My Nonprofit Reviews

My name is Jeffery Snyder, USAF Security Forces 1991-1995. I served and was discharged Honorably.

I want to give you a brief history about what brought me to Soldier On and my recovery. Each veteran at Soldier On has their own story and not one is the same.
My wife and I married in 2008. We had known each other since elementary school. Our marriage was ok from the get go. She had both physical and mental issues. We worked together to help her/us threw rough times.
I was diagnosed with Appendiceal Cancer in November of 2015. During this time my wife was acting strange. She was going out with her sister and coming home late. She was gone for three days just before I was heading to Worcester for surgery which I didn't think she was going to go. The day I left she cried and said she wanted to go. She had a lame excuse as to where she had been, and I was in denial.
Jump to after my surgery, I was in recovery and my wife drove from Worcester to Pittsfield to see her BOYFRIEND. She was using her sister as an excuse to see him. Come to find out she was having an affair for 6 months. Our families found out about the affair before I did. I was heavy medicated from surgery.
Once I got back home, she was taken care of me (3-month recovery for my surgery). After 5 days she abandoned me. I had no help at the house which left me alone and lost. I had to keep going to the ER for panic attacks, pain relief & depression. I was drug seeking ATIVAN.
I used to be able handle high stress situations in my life (USAF Police, EMT 17 years, 911 Dispatcher 4 years, Hillcrest Educational 4 years), but my body and mind were past it limits. I fell into a deep horrible depression. My family didn't know how to help me, nothing like this ever happened to a family member of ours. After 5 days in a row of going to the ER, Berkshire Medical Center and Sweet Brook Rehabilitation and Nursing Center agreed to have me admitted to into the center for treatment. One word “NIGHTMARE”.
After about a week there my sister came to get me and took me to LEEDS (Veteran Affairs Hospital). They started me on a treatment plan as I was still in a deep depression and still having attacks. They were good people. After two weeks there, they decided to send me to SOLDIER ON in Pittsfield. I had been going through treatment for healing of my body and mind.
Since day one at Soldier On, I’ve been treated with care and kindness. Not from just the staff, but from my fellow veterans. I attended groups to talk about what I was going through where I received wonderful feedback. I slowly started with being more social. The staff felt I was doing well and asked if I would like to help with working the front desk which led to working on the computer and scheduling and transportation.
To my surprise I was offered one of the condominiums here in Pittsfield where I now reside. Not only that, I was asked if I would consider a Peer Support Specialist position at Soldier On. The job entails helping my fellow veterans and speaking to the public about preventing Veteran Homelessness which is a fulfilling opportunity.
In two and a half years I went from being destroyed to a better person than I ever was. I forgot to mention that I’ve always been very close to my family, but after all that happened, we are much closer. Because of my family, friends, Soldier On, fellow Veterans, treatment teams I’ve got a new lease on life.