U Matter 2 Inc

I have been a member of U Matter 2 Inc for over 3 years I have held many positions in this time that I am proud to have served in. Presently I am the Personal Assistant to the Founder, Sylvia King.

With the growth of this organization, and the impact we create for Veterans and First Responders, I am asking for donations so we may carry on the support we give.

---

The Story Behind Our Founding

UMatter2 was founded because of a series of preventable deaths within my close family and friends. 

It is no secret that returning to civilian life as a veteran can be a hard and uphill battle. According to data from the National Institute of Health (NIH), "Veterans experience mental health disorders, substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress, and traumatic brain injury at disproportionate rates compared to their civilian counterparts. 18 to 22 American veterans commit suicide daily and young veterans aged 18–44 are most at risk." The NIH estimates the number of homeless veterans in the U.S. to be just under 50,000.

I saw how hard it can be to return to civilian life first as a child with my Uncle Anthony Simaske. He served as a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps during Vietnam. When the war ended, he was 26 years old, and suffering from PTSD and other mental challenges developed during his service. I knew him as my favorite uncle. I have fond memories of sitting on the porch, going through life together. At this time PTSD was hardly known, much less treated. Instead, like many veterans and trauma-survivors in search of relief, my uncle turned to alcohol abuse as a form of self-medication. He died just 4 years after the war's end at the age of 30 from PTSD-driven alcohol abuse. His death was preventable. 

 As an adult, I saw a similar narrative play out again with my best friend Scott Henry. Scott was an US Army Specialist who served in active duty and came back quiet. He never talked about his time in service. Instead, he focused on making the world around him as bright and beautiful as possible. He became an ordained minister, officiating at my marriage, with plans to open his own church. When he fell ill in 2013, the VA wasn't able to admit him in time for treatment. The local hospitals did not want to deal with Medicaid and denied him treatment as well. A week later, he was finally admitted for surgery, his intestine exploded on the operating table- leading to a long fight against sepsis. I remember the time we spent together, while he was dying - Thanksgiving, Christmas, sitting on the front porch - A year and a half later, my friend Scott died. His death was preventable.

After Scott's death, something in me changed. In both the case of my uncle and in Scott’s case, it was either a lack of health care or barriers to accessing the health care which should have been available to them that led to their deaths. These were men who had given everything in service for their country, and their country had been unable to take care of them. How could I put it into words? I wasn't able to; I had to put it into action. 

UMatter2 was founded in the aftermath of Army Specialist Scott Henry's death. With every trip to the doctor's office, every meal delivered, UMatter2 showed our service members that they are not forgotten. I found my purpose: serving one veteran at a time. Our veterans matter. Our veterans fought for us; UMatter2 aims to show that they are worth fighting for in return.

UMatter2 is a comprehensive initiative focused on supporting veterans and first responders in crises through direct service. We provide transportation to and from medical appointments, emergency funds to cover crisis gaps in food or housing, job-training, internships, and help submitting income appeals. Our aim is to help Veterans regain long-term financial stability and, with it, their freedom.

Our impact has been measurable and comprehensive. 75% of the individuals we serve request help once, or only intermittently. 25% require more help– generally these are disabled or elderly veterans whose government-appointed stipend is no longer enough to cover increased medical or age-related costs. 

This year alone, we distributed 10,000 pounds of food along with 3,000 prepared meals. We opened the Chicks for Vets farm, which provides an animal-assisted therapeutic space for those suffering from PTSD, as well as providing eggs for our food program. We fix cars, assist with paperwork, supply soap and other household needs, and field mental health phone calls.