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.

A team effort that would have come to nothing, if it hadn’t been for a community that was there to provide the talent, time, effort and donations

Funds came from individuals, civilian and military mostly in the Staten Island and Long Island area. Three organizations, in particular, stood out in putting money where there heart was: the Road Home Foundation for Wounded Warriors and Families, the Staten Island North Shore Rotary Club, and the Epicured company. 

The Road Home Foundation for Wounded Warriors and Families, a Staten Island-based organization and 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.

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 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 and 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. Its clear commitment to supporting the Veteran community is exampled on a weekly basis by providing food for Fair Start, a collaborative research project with Columbia University and SIPPS. One cohort of the study are 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 there. Epicured has hired an Air Force Veteran as Operations Manager. Aiming to become a Skills Bridge company, Epicured specifically hired an Air Force veteran in its mission to combat and prevent chronic disease.

What did these “Open Hearts and Open Pocketbooks accomplish?

Properly supported, the collaboration was able to accomplish two important things. First, the launch of a pilot fundraising campaign called “Operation Debt-Day” as a proof-of-concept that veterans and civilians could work together to raise both awareness and money.

The half-million dollars in veteran debt being purchased and erased over the holiday season certainly is a testament to effective goal setting. The fact that the campaign brought together the civilian and military communities, which do not often connect, made this success especially exciting.

A first-ever “Micro-Summit” to end veteran debt and reduce veteran debt was the second major “win.”

On September 9, 2025, over 50 individuals gathered at the NYC Manhattan campus of Fordham University to address the relationship between debt and suicide risk. Attendees included representatives from civilian and veteran national organizations devoted to suicide prevention, journalists, debt collectors, artists, physicians and nurses, veterans with lived experience, Onward Ops, and the New York City Department of Veterans Services.

In addition to giving the event a 4.5 out of 5 rating, participants left with several new solutions and approaches in their toolkit, and new connections who could educate them along the way. All good.

What was learned from this process? Michael Matthews, SIPPS Director of Veteran Programs and overseer of the Staten Island Military, Veteran and Family Taski Force, had this to say:

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

• Military and civilian communities can come together to address debt as a suicide risk for Veterans
• “Proof of concept” requires exactly that. If you are going to start a fundraising campaign, you have to deliver the goods. And, we did. 
• 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.

The real benefit of all this effort was what has been left behind. We understand what it takes to put together the people, process and technology. We had a wonderful taste of success. And, we’ll take that education with us in everything we do going forward.