Lastly, if you'd like to make your own, and share with Sarah what Jesus has actually said, download this Image! Send your ideas to hello+sarah@upworthy.com and we'll share the best ones on our tumblr!
Lastly, if you'd like to make your own, and share with Sarah what Jesus has actually said, download this Image! Send your ideas to hello+sarah@upworthy.com and we'll share the best ones on our tumblr!
Courtesy of Verizon
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If someone were to say "video games" to you, what are the first words that come to mind? Whatever words you thought of (fun, exciting, etc.), we're willing to guess "healthy" or "mental health tool" didn't pop into your mind.
And yet… it turns out they are. Especially for Veterans.
How? Well, for one thing, video games — and virtual reality more generally — are also more accessible and less stigmatized to veterans than mental health treatment. In fact, some psychiatrists are using virtual reality systems for this reason to treat PTSD.
Secondly, video games allow people to socialize in new ways with people who share common interests and goals. And for Veterans, many of whom leave the military feeling isolated or lonely after they lose the daily camaraderie of their regiment, that socialization is critical to their mental health. It gives them a virtual group of friends to talk with, connect to, and relate to through shared goals and interests.
In addition, according to a 2018 study, since many video games simulate real-life situations they encountered during their service, it makes socialization easier since they can relate to and find common ground with other gamers while playing.
This can help ease symptoms of depression, anxiety, and even PTSD in Veterans, which affects 20% of the Veterans who have served since 9/11.
Watch here as Verizon dives into the stories of three Veteran gamers to learn how video games helped them build community, deal with trauma and have some fun.
Band of Gamers www.youtube.com
Video games have been especially beneficial to Veterans since the beginning of the pandemic when all of us — Veterans included — have been even more isolated than ever before.
And that's why Verizon launched a challenge last year, which saw $30,000 donated to four military charities.
And this year, they're going even bigger by launching a new World of Warships charity tournament in partnership with Wargaming and Wounded Warrior Project called "Verizon Warrior Series." During the tournament, gamers will be able to interact with the game's iconic ships in new and exciting ways, all while giving back.
Together with these nonprofits, the tournament will welcome teams all across the nation in order to raise money for military charities helping Veterans in need. There will be a $100,000 prize pool donated to these charities, as well as donation drives for injured Veterans at every match during the tournament to raise extra funds.
Verizon is also providing special discounts to Those Who Serve communities, including military and first responders, and they're offering a $75 in-game content military promo for World of Warships.
Tournament finals are scheduled for August 8, so be sure to tune in to the tournament and donate if you can in order to give back to Veterans in need.
Courtesy of Verizon
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This article originally appeared on 09.18.15
What happens to airplanes after they're no longer fit to roam the skies?
Decommissioned planes are often stripped and sold for parts, with the remains finding a new home in what is sometimes referred to as an "airplane boneyard" or "graveyard." Around the world, these graveyards exist; they're made up of large, empty lots and tons of scrap metal.
An abandoned 747 rests in a Bangkok lot. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.
Photojournalist Taylor Weidman recently stopped by a graveyard in Bangkok, Thailand.
In the city's Ramkhamhaeng neighborhood sits a lot peppered with parts from jets and commercial liners. What's most interesting, however, aren't the planes, but rather the people who live among the wreckage.
This man exits through the back of one of the plane shells. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.
This is the interior of what was a Boeing 747. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.
Life in the graveyard is about as bare-bones as it gets.
The three families living in the lot seem to get by with little more than the shelter created by the hull of a 747, mats, and makeshift curtains. For money, several collect recycling, and as the International Business Times reports, "they occasionally supplement their income by charging tourists and photographers 100 Baht (about £1.80 or $2.77) to look around their homes."
This woman sits underneath a photo of Thailand's king. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.
Living on just a few dollars a day, the planes contain comfort that wouldn't be found elsewhere. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.
Weidman's photos shine a light on the luxuries we so often take for granted in life; namely, the ability to travel.
Seeing vehicles once used to jet people around the world for business, pleasure, and everything in between used in a much more fundamental way — as the basic shelters needed for survival — is its own form of forced perspective. It also highlights the creativity of those living in the lot; being able to transform airplanes into places to call home is no small feat.
The three families have some small comforts, like sheets, clothes, and the occasional small appliance. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.
This man rests in one of the partitioned rooms, listening to the radio. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.
Most of all, Weidman's photos tell a story about the importance of empathy.
The families in the Ramkhamhaeng lot are human, just like you and me. Like all of us, they're doing their best to survive.
A lot resident collects recycling outside one of the residences. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.
This young boy plays outside one of the planes, hiding from his grandmother. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.
This stunning collection of photos brings just a brief glimpse of what it's like to step into their shoes; something we should all strive to do more often.
Women inspect watches for possible resale value. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.
This man is bringing buckets of water back to his family on a hot day. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.