Red Star Foundation Launches First-Ever National Veteran Suicide Resource Directory With 492 Organizations Already Listed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | NOV. 11, 2026

Free nationwide directory connects veterans, current military, first responders and families with critical support while giving smaller nonprofits unprecedented opportunities to be discovered.

CLEARWATER, FL, Nov. 10, 2026 - Red Star Foundation has launched the nation's first national resource directory dedicated specifically to veteran suicide prevention and postvention, with 492 organizations already included at launch and opportunities for hundreds more to join at no cost.

The National Suicide Prevention & Postvention Resource Directory addresses two significant challenges facing the suicide prevention community: helping individuals and families find the assistance they need and helping organizations, particularly smaller nonprofits and community-based programs, reach the people who need their services.

While numerous directories provide general veteran services, Red Star Foundation's new national directory is specifically dedicated to suicide prevention, intervention and postvention, including resources serving veterans, current military, first responders and families affected by suicide loss.

With 492 organizations represented from the outset, the directory provides an immediate starting point for individuals seeking assistance and establishes a foundation for continued nationwide expansion.

Giving Smaller Nonprofits the National Visibility They Deserve

One of the directory's most important objectives is to help smaller organizations overcome a challenge that can significantly limit their impact: being found.

Across the United States, countless local nonprofits, grassroots organizations and community-based programs provide services that can make a difference in the lives of struggling veterans and their families.

Many operate with small budgets, limited staff and little or no funding for advertising, marketing or search engine optimization. While their services may be exceptional, their ability to reach those who need them often depends on word of mouth, local referrals or chance encounters.

Meanwhile, individuals and families searching online for assistance may never discover these organizations, even when the services they provide are exactly what is needed.

Red Star Foundation's directory is designed to help close that gap by giving qualified organizations of all sizes an opportunity to be discovered through a centralized national platform.

"A small nonprofit in rural America might be doing extraordinary work helping veterans or surviving families, but if people don't know it exists, its ability to help is limited," said Jerry Shaffer, founder and CEO of Red Star Foundation. "Some of the most effective organizations are also the least visible. We want to change that by giving them a national platform where people can discover their services without requiring them to spend money on advertising."

Unlike commercial directories that may charge organizations for enhanced visibility or lead generation, Red Star Foundation offers eligible organizations the opportunity to participate free of charge.

The directory is intended to help smaller nonprofits expand their visibility, attract relevant inquiries, build referral relationships and connect with veterans and families beyond their existing networks.

"Imagine a small nonprofit that helps veterans struggling with PTSD, or a local organization supporting children who have lost a parent to suicide," Shaffer said. "That organization may be changing lives every day, but its reach is limited because people outside its immediate community have never heard of it. We want to make sure those organizations have the opportunity to be found."

492 Organizations at Launch, With Nationwide Expansion Underway

The inclusion of 492 organizations at launch demonstrates the breadth of existing services dedicated to supporting the military, veteran and first responder communities.

The directory brings together resources across multiple areas of need, including suicide prevention, mental health counseling, peer support, crisis intervention, substance use treatment, housing assistance, financial support, employment services, family assistance and suicide loss postvention.

Rather than requiring visitors to navigate dozens of unrelated websites, the directory provides a centralized location where individuals can discover organizations and services relevant to their circumstances.

Red Star Foundation is encouraging additional organizations to register, submit new listings and help expand the directory's coverage.

"No single organization can address every challenge or meet every need," Shaffer said. "But with 492 organizations already represented, we are beginning to connect the dots. As more organizations participate, we can build a stronger national network that makes it easier for people to find help and for organizations to connect with one another."

Helping Veterans and Families Find Support Before a Crisis

Suicide prevention involves far more than emergency intervention.

Individuals experiencing financial instability, unemployment, housing insecurity, relationship difficulties, social isolation or challenges transitioning from military to civilian life may face increasing emotional distress.

Finding appropriate assistance early can help address these challenges before they escalate.

