A funding package of $1.5 million will go toward veteran suicide prevention in the fiscal year beginning in 2027.
On Thursday, The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that two organizations, Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry and Veterans Bridge Home Inc., will receive grant funding as part of the VA’s nationwide anti-suicide initiative. Both organizations applied for and received the max grant amount of $750,000.
This is part of a broader national initiative to address suicide rates among veterans.
“In fiscal year 2026 through Sept. 20, VA answered more than 1.3 million calls, chats and texts from Veterans in need through the Veterans Crisis Line, a 7.1-percent increase over the prior year, with a veteran satisfaction rate of 97.3 percent,” reads information provided by the VA. “In May 2026, VA announced it is screening veterans for suicide risk and providing comprehensive evaluations at a record pace. Through August 2026, VA completed more than 5.5 million suicide risk screenings, approximately 100,000 more Veterans screened in 2025.”
The initiative provides almost 200 organizations with grant funding from a package of about $112 million.
The Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry operates in all counties while the Veterans Bridge Home is located in Charlotte and serves Rowan, among several other counties. Both organizations are currently the only two in North Carolina to receive funding from this $112-million package. Both organizations were among the only two in North Carolina to receive funds last year.
“Community organizations play a vital role in strengthening the support network available to North Carolina veterans,” said Charles Collins, interim executive director of the Salisbury VA Health Care System. “These grants provide veterans with lifesaving support and ensure they have access to the care and resources they deserve right here in our community.”
The grants are part of the the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program.
Statistics provided by the VA show that 61 percent of veterans who committed suicide last year did so without having received VA care for at least a year.
Officials hope these grants will help change that.
“The SSG Fox SPGP prioritizes reaching veterans not yet connected with VA in under-resourced areas with high-risk populations, aiming to help before a crisis occurs,” reads information from the VA. “Since its launch in September 2022, the SSG Fox SPGP has now awarded $322 million to 218 organizations across 49 states.”
The program’s namesake joined the military in 2014 as a sniper instructor at Fort Benning in Georgia. In July of 2020 he died by suicide. He was 25.
“In calendar year 2025, approximately 17,000 veterans, service members and family members received services through Fox grantees,” reads information from the VA. “That’s a 31-percent increase from 2024, and the number of veterans served in 2026 is expected to be even higher.”
The program seeks to address the determining factors behind veteran suicide, like financial, social and healthcare access. Organizations chosen to receive funding must provide a litany of services including mental health screening, case management and peer support services, among others.
