By Marianne Goodman, M.D.
250 kits. 250 conversations. Countless moments of support.
What began as a campaign to provide support to Veterans and their loved ones in honor of America’s 250th has become something way bigger. After an overwhelming response to the Key into Care campaign, Vets4Warriors (V4W) and Worried About a Veteran (WAV) are growing the initiative to reach even more Veterans and the people who care about them.
We initially launched with the hope of giving out 250 free Key into Care packages. With the first round fully claimed, WAV and Vets4Warriors are making another 250 kits available to help even more households start meaningful conversations about firearm safety and suicide prevention.
Each package includes a key lockbox designed to securely store the key to a Veteran’s existing firearm storage device. It also includes conversation starters, educational resources, and reminders that no one has to navigate these conversations alone. Confidential peer support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
As the first round of kits arrives in mailboxes, V4W peer support specialists will be calling recipients to check in and offer additional resources.
“’I need you to take the key to the gun safe and make sure I can’t get it.’ That was the order my Active Duty soldier gave me when he admitted he was in crisis. I was shocked and had no idea what I was supposed to do,” says Megan Powell, Veteran Spouse, Mom, Caregiver, and a 2022 Elizabeth Dole Foundation Fellow. “If I as a military spouse back then had the Key into Care package I could have said with confidence that I could handle what I was being asked to do and know that there was yet another layer of safety between my husband’s crisis and a split second decision.”
Together, WAV and Vets4Warriors are building on their shared mission to empower loved ones with the tools, confidence, and support they need to help prevent Veteran suicide.
Help Us Reach the Next 250 Families
You can help expand the impact of Key into Care by:
- Supporting WAV with a donation to help bring Key into Care to even more Veterans and their loved ones.
- Ordering one of the next 250 free Key into Care packages for your household.
- Sharing the campaign with your community.
The packages are free for Veterans and the people who care about them.
About the Partners
Worried About a Veteran (WAV) is a national initiative that empowers loved ones to prevent Veteran gun suicide. Originally launched as a New York State pilot program in 2022 through the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide, WAV expanded nationwide in 2024 with support from Face the Fight. WAV provides resources for loved ones to develop secure gun storage strategies and carry them out successfully.
Vets4Warriors® is the nation’s leading 24/7 military peer support program staffed by Veterans and military family members. We provide immediate, confidential, ongoing support to every member of the US military community—service members, Veterans, and their loved ones—helping before challenges turn into crises.
