ACMF is a non-profit organization in Arizona that works with public and private partners to build the state’s capacity to support Arizona’s 500,000+ service members, veterans, and their families with a collective impact model that uses an upstream approach to suicide prevention. 

Bringing People Together

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Across Arizona, support for service members, veterans, and their families exists in many places. Programs, services, and resources are available, often with strong intent and capable, caring providers. The challenge is not whether support exists. It is whether that support is aligned, accessible, and able to reach people early enough to make a difference.

This is where our state shines on the national stage, and why Arizona’s service members, veterans, and their families experience a system that works differently. Because our systems are aligned, support becomes easier to find, faster to access, and more responsive to real needs. People can even call the Be Connected support line to receive assistance identifying and connecting to resources. This eliminates barriers, unnecessary delays, and confusion about where to go next. The result is a more direct path to support, where time and energy are spent on getting help rather than searching for it.

• We bring partners together to align around shared standards and improve how support is delivered across systems. 
• We bring helpers together to build practical skills that strengthen community response.
• We bring colleagues and community leaders together through efforts like the Annual Statewide Symposium.
• We bring services and resources directly into communities through Veteran StandDowns, making it easier for veterans and their families to access support in one place.
• We bring community partners together to drive innovation through the first-ever Be Connected Communities Academy, enabling locally designed solutions shaped by community needs.

Systems improve when the people within them are connected. The work highlighted in this issue reflects that principle in practice. It shows how bringing people together with intention and structure can strengthen access to support and help reduce the conditions that lead to crisis.

Be Connected Communities Academy

Designing Tailored Solutions for Arizona Communities

The room was full, the conversations were moving fast, and ideas were taking shape in real time at the first-ever Be Connected Communities Academy. Leaders from across Arizona came together to do more than share perspectives. They worked side by side to design solutions grounded in what communities are actually seeing and experiencing. This was innovation in motion, focused, practical, and built to move forward. Take a closer look at what happened in Phoenix and how these ideas are already beginning to take shape across the state.

Everything in One Place

Housing, healthcare, jobs, legal help, basic needs, all within reach at StandDown events across Arizona. Instead of traveling from building to building across town, veterans simply have to go table to table. They connect, get answers, and address their needs. This is what it looks like when support comes into the community and works the way it should. Take a closer look at how StandDowns are helping veterans move forward.

Protecting Veterans From Claim Predators

Claim predators, often called claim sharks, are targeting veterans seeking benefits. The Arizona Coalition for Military Families is raising awareness so veterans and their families know there is a no-cost, trusted, VA-accredited option and a safer path to the benefits they have earned. Read More

Symposium Photo Gallery

There is one place each year where Arizona’s community supporting service members, veterans, and their families comes together. Leaders, providers, partners, helpers, and practitioners, all in the same room, sharing what’s working and building what comes next. The Annual Statewide Symposium is where connections are made, ideas move faster, and the full system comes into view. 

Get ready for a series of exciting upcoming events that promise to bring the community together. From important historical observations, thought-provoking discussions to engaging activities, there's something for everyone to look forward to – mark your calendars and join us for memorable moments ahead! Visit ConnectVeterans.org/events for more information on these and other events.

Upcoming Events

• April is Military Saves Month
• April is Month of the Military Child
• April 15 Purple Up! Day
• April 15 - 16 Annual Statewide Symposium
• April 24 Page Regional Veteran StandDown
• April 29 Welcome to Be Connected Webinar
• April 30 This Day in History: The Fall of Saigon
• May is Military Appreciation Month
• May is Military Caregiver Month
• May 8 Military Spouse Appreciation Day
• May 8 Kingman Veteran Resource Fair
• May 13 Children of Fallen Patriots Day
• May 15 Military Caregiver Day
• May 15 High Country Veteran StandDown
• May 16 Armed Forces Day
• May 25 Memorial Day
• May 27 Welcome to Be Connected Webinar
• June is PTSD Awareness Month
• June 6 D-Day

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The Arizona Coalition for Military Families works collaboratively with government agencies, community members, and partner organizations to form an Ecosystem of Support that Arizona's service members, veterans, and their families can access through the Be Connected support line, 866-4AZ-VETS, and ConnectVeterans.org. Be Connected offers no-cost support and connections to resources and has trained more than 6,000 community members to provide resource navigation services.