Supply Crate – Justin

Justin requested a Supply Crate after his son suggested video games might just be good for him.

I know you will get a billion requests and sadly I am not a good story teller but I miss being able to go out with friends but because of my service connected issues (100% p&t) it limits me. My son (9) actually came up with the idea and yes I think he had other motives but still a great idea and said "DaDa I think you should get a good game system and you could meet other veterans and talk while playing games but get to stop be in the house." Well I talked to the wife and she thinks it is a good idea. I have looked at the cost of consoles and well even trying to find a good system at a pawn shop was expensive. I am hoping if I can get a good console 1) it will give my son(s) that are 9 and 3 some bonding time 2) It will help me meet new people outside of the 10 people I associate with. 3) I hope to journal my life in hopes of helping others through gaming, 4) I just miss being around my brothers and sisters that have served and this may give me that community back without me having to go out. I know the request list is long but you can't get selected if you don't make a request.

Many of us here at Stack Up have been gaming since we were kids. From an early age, video games stuck with us and through our service as a means of escape. It's that experience with gaming that led us here to Stack Up where we try to spread gaming as a way of coping with life's struggles far and wide. Justin is exactly the kind of Veteran we like to help out.

Thank you, River Run, and Stack Up

A few years before disabilities from my military service prevented me from working full-time, I volunteered at a local nonprofit that accepted donations. One day, a man in his early thirties came in wearing a veteran’s cap and donating some military items. I asked if he had served, and we had a good 15-minute conversation about his service in Iraq and struggles getting VA benefits.

About a year later, he returned with his wife and newborn son. He reminded me of our talk and revealed that he had planned to take his own life that day. However, my brief words of support - offering to help with benefits and saying veterans could always talk to me over coffee - gave him hope. He decided against suicide and now had a family.

That encounter stayed with me, so when my health worsened, my son suggested I reach out to veterans online through gaming. I discovered Stack Up, which connects veterans through video games and provides gaming equipment to those in need. Thanks to the incredible donation from River Run, Stack Up sent me an Xbox Series X, a headset, and a board game.

One small act of kindness can change a life. Stack Up’s gift, made possible by River Run’s generosity, will improve my life, and allow me to support fellow veterans. I’m deeply grateful for their compassion and Stack Ups work to send veterans like me gaming material I could not get on my own.

Humbly,

Justin

Thank you for telling us about that Justin. We believe in not just the power of gaming but in community. Being in community with other Veterans, whether that's through video games, working with other Veterans or other Veteran communities, can really make a difference in our lives.

Justin's Supply Crate was sponsored by River Run. River Run is a family of business consultants focused on IT management. They operate in the southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois areas. For more information, check out their webpage.

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