22Kill is a

suicide prevention Suicide prevention is a collection of efforts to reduce the risk of suicide. Suicide is often preventable, and the efforts to prevent it may occur at the individual, relationship, community, and society level. Suicide is a serious public healt ...

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

that predominantly focuses on preventing United States military veterans and first responders from committing suicide. It is composed of multiple programs that were created through partnerships with other non-profit organizations such as Carry The Load. The organization uses the motto "One Tribe, One Fight", which reflects on the collective partnerships' goal to prevent veteran and first responder suicide and help veterans and first responders cope with issues that may lead to suicide. The organization's name was chosen to reflect on a 2012 statistic from the

Veterans Affairs Veterans' affairs is an area of public policy concerned with relations between a government and its communities of military veterans. Some jurisdictions have a designated government agency or department, a Department of Veterans' Affairs, Minist ...

office, which stated that 22 veterans commit suicide on a daily basis. 22Kill raises awareness and empowers service member and first responder families through multiple traditional and non-traditional programs (Stay The Course, Forge, Wind Therapy, and W.A.T.C.H.). Members of "The Tribe" wear a black honor ring on their index finger as a solemn reminder of the mission of combating suicide and empowering heroes, both past and present.

History

Beginning as a

social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...

campaign, 22Kill became a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

nonprofit organization in July 2015. In 2016, 22Kill's 22 Pushup Challenge

went viral Viral phenomena or viral sensations are objects or patterns that are able to replicate themselves or convert other objects into copies of themselves when these objects are exposed to them. Analogous to the way in which viruses propagate, the te ...

on social media and raised over half a million dollars. In 2017, the organization began offering mental wellness programs such as Stay The Course, Tribal Council, Forge, Wind Therapy, WATCH, and White Star Families.

Donors

22Kill is supported by the

United Way United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit organization, nonprofit fundraising affiliates. Prior to 2015, United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public. Individual Un ...

of Tarrant County, the

Perot Foundation Henry Ross Perot ( ; June 27, 1930 – July 9, 2019) was an American businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He was the founder and chief executive officer of Electronic Data Systems and Perot Systems. He ran an independent campaign ...

, the Thomas M., Helen and John P. Ryan Foundation,

Bell Labs Nokia Bell Labs, commonly referred to as ''Bell Labs'', is an American industrial research and development company owned by Finnish technology company Nokia. With headquarters located in Murray Hill, New Jersey, Murray Hill, New Jersey, the compa ...

, and the Texas Veterans Commission Fund.

References

External links

* United States military support organizations {{US-org-stub