.
On average, it takes 111.5 days for the VA to grant a decision on a disability claim. This is after you have filled out grueling paperwork. Many times, there will be a need for more paperwork or exams to be completed prior to a decision being made. During this time, what are veterans to do? Wait… that’s what the VA expectations are… wait.
Many times, veterans do not know the process and do not know of the available resources out there for them. This is part of the reason as to why we have such a high veteran suicide rate and so many of our veterans forced to live in places most of us could never imagine.
The other reasons can stem from their disabilities that go untreated because they are waiting on a decision and still have to provide for their families, so priorities take over. Work comes before the exams and the appointments because of family. Sometimes, the feel of letting their families down leads to the drastic outcomes because they know of no other way.
Yes, there are suicide hotlines for veterans. That is great, but in that dark moment when one is grasping on the coat-tails of life, chances are, they are not going to call a hotline. Our military has been groomed to follow through and to push emotions to the wayside when acting, why would this time be any different?
The goal of Veterans’ Lives at Ease is to provide a compilation of all of the resources I have found over the years, tips on working with the VA in order to ease the process for the veteran, and resources to help veterans with the “here and now” as they wait for a decision, or to assist with burdening situations.
Just this past week, I saw a post on Facebook where a local homeless veteran was in need of a bicycle to get to and from work and the VA, as he doesn’t have a car and has a bad knee. This is the type of situation that I hope Veterans’ Lives at Ease could assist.
Another example is that currently, the VA is sending out letters to all of the Veterans who seek care at the VA a letter with their upcoming balance due. See, the VA paused invoicing during the pandemic for medications and appointments. To some, these amounts can cause and added burden that will soon be due, come January. What a blessing it would be to help those veterans who have served our country so bravely to pay these larger than usual medical balances that will soon be rolling in.
Our hope is to gather sponsors and donations to help with these and other requests that come up.
NO VETERAN LEFT BEHIND! Let’s help them live their lives truly at EASE!
Please visit our shop at Bonfire to purchase a shirt to support our mission! https://www.bonfire.com/veterans8217-lives-at-ease/
If you are interested in being a sponsor for a veteran, please contact me directly.
Best,
Autumn