This past Monday, the story of Stack-Up was featured on Forbes.com. Contributor Dave Thier spoke with Sack-Up founder Stephen Machuga and our Air Assault Lead David Crouse about the mission of Stack-Up and what gaming means to veterans.
Speaking about how World of Warcraft helped him cope with trash days after his return home from Iraq, Stephen Machuga had this to say, “I just started to forget my problems because I was so involved in the game,” he says. “It distracted me in a way that nothing else did. I dug my heels into that game, and over time, I just kind of started to forget my problems.”
This mentality in many ways led to the formation of Stack-Up.Org and our mission to help veterans through the power of gaming. Taking this idea that gaming can be a powerful tool for distraction and relaxation led Stephen to put together the first video game care packages and the rest, as they say, is history.
Dave Crouse is no stranger to the power of gaming to simply take you away from everything for a few hours, “Anytime I wasn’t working, I was playing video games and watching movies. For me, that was a form of escape. For a couple hours a day, I was just Dave again, not having to be Corporal Crouse. Whenever I’m dealing with things mentally, video games are kind of a safe space. I always feel at home with that. ”
The whole article from Dave Thier is an amazing read and you can check it out at stack-up-org-using-video-games-to-help-soldiers-and-veterans. Thanks, Dave, for taking the time to reach out and write about Stack-Up, its mission, and some of the amazing people that make this organization what it is.
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