Giving Compass' Take:

• Mason Leist tells his story of how The Mission Continues helped him address issues with PTSD after coming home from the military and encouraged him to work with others in the community going through the same experiences. 

• How can mentoring and teaching help you address your own challenges? 

• Read about the ways in which philanthropy can help fill in the gaps of need for homeless veterans. 

I was in the fifth grade when I saw the terrorist attacks of 9/11 unfold on television. Though I was only a child, the day left me with a strong desire to defend my country. I answered the call when I joined the United States Army at the age of 20, and deployed to Afghanistan soon thereafter. It was time for me to live my own war stories.

Though I was grateful that we all got home in one piece, the person who came home in 2015 stood in stark contrast to the one who enlisted in 2012. The smallest things incensed me. So I drank and told myself things would be better in a couple months. A couple months came and went. I was still drunk and still mad.

Seeing the effect this had on those I loved made me come to terms with post-traumatic stress and seek help through the PTSD Foundation of America. After I navigated my own challenges, I knew it was time for me to forge my own path forward. Luckily a friend introduced me to The Mission Continues, and just like that, it was time to find my sense of purpose again.

My Mission Continues Fellowship at the PTSD Foundation of America empowers me to do exactly that in my city of San Antonio. I bring the community together by mentoring veterans and their families. After my six-month fellowship concludes, I hope to do even more to help veterans like myself navigate the challenges of PTSD.

Change happens from the ground up — and that starts with me.

Read the full article about PTSD by Mason Leist at The Mission Continues.