Red Star Voices
Red Star Voices
The Red Star Voices program is an initiative by the Red Star Foundation that features video interviews with family members of military personnel, veterans and first responders who have lost someone to suicide. The Red Star Voices program has the potential to profoundly impact individuals and communities in the following ways:
Share Stories: Give families an opportunity to share their loved ones’ stories, honor their memories, and shed light on the impact of military and veteran suicides on families and communities.

Helping Families Heal
– Expression of Grief: Sharing their stories provides a platform for families to process emotions and find meaning in their loss. Articulating their experiences can be a therapeutic act of remembrance and validation.
– Building Connection: Families who watch these videos may find solace in realizing they are not alone in their journey, fostering a sense of community and understanding.
– Acknowledgment and Validation: Recognizing and honoring the lives of their loved ones in a public and meaningful way can offer families comfort and closure.
Creating Awareness
– Breaking the Silence: By publicly discussing the tragedy of military and veteran suicides, these videos challenge the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide in the military community.
– Humanizing Statistics: Personal stories put faces to the statistics, making the issue more relatable and urgent for viewers.
– Education: Audiences will gain insight into the emotional toll of service and the broader impact of losing a loved one to suicide, inspiring empathy and action.
Suicide Prevention
– Peer-to-Peer Connection: Sharing real-life stories may encourage those struggling with suicidal thoughts to seek help, seeing that their absence would deeply affect their loved ones.
– Inspiration for Change: The videos can highlight the need for mental health services, peer support, and systemic changes within military institutions.
– Ripple Effect: Viewers, moved by these stories, may become advocates for better suicide prevention programs and support networks.
Additional Benefits
– Strengthening Advocacy Efforts: These videos can be a powerful tool in campaigns to secure funding, partnerships, and legislative action for veteran mental health initiatives.
– Encouraging Dialogue: The content can be used in educational settings, such as workshops or seminars, to prompt discussions about mental health and the importance of seeking help.
– Creating a Legacy: By documenting these stories, the Red Star Foundation ensures that the experiences of those who served and their families are preserved, respected, and never forgotten.
– Fostering Resilience: Families who participate in sharing their stories often discover strength and purpose, turning their pain into a drive to prevent others from facing similar tragedies.
Through Red Star Voices, the Foundation aims to build empathy, educate the public, and inspire action to support suicide prevention and the families impacted by these tragedies. Red Star Voices not only sheds light on the issue but also paves a path for healing, awareness, and actionable change.