You never know until you try

Tuesday I followed my own advice of "you never know until you try". I had been aware of Vets 4 Vets program (www.vets4vets.com) for a while but didn't think I'd qualify to start/lead a group in the area because I had gotten out of the military to be a mom before getting deployed to the 'Great Sandbox'. Following my own advice I decided to go ahead and send them an email explaining my situation anyway and see what I could do.

"I may not be able to provide the same peer support as someone who has been deployed, but I do know that I am great at creating environments"

Lo and behold if I was NOT shot down right away. I have a phone conference for Monday afternoon. I am very excited and a little nervous.

After looking through the local resources I feel that Vets4Vets will fit in here wonderfully. We have Wright Patterson AFB plus Army and Marine units here that deploy regularly. There are a LOT of active duty, veteran, and reservists individuals in this area. I am surprised that there isn't a group here already! Additionally, I really think that the experience of going through one of these workshops would be extremely valuable to give me a better idea of what is going to be needed for the future. I can only hope.

From their website:

Mission
Vets4Vets is a non-partisan veteran organization dedicated to helping Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans feel good about themselves and heal from any negative aspects of service and war through the use of peer support.

Vision
Our primary goal is to help Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans understand the value of peer support and to regularly use peer support to express their emotions, manage their challenges and ease their reintegration into society. Our vision is that anytime a veteran needs to talk with someone who really understands, a local Vets4Vets peer support group is available at no cost. We envision Vets4Vets being a common name in the minds of all veterans as a place where they, and their comrades, can go to heal.

We Believe:

• Sharing personal experiences with those who have shared similar experiences is a powerful healing tool.


• Peer support does not require professionals.


• Peer support can take place in many formats including weekend workshops, one-on-one and in small or large groups.


• By taking equal and uninterrupted turns we benefit by both listening and speaking.


• By expressing the feelings associated with our experiences, we help each other heal.


• In providing an environment that is confidential, safe, and accepting.


• Taking part in positive community action, of their choosing, empowers veterans to further promote healing and reach out to other veterans.


• Use of drugs and alcohol hinders real emotional healing.

I really believe that my goals fall right in line with their approach. I sincerely hope I can work with them.