PERMIAN BASIN (KMID/KPEJ)- One local organization, Permian Warrior Partnership, is helping area veterans get back on their feet by helping them find jobs, healthcare, and even housing.

“We connect with the veterans, their families, the caregivers…find out what they need and what their wants are and find those resources and then pair them with those resources and go through the process with them until they get their needs met to improve their quality of life,” said program lead, Roy Dobbins. 

PWP is a veteran-focused, community-led initiative to proactively connect with all veterans and ensure access to quality resources and opportunities. The organization’s main goal is to help end veteran suicide by improving the lives of those who have served after their service has ended. 

More than 125,000 veterans have died by suicide since 2001; that’s more than 6,000 a year and data show that suicide is the second leading cause of death in veterans under the age of 45. It’s a statistic PWP hopes to change. For Dobbins, the reason he wants to help local veterans is a personal one. 

“Being a veteran myself, my son is active duty now, my dad is a veteran, my grandfather is a veteran, my sister…my brother are veterans. My goal is to make it better for the generations after me exiting the military and smoothing that transition,” he said. “It’s very fulfilling for me to connect with someone that’s maybe looking for a job, or health care, or just needs a ride or help with their bills; to be the one that knows the resource…to get them to the right person the first time so they’re not searching or at risk of becoming homeless. It’s been very rewarding to plug those folks in and create that relationship with them for a lifetime.”

If you are a veteran in need and want to connect with the Permian Warrior Partnership, you’ll find the information you need here. You can also visit that same website if you’d like to donate to help with the group’s mission.