The Wounded Warrior Project is working to combat veterans' loneliness through live-streaming and gaming under the organization's Stream to Serve program.
Weekly gaming events helped Army veteran Ricky Olguin who was struggling following his medical retirement, according to a June 12 news release from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“I felt useless, like I didn’t want to be alive,” Olguin said in the release. “I decided to get help and was told to sign up with Wounded Warrior Project. Gradually, my life got better. Overall, being a part of Wounded Warrior Project has been an amazing experience.”
The Stream to Serve program aimed to fight loneliness while also using livestreaming and gaming to connect soldiers and their families to life-saving programs and services, the release reported. Many veterans feel at ease in this environment, and their love of gaming and streaming has created a gateway to learning more about the support options.
After first taking part in weekly gaming, Olguin now organizes gatherings where he can support his neighborhood and other warriors, the release said.
The U.S. Surgeon General noted people across America are experiencing loneliness and are looking for connections, according to the release. The agency's advisory called attention to what's known as "the public health crisis of loneliness" and states that, even before the pandemic, about half of American adults reported feeling at least somewhat lonely.
Many veterans reportedly have a difficult time making the transition to civilian life, the release reported. According to the most recent annual Wounded Warrior Survey, more than 7 in 10 (66.3%) of the warriors who have enrolled with WWP are lonely.
Livestreaming and gaming have developed into a powerful tool for addressing this issue and fostering connections between veterans, according to the release.
The program also gives supporters a way to stream while raising money for wounded soldiers and their families, the release said. The organization recently hosted a three-week long Capture the Flag campaign which ended on Flag Day.
Veterans and streamers interested in signing up can call WWP or use the organizations online Resource Center to sign up, the release reported. Warriors and their families can designate either interest in playing games and watching livestreams once they have enrolled.
