KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – “They protect us, and we need to do more to protect them; that’s the idea behind a local play to help veterans,” Said Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs
“There’s some real issues with our veterans across the country,” said Jacobs, “Not only is the suicide rate high among veterans but it’s also high among teenagers who are planning to go into the military, so you’ve got a double whammy there,” Jacobs added.
Preventing veteran suicides is Tonya Stoutt-Brown’s goal when she wrote the play, ‘Worth It.’
“It’s kind of awkward for our veterans when people say, ‘thank you for your service,’ sometimes. I mean, they appreciate it, but it’s a little awkward. They don’t know what to say back and so the story goes, there’s a veteran who started saying, ‘Your’re worth it.’ His response was we’re worth it and so that’s where the title of this show comes from,” said Stoutt-Brown, who is the director of the play.
The play is about a young veteran who returns home from the Middle East and he’s struggling with PTSD and suicidal thoughts.
There will only be one performance of the play on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at Faith Promise North Campus, 5830 Haynes-Sterchi Road.
The event is free, but you will have the chance to donate money to ‘Vet to Vet Tennessee.’ That group helps veterans recover from mental health issues and substance abuse.
There’s also a way to donate online, and you can find the link here.
There are plenty of places where veterans can get help, like PTSD support groups, your local Veterans Affairs Office can help you find those. There is also a national veteran’s crisis line: 1-800-273-8255.
