Nine New York Groups Get $4.4M for Veteran Suicide Prevention

Growing up in a military family, I learned early that support for those who serve cannot stop at a welcome home or a holiday thank you. It has to show up in practical ways, especially when a Veteran or their family is struggling.

That is why new funding announced by the Department of Veterans Affairs matters. The VA has awarded $4,375,836 to nine New York community organizations working to strengthen suicide prevention services for Veterans.

The money is part of the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. The grants will be available at the start of fiscal year 2027 and are part of $112 million awarded to 191 organizations across the country.

Nine New York Organizations Will Receive VA Funding

The funding is meant to help community organizations reach Veterans who may not be connected to VA healthcare. Nonprofits, state and local governments, federally recognized tribes, and other groups with a demonstrated ability to serve Veterans can receive support through the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program.

The VA has released a complete list of 2026 grant recipients, including the nine organizations receiving funding in New York.

Why Community Support Matters for New York Veterans

VA healthcare facilities offer Veterans same day emergency mental health care when it is needed. Still, reaching every Veteran can be difficult.

The VA says 61% of Veterans who died by suicide in 2023 were not receiving VA healthcare during the last year of their lives. Community organizations can help close that gap by connecting Veterans and families with care and resources closer to home.

Michael DelDuca, executive director of the Syracuse VA, said the grants will strengthen the support network available to Veterans across New York and help make sure they can access care closer to home.

READ MORE: Binghamton Veterans Who Left Their Mark on History

VA Fox Grants Reach New York Veterans and Families

The Fox grant program already reaches people who might otherwise go without support. In 2025, VA says about 17,000 Veterans, service members, and family members received services through Fox grant recipients. That was a 31% increase from the year before.

The program also connected 2,647 Veterans who had not previously used Veterans Health Administration services with VA care and resources. The VA says 344 Veterans at risk were connected to emergency mental healthcare through the grants in 2025.

Support does not have to begin inside a VA hospital. Sometimes it starts with a trusted local organization, a family member who knows something is not right, or a conversation that makes it easier to ask for help.

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Veterans Crisis Support Is Available 24 Hours a Day

If you are a Veteran in crisis, or you are worried about a Veteran you love, help is available 24 hours a day. Call 988 and press 1, text 838255, or connect through the Veterans Crisis Line online chat.

You do not have to be enrolled in VA benefits or VA healthcare to reach the Veterans Crisis Line. A conversation can be the first step toward getting through a hard moment.