$500,000 gift supports staff expansion to provide services to at-risk veterans and service members; Advance Auto Parts in-store fundraising campaign kicks off Sept. 1
Research Triangle Park, N.C. – Stop Soldier Suicide, a leading social impact organization working to reduce America’s military suicide rate, has partnered with the Advance Auto Parts Foundation (AAPF) to expand access to suicide-specific mental health care for veterans and service members, as part of its Disrupt Military Suicide (DMS) initiative.
At the end of 2022, AAPF gifted $500,000 to Stop Soldier Suicide to support staff expansion in 2023. The gift is enabling the nonprofit to deliver direct services to more than 300 at-risk veterans and service members per year so these heroes receive the immediate care they need from a highly focused team. Stop Soldier Suicide’s goal is to reduce military suicide by 40% by 2030.
“The Advance Auto Parts Foundation has identified support of military veterans as one of our strategic priorities and we are proud to have Stop Soldier Suicide among our list of funded nonprofit partners,” said Elisabeth Eisleben, president, Advance Auto Parts Foundation. “Suicide is one of the most urgent issues in the veteran community and Stop Soldier Suicide executes with scientific rigor and compassion, both of which are essential to achieving steady progress in reducing the military suicide rate.” AAPF’s gift was made possible by generous donations from Advance Auto Parts suppliers.
Stop Soldier Suicide’s DMS initiative also includes the Black Box Project, which utilizes proprietary data science and proven artificial intelligence methods to identify and target at-risk service members and veterans. The DMS initiative also helps the organization leverage validated assessment methodologies to better understand and act on suicide risk through targeted tele-mental health interventions.
In addition to the AAPF gift, Advance Auto Parts, the company, will support Stop Soldier Suicide with an in-store fundraising campaign in its stores across the country. From Sept. 1 through Sept. 30, customers at approximately 4,800 Advance Auto Parts stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico are invited to support Stop Soldier Suicide by donating $1, $5 or $10 at checkout, or rounding up their purchases to the nearest dollar.
“This partnership has been instrumental in our ability to scale our mission to save veteran and service member lives,” said Chris Ford, CEO of Stop Soldier Suicide. “We couldn’t be more grateful for the continued confidence in our team and for the relationship we have with Advance Auto Parts Foundation.”
To learn more, readers can visit StopSoldierSuicide.org.
About Stop Soldier Suicide
Stop Soldier Suicide (SSS) is the only national nonprofit focused solely on reducing the military suicide rate. Our vision is a nation where service members and veterans have no greater risk of suicide than any other American. The goal of SSS is to reduce military and veteran suicide rates by 40 percent no later than 2030, saving more than 2,400 lives per year. SSS was co-founded in 2010 by Army veterans Brian Kinsella, Nick Black, and Craig Gridelli, and has grown over the last decade into the most innovative suicide intervention effort in the country. SSS provides consistent, confidential, suicide-specific care for service members and veterans at highest risk for suicide through its one-of-a-kind suicide intervention model, innovative use of data insights, and a technology-first approach. These services are all provided completely free of charge to their clients, regardless of period served or discharge status. To learn more or to donate, please visit StopSoldierSuicide.org.
About Advance Auto Parts Foundation
The Advance Auto Parts Foundation supports the development of a healthy, skilled and diverse workforce prepared to advance the mobility industry in the 21st Century. This is done through the support of programs and initiatives that emphasize employment readiness and the health and wellbeing of others, with an emphasis on underserved populations, including military veterans seeking to join the civilian workforce. The Advance Auto Parts Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Advance Auto Parts, Inc., a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider that serves both professional installer and do-it- yourself customers. As of April 22, 2023, Advance Auto Parts operated 4,778 stores and 318 Worldpac branches primarily within the United States, with additional locations in Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company also served 1,315 independently owned Carquest branded stores across these locations in addition to Mexico and various Caribbean islands. Additional information about the Advance Auto Parts Foundation and Advance Auto Parts can be found at https//corp.advanceautoparts.com.