FROST CALL

Frost Call fosters a community for veterans with a common interest in video and tabletop games. We facilitate in-person gaming events and online conversation as a means to stay in touch and support our brothers- and sisters-in-arms. We advocate for peer and professional support for veteran mental health and wellbeing.

Frost Call is an organization devoted to the veterans and service members within the community we serve. We partner with veteran service organizations and local businesses in Massachusetts in order to facilitate gatherings at a diverse array of locations including: VA Hospitals, veteran resource fairs and charity events, veteran shelters, local hobby shops, student veteran organizations, eSports arenas, gaming conventions, and veteran mental health clinics. We provide all the equipment needed to enjoy video (consoles, games, monitors) and tabletop (Magic: The Gathering, board games, D&D) games, although veterans are always welcome to bring their own gear too.

We believe in the value of building trust with the veterans in our community by meeting them where they are and fostering connection. In addition to our in-person events, Frost Call supports a robust online community for communication and connection in between meetups. Our Discord server functions as a chat room filled with veterans and civilian allies in the community, and members are recognized as verified after attending an event in person. By doing so we strive to foster a trusted online resource and to reduce the isolation experienced among veterans after leaving military service.

Finally, Frost Call advocates for mental health services and support. We provide information about mental health resources at our events and share news about local events in our online community. Dr. Wesley Sanders, a Clinical Psychologist and USMCR veteran devoted to working with veterans at the Home Base program at MGH, further aims to reduce the stigma of mental health through his engagement with veterans in the organization. In this way, Frost Call serves the veteran community and provides another avenue for proactive mental health support for veterans seeking the camaraderie missing since leaving their military service.

Mission in Action: We are passionate about the importance of bringing veterans together to reduce social isolation, improve veteran mental health and wellbeing, and even reduce risk for suicide. Many veterans express a deep longing for the camaraderie lost after service. Frost Call helps veterans by using gaming as a conduit to reclaim that shared connection among those who have served.

Gaming Deployments: Frost Call has facilitated dozens of events across the state of Massachusetts, including the Boston VA and Vet Center, local hobby shops, gaming conventions, student veteran organizations, and veteran shelters.

Battle Buddy Program: Our battle buddy program is a peer to peer support that pairs veterans with one another to stay connected and find camaraderie with others who have served. Graduates from the program receive a unique morale patch and many of these veterans have continued to stay in touch since the program was founded in 2020.

Online Community: Our online community is the hub through which we plan events, engage with other veterans, and even host virtual meetups. It’s the “glue” that binds all of our services together and ensures no veteran feels disconnected, even if they can’t make it to an in person event.

Some Words from Our Community:

“I thought it was interesting that someone has done something I have “been saying" for a while. I just don’t want to deal with bro-vets and others in the gaming community. Also identifying as queer in the vet community has been challenging. I do appreciate how vocal Frost call is about their support for non majority groups”

“I'm still new to Frost Call but it is already having a huge positive impact in my life. I moved to MA in April 2021 from Texas, where I had family and a close group of friends. Moving to a new state, knowing no one, except [my partner], during the pandemic was difficult. It was hard to meet people and even had a remote job. I was feeling isolated and like I didn’t belong here. So grateful to my friend for telling me about Frost Call and for all the people that I have met so far. It truly has helped me feel at home here.”

“A large variety community based on Veterans with common interests is just great. Community nights are something that should definitely be regular.”
“Frostcall has become a network for many veterans to connect to their comrades who share mutual interests and give them an outlet to have fun, socialize, share information, and so much more! Staff are in tune with the pulse of the veteran community and stay on the ready to adjust when needed, provide great leadership and content, and make everyone feel included and appreciated! Wonderful organization!”