Where we started…

My name is Ziv Gedzelman, and this organization started because of a trip I took with my jewish summer camp, Camp Tel Yehuda, to Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2025.

I was part of a group of twelve teens who traveled to Capitol Hill to advocate for improved veteran mental health care. From the beginning, I wasn’t just excited to make a difference—I felt, and still feel, deeply passionate about this issue.

Choosing to serve in the U.S. military means putting your life on hold—and often on the line—for the safety of our nation. That kind of sacrifice deserves recognition and appreciation. But far too often, veterans don’t get what they need when they return to civilian life. The veteran suicide rate is around 35 per 100,000, more than double the civilian rate. Homelessness, isolation, and mental health struggles are widespread. And the first year after leaving the military is especially dangerous—veterans are 33% more likely to die by suicide in that time.

In D.C., we met with senators’ offices to advocate for specific policy solutions. Our focus was on the lack of social reintegration that veterans face after leaving the military. In the military, service members are surrounded by a close-knit community. After service, that support system disappears. One of the ideas we proposed was veteran-to-veteran peer mentorship programs, where recently discharged veterans could be paired with those who have already gone through the transition and could offer guidance, connection, and support.

After the trip, I knew I wanted to keep going. Alongside two others from my group, Rina Saxxon and Shane Epstein, we decided to continue the work we started in D.C. We’ve begun reaching out to people involved in this space and are planning more meetings in Washington. We’re building a youth-led lobbying effort focused entirely on improving veteran mental health through real policy change.

We know we can’t solve this issue alone. But we believe young people have a voice—and we’re using it to push for the change veterans deserve.