In this series, we highlight those working in the Veteran and Military communities to help make reintegration and life a little better for everyone. We wanted to ask some of the common questions about how they got to where they are and how they inspire others to do more.
Interviewer: Stacey Ebert, Veteran Support Network
Organization: Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving Title in Organization: Founder, Executive Director, President, Facilitator
Why Veterans? I am a woman combat veteran and I found the reintegration from military culture to civilian culture to be very challenging. For me, with suicidal tendencies and addiction being my initial coping skills, that struggle was also life-threatening. I felt that if it was like that for me, it may be similar for others.
What got you interested in this organization (if you started the organization - what inspired you to do so)? I founded WVE & T for a few reasons, one was because women veterans are an underserved population with limited individualized services. Often Women veterans do not identify as veterans. Therefore, I wanted to provide a space to facilitate skills of empowerment including breathing techniques, free writing and community agreements such as not apologizing for speaking truth, observing instead of judgment and embracing kindness and self compassion. Lastly, I didn’t want to witness other veterans suffering and do nothing. In the veteran community there is a plague of suicide, addiction, and homelessness; I wanted to create a solution to the isolation many of us feel in “homecoming” and reintegration.
What's your favorite thing about working in this field? Theatre, writing, and speaking with authenticity to build bridges of reconnection with self and the community is my passion and promoting skills/tools that people can invest in within themselves is my favorite work to do. That moment when participants discover all they need to thrive is found within themselves - that's the moment.
How has community service involvement impacted your life? Community service is my passion to improve lives for others and at the same time take care of myself so I can give from a place of fulfillment not depletion.
Why should veterans and families use these services? Empowerment from within yourself is a life-saving skill and it can elevate your life from surviving to thriving.
What, in your opinion, is the most important thing soon-to-be-Veterans and their families should consider before leaving military service? The most important thing before reintegration is beginning to invest in yourself, your communication, and find resources in the community to which you are moving. Now with zoom, our reintegration services are very accessible.
Why this person? Jenny's passion is human empowerment. She has taken her experience and channeled it into helping others learn, grow, develop, and thrive. Her passion fuels her work and her work helps to change lives for the better. The skills, tools, and techniques participants learn stay with them their entire lives and help to elevate their experience from surviving to flourishing.
- Anything else you would like us to know would love everyone to know and understand that I keep trying all kinds of therapies and activities to nurture and nourish me. Before giving up on this life just keep trying to find what you need, want and leads you to thrive.