David Bates appeared via Zoom to accept the Jefferson Award for Public Service and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Outstanding Service to Benefit Local Communities on Wednesday.
SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP — The founder of a suicide-prevention nonprofit accepted the national Jefferson Award for Public Service Wednesday.
David Bates, founder of Warriors Way in Shawnee Township, appeared virtually Wednesday to accept the national public service award and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Outstanding Service to Benefit Local Communities.
The awards honor Americans who make significant contributions to their communities.
Bates started forging knives as a hobby in 2016 to relieve his stress from serving three tours in Iraq in the military.
He turned his hobby into Warriors Way, an immersive knife-making workshop and suicide-prevention nonprofit that helps veterans and first responders recover from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Shawnee Township nonprofit has saved 28 veterans from suicide since its founding, said Jenve Brooks, a representative from Multiplying Good, which administers the awards.
The workshop is a “sanctuary” for veterans and first responders suffering from PTSD, Brooks said.
An average of 22 veterans die by suicide each day, totaling an estimated 184,690 veterans since the War on Terror started in 2001. The suicide crisis is “one of the most overlooked tragedies of war,” Bates said Wednesday.
Organizations like Warriors Way are trying to fill the void veterans experience when they return from war by providing health care and therapy, Bates said, noting that policy programs are also needed to address the root causes of veteran homelessness and access to quality health care.
“Each veteran has a unique story, family and dream for the future,” Bates said. “It’s our responsibility to listen, empathize and offer a helping hand to those who served our country with honor and distinction.
“Let’s honor their service, not just with words but with actions. Let’s be the voice for those who have sacrificed so much for us that we can assure no veteran is left behind.”
Warriors Way served 250 people in 2023 and is projected to assist 600 people this year.
