End Veteran Debt (EVD) was founded by Navy Veteran Jerry Ashton in New York City in October 2023 to end veteran debt and reduce veteran suicide.
The End Veteran Debt two-fold strategy – Think Globally and Act Locally.
EVD’s work is national in scope and local in implementation. In “Operation Debt-Day” campaigns, EVD partners with veteran charities, philanthropists, and NGOs to raise $50,000. These funds are used to (nationally) buy and eliminate $1,000,000 in unpaid veteran debt and (locally) to address immediate economic burdens.
By eliminating past burdens and providing lifesaving funds to handle a here-and-now financial crisis, this partnership addresses and is a solution to debt as a proven social determinant of suicidal ideation and the irrevocable act itself.
A Past-Present-Future Antidote
This co-fundraising approach uniquely serves veterans and their families in their financial struggles. Such as (1) relieving burdensome past debt and negative credit marks, (2) helping local charities pay current rent or mortgage bills and stave off homelessness or putting tires on a car or food on the table, and (3) developing and delivering webinars on financial literacy to educate veterans and families from getting into (or getting out of) future financial snares.
“If they don’t know about you, they can’t do anything about you”
Jerry Ashton tapped into his roots as a Navy journalist (E-5) and experience as a highly respected charity founder to solve the reality that faces every organization: no matter how valuable your service or solution, that mission cannot be successful if the public is unaware of you and your value.
Now Hear This is a one-of-its-kind veteran-staffed media central serving campaigners, their donors, and supporters as a pathway to media attention and creating a press kit. By tapping into a national pool of former media specialists, reporters, and broadcasters through Military Veterans in Journalism spread locally and nationally.