The directory allows visitors to explore organizations providing a variety of services related to suicide prevention and the circumstances that can contribute to suicide risk.

By consolidating these resources into one searchable national platform, Red Star Foundation hopes to reduce the time, frustration and uncertainty involved in finding support.

"When someone is struggling, the last thing they should have to do is spend hours searching the internet trying to figure out where to turn," Shaffer said. "And when a family is desperately looking for help for someone they love, having access to the right resource at the right time can make all the difference."

Recognizing and Supporting Families Left Behind After Suicide

A defining feature of the directory is its emphasis on postvention, the support provided to individuals, families and communities following a suicide death.

While suicide prevention receives significant national attention, families who lose a loved one to suicide often struggle to find specialized resources addressing their unique needs.

Surviving spouses, parents, children and siblings may experience profound grief, isolation, unanswered questions, guilt and the stigma associated with suicide loss.

Many need long-term assistance, including grief counseling, peer connections, support for surviving children and practical help navigating life after their loss.

Red Star Foundation recognizes these families as Red Star Families and places their needs at the center of its broader mission of Honoring the Forgotten Families.

"For too long, the families left behind after a suicide have been overlooked," Shaffer said. "Preventing the next suicide is critically important, but so is caring for the people who are left behind. We cannot ignore the long-term impact suicide has on spouses, children, parents and entire families."

The directory includes postvention resources intended to help surviving families connect with organizations that understand the unique challenges of suicide loss.

Building a Stronger, More Connected National Suicide Prevention Network

The directory also addresses another challenge within the nonprofit community: fragmentation.

Organizations frequently operate independently, serving specific populations or geographic areas without full awareness of similar or complementary programs elsewhere.

This can result in missed opportunities for collaboration and referrals.

By bringing organizations together through a centralized national directory, Red Star Foundation hopes to foster greater awareness and cooperation among providers.

A small nonprofit that specializes in counseling may discover an organization offering financial assistance. A peer support group may identify a postvention program for a family experiencing suicide loss. A national organization may discover a local provider equipped to offer in-person support in a community where it has no direct presence.

These connections can help build a more coordinated network of assistance.

"We don't need every organization trying to do everything," Shaffer said. "We need organizations working together, understanding what resources exist and connecting people with the services that best meet their needs. The directory can help make that possible."

Organizations Nationwide Invited to Register for Free

Red Star Foundation is inviting nonprofits, community organizations, government agencies and other qualified providers offering suicide prevention, postvention or relevant support services to participate in the directory.

Organizations can register for free, submit their programs for review and provide information about their services, geographic coverage, eligibility requirements and contact details.

The foundation also offers a Red Star Verified Resource program to help users identify organizations that have completed its verification process.

The directory will continue expanding as additional organizations are reviewed and approved for inclusion.

"This is bigger than Red Star Foundation," Shaffer said. "Our goal is to help every organization working to prevent suicide or support surviving families become more accessible. If we help a small nonprofit reach someone it otherwise never would have reached, or help a family discover support they didn't know existed, we are making a difference."

Access the Directory or Register an Organization

• Search the National Resource Directory
• Register Your Organization for Free
• Learn About the Red Star Verified Resource Program

About Red Star Foundation

Red Star Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, dedicated to preventing suicide among current military, veterans and first responders while recognizing and supporting the families left behind after a suicide loss.

Guided by its mission of Honoring the Forgotten Families and its pillars of Hope, Recognition and Connection, the foundation works to increase awareness, reduce stigma, strengthen community connections and develop programs supporting suicide prevention and postvention.

Its initiatives include the Red Star Service Banner, Red Star Voices, peer-to-peer support programs, community engagement initiatives and the National Suicide Prevention & Postvention Resource Directory.

For more information, visit www.RedStarFoundation.org.

Media Contact

Red Star Foundation
Clearwater, FL
Website: www.RedStarFoundation.org
Media resources: National Resource Directory Press Kit

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