How Stack Up is still saving lives of veterans through gaming after a decade

The veterans have received assistance from the Ministry of Affairs of the Old Warriors who suffer from work challenges and life for years. But employees in the ministry’s suicide crisis line and other workers who were running phones are among those who were recently put forward in clearing the workforce in the federal .

More than 2 % of the workforce has been rejected in the Ministry of Old Warriors Affairs in recent weeks. Stephen Machuga, founder and director of the Stack Up, the charitable institution that focuses on the army focuses on a common love for video games, is not sure how to get rid of it.

But Machuga hopes that society will not forget the contributions of the country’s veterans and honor their sacrifices over the years.

Stack Up helps the service members fight the effects of combat injuries, depression, and stress after shock through the benefits of games. The efforts of the charity include the Stack Up Overwatch program, and provides vital consultations around the clock and its support for active military personnel, old and civilian warriors while dealing with personal struggles.

The tenth anniversary of Stack Up will come in November, and Machuga tries to enter the largest possible number of people and “remind them that we are doing good and trying to help old warriors.” He attended the last DICE summit to help increase support for old warriors.

“It is frustrating. Like a lot of game industry, we are contracting.” “We expanded through Covid. We had upcoming money. Then the money stopped entering. We had to close our warehouse in Florida for our boxes.

He pointed out that the support was slipping.

“Every year we go further and far from September 11, and people are not supportive of the forces as they were,” said Machuja. “We are just trying to get the largest possible number of meetings and talking to people and teach them that we are still there a good job.”

In the past, Stack Up has sent Xbox and PlayStation keyboard keyboard to where American soldiers were deployed in combat areas. Now that wars and publication were subjected to abroad, the work turned more to the support of the war men who returned home and are still struggling. These days, Stack Up will send an inventory of warriors to the events of “the Culture of the Higher” or places like Disneyland.

It is a popular effort, unlike something that has support from many major companies. Old warriors themselves bring themselves through a common love for video games.

“Games become an important part of the conversation, because many of the heavy warriors after September 11 are players. You know, all old and female veterans from 21 to 35 years are all now. This strange thing is no longer. Everyone is doing it now. So games and games online, and online gaming societies are a lot of how these men and girls remain in contact with the people who served with them.”

Those who are still used to use games to stay in contact with their friends and family at home. This is one of the keys to preventing suicide – ensuring that no one is isolated.

“We need to make sure that people feel that they are part of something. When you are in the army, you are part of something bigger than you. It is the mentality of the football team in high school. Many of these old warriors come out of the army and make difficult jobs somewhere. They left their friends in the army. Sometimes they feel their best days behind them.”

In the name of the prevention of suicide, Machuga wants the participants and the happy and part of a society they feel is part of something. He believes that positive and mental healthy intentions come while playing games and communicating through online games.

Unfortunately, it seems that supporting charities in general has decreased, because the economy becomes unexpected. The donations are broken and people do not have additional money for charitable work. During the epidemic, the giving was stronger. But it is now common to see people working in multiple jobs and launching GOFUNDME campaigns for health reasons. In 2024, Stack Up donations were at $ 830,000, a decrease of 20 %.

“The economy decreases, and so the donations decreased, and we are struggling with that,” said Machuja.

Early last year, Stack Up has crossed more than 60,000 veterans who have supported all its programs over the past ten years. Last year, there were 1500 requests to support the old warriors, and the charity was only able to support about 250 of them.

“It was a good tour. This is the good news story, and I know that we have kept people alive.” “The presence of a society where someone comes to our dispute and is a bad day and they need someone to talk to him, or actively save a person’s life, and get the resources they need at night, and this is where the real rubber meets the road, there is a good feeling.”

Among the official programs, the stack still provides keyboards for those who were deployed abroad or those who recover when they return to the home. The group flies with the disabled or ancient warriors deserving of the various cultural events of games and ventilation, entertainment gardens, or studio rounds such as RIOT and Blizzard games. There are ancient warriors in a few dozen “chimneys” who go out to do voluntary work in their societies. There is the Overwatch program, a suicide prevention team from counterpart to counterpart on Discord. The group has a headquarters in Los Angeles in a palace amended at a community center for old warriors.

The main opportunities to collect donations come on the day of the anniversary in May, which is the month of military appreciation, then November 11, which is the day of the old warriors. From time to time, a military gaming company will help pay donations. But the group does not have official support like Call of Duty Endowment, which helps old warriors find good jobs and is promoted regularly inside the Call of Duty games. Help Ubisoft, Kingsisle Entertainment and others in the past. Bohemia Interactive, ARMA maker, actively with Stack Up to do something this year.

It is often ancient warriors as well when it comes to charities that are seen as more urgent or worthy, such as charities of young children.

Machuga knows that support for diversity, stock and integration programs have declined in the new administration. But he pointed out that the support of the old warriors was not always classified as the DEI effort in the first place. The veterans are a group of minorities, often less than 1 % of the population of the United States. But it takes a different kind of thinking about considering ancient warriors deserve support. This is part of the reason that makes it difficult to raise funds for organizations like Stack Up.

“I was working with the game industry for 15 years, and I was trying to scream and kick and scream around the veterans and support the forces, a kind of falling on deaf ears,” said Machuja. “They are symbolic gestures, like yellow tape stickers on your car.”

He appreciates the support that comes, but he hopes to be more than that, as he sees people lighting when they receive PlayStation or Xbox from the group of old warriors.

He said: “In the past, we were supporting the forces, then over the years I saw that falling from the cliff where there is no longer there anymore.”

But Machuga continues, and he asks for help.

We appreciate this when people support forces, regardless of what. But still believe. My father served. She served. He served my entire family. We have ancient warriors being replaced by a 35 -year -old son, who grew up on an iPad with Minecraft on him.