EASTHAMPTON, Mass. - Easthampton city leaders, including the police and health department, have partnered with the Building Bridges Veterans Initiative to start hosting a free luncheon at the Easthampton Congregational Church for all military veterans.

"What we're finding is that the very people who risked their lives to protect this country come home and have a real challenge very often finding the home that they left," said Building Bridges Veterans Initiative executive director Christopher Carlisle.

The Building Bridges Veterans Initiative has more than a dozen sites throughout four New England states and works to support veterans who may be struggling with mental health issues by providing them with free meals among other forms of outreach.

"It's clear that the problem of veterans socialized isolation, suicide and depression is pervasive and it's what we're trying to address," Carlisle said.

A serving of meatloaf and mashed potatoes is something veteran Jack Devlin can appreciate. The Northampton resident served in the Navy Medical Corps during the Vietnam War and said he and several veterans have faced many hardships when returning home.

"When my guys came back, we weren't really accepted," Devlin said. "A lot of people used to refer to the service guys as 'baby killers,' which really wasn't the case but that's the way it was. Thank God it's gotten better. We never got a welcome home in the 60s."

Wednesday afternoon's meal was organized by several volunteers, including members of the Easthampton Coalition for Veteran Wellness.

It's an opportunity to bring local veterans together, which is something Devlin said is very important.

"You see people here that you've known for years," Devlin said. "You meet them at these luncheons and reminisce about the old days and all the things we miss because we're not apart of it anymore."

Carlisle said Easthampton will be proving the free luncheon every first Wednesday of the month from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.