In excess of a half-million dollars in unpaid Veteran Debt will be abolished this Christmas season, thanks to an unusual collaboration of The Staten Island Performing Provider System (SIPPS) the Service Member Veteran and Family Task Force (SMVF), the private charitable foundation, End Veteran Debt (EVD), and public benefit corporation ForgiveCo.

This collaboration resulted in the launch of a pilot, proof-of-concept, awareness, and fundraising campaign. The goals were to raise awareness of debt as a social determinant of suicide risk in the Veteran population and to raise funds to abolish all types of Veteran debt. An important feature of this collaboration was bringing together the civilian and military communities, which do not often connect.

To raise awareness, a full-day Mini Summit was held on 9/9/25 at the NYC Manhattan campus of Fordham University, which brought together over 50 individuals to address the relationship between debt and suicide risk. A wide range of fields were represented, including Debt Collection professionals, Journalists, Artists, physicians and nurses, the New York City Department of Veteran Services, Onward Ops, Veterans with lived experience, and civilian and Veteran suicide prevention professionals.

Funds were donated primarily from the New York City regional area. They came from individuals, civilian and military, but also were received from organizations including the Road Home Foundation for Wounded Warriors and Families, the Staten Island North Shore Rotary Club, and Epicured, a private corporation. Fundraising efforts could not have succeeded without these organizations' open hearts and open wallets.

The Road Home Foundation for Wounded Warriors and Families is a Staten Island-based organization and a member of the SMVF Taskforce was the first to step forth. Committed to identifying and responding to the needs of our active duty and retired injured military personnel and their families. Its focus is on housing, transportation, education and training needs.

The Rotary Club has 1.4 million Rotarians worldwide with the mission of service over self. The Staten Island North Shore Rotary Club itself has invested over $1 million in the community since 1957 and It continues to build a stronger Staten Island and a better world through action, compassion, and connection. North Shore Rotary volunteers deliver meals directly to Veterans in their homes. These visits also provide important social contact and wellness checks. The Rotary also hosts an annual Veterans Day dinner to honor and acknowledge the Veterans’ service.

Epicured is a leading “Food is Medicine” company, based in Glen Cove, Long Island. It has a clear commitment to supporting the Veteran community, having on a weekly basis provided food for Fair Start, a collaborative research project with Columbia University and SIPPS. One cohort of the study was Veterans and Active-Duty Service members at the Cespino Russo American Legion Post. Epicured also provides weekly lunch for the Veterans Yoga Project Chair Yoga program at the same Post. Epicured has hired an Air Force Veteran as Operations Manager to become a Skills Bridge company, translating scientific research into high-quality food products in its mission to combat and prevent chronic disease.

So, where are we, and what have we learned in this process?

First, of course, is to choose the right partners. We couldn’t have done better than allying ourselves with Jerry Ashton and Craig Antico. We benefited from their significant track record in debt abolition and awareness-building approaches.

“Proof of concept” requires exactly that. We delivered the goods.

• Military and civilian communities can come together to address debt as a suicide risk for Veterans,
• As little as $10-$15,000 can erase 500,000 in Veteran Debt
• Inviting individuals and organizations from a wide range of backgrounds and fields to leave their “silos” and share solutions and resources is essential to furthering the awareness of debt as a social determinant, a “problem in plain sight” that needs to be addressed.

That there are, according to Jerry Ashton and It’s a Wonderful World, a lot of angels out there anxious to earn their wings.