A nonprofit organization based in Berks County is helping veterans get mental health care, housing and employment.

“We help them to help themselves,” said the Rev. Randolph Simmons, president and founder of We Agape You (WAY) Inc.

Simmons recently spent time at the Walmart in Hometown, serving up hot dogs and soft pretzels for a donation to the organization. While there, he shared information about the group’s mission.

Simmons established the group in 2013 and has grown it to help in 17 counties, including Schuylkill and Carbon.

“My father was World War II and my brother was in Vietnam,” Simmons explained. Both have since passed but he was familiar with the issues they faced.

From the onset, he said, WAY recognized the need to address the rate of veteran suicides, which numbers about 26 per day.

“That’s what they report but it’s actually 44,” Simmons said.

The organization began providing mental health support, counseling services, and crisis intervention programs aimed at preventing suicides. But it didn’t stop there, Simmons noted.

“We wanted to create employment and housing and give veterans a reason to wake up every day. So that they have a purpose. Even if you’ve been diagnosed with Post-traumatic stress disorder or bi-polar, you have a reason to wake up and go to work,” he said.

WAY provides housing for those in the program. Each day they work, they get paid - and they’re not allowed to miss a day.

“That’s how we prevent suicide - we give them a reason to wake up everyday,” he said.

WAY also helps get second opinions from medical providers for veterans with diagnoses.

“We use holistic doctors who will provide medication without the side effects,” said Simmons, who wrote the book, “Breaking Chains.”

Simmons said WAY doesn’t simply put a “band-aid” on problems, it helps folks to help themselves.

“We focus on self-sufficiency instead of dependency,” Simmons said. “We don’t send you a box of food every month. We show you how to get your own food. You have to give a person a reason to get up, you have to give a person the understanding to change the way he was living in dependency to self-sufficiency.”

WAY works with churches, community partners and banks.

Churches will provide spiritual needs, and banks help teach about credit repair and other topics.

Simmons said WAY is always looking for housing.

“We are seeking any blighted, repository or other properties that anyone would want to donate to our organization in exchange for a tax credit for the fair market value,” he said.

Properties can be used for traditional housing, emergency shelter or permanent supportive housing for homeless or at-risk veterans.

For more information, visit www.weagapeyouvsp.org.