Lights, camera … director?
Call for a director for “Welcome Home,” an original play by Sam Farnsworth, based on the true stories of four local veterans.The four veterans meet at a weekend retreat. As the night by the campfire unfolds, they gradually build trust and talk about their funny and harrowing experiences of war and military service. Poignant and heartwarming,…
We’re moving — just a smidge
Care for the Troops and The Brookfield Institute are now headquartered at the Quaboag Valley CDC, 23 Main St., Ware MA. We’re on the second floor. Our mailing address is: The Brookfield Institute/Care for the TroopsP.O. Box 838Ware MA 01082 The phone number, 413-563-7282, and email address, [email protected], are still the same.
The dichotomy of the returning warrior
Bill Munsell knows all too well the struggles that come after returning from battle — he’s done it twice.
“I have to be a dad and a husband and still deal with the things I saw,” says Munsell, 54, a sergeant first class in the National Guard. That dichotomy — that there are two sides to a soldier — is integral to understanding how to help veterans, he says.
Dogs assisting vets and more at April 11 workshop
An upcoming workshop offered by The Brookfield Institute’s Care for the Troops program will offer introductory training to people who want to help veterans integrate into civilian life.
Vietnam War pins signify more than you’d know
The pinning ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, March 15, after the Yoga Warriors class that veteran Roy Dennington credits with giving him a renewed resilience in his post-war and post trauma life. The pinning will begin about 12:30 p.m. at Central Mass Yoga and Wellness, 45 Sterling Street, No. 28, West Boylston, Mass (top floor of Causeway Mall — intersection of Mass. Rtes. 110 and 12). Belinda Morrone, a retired Air Force colonel and nurse who supported U.S. military air evacuations from the Gulf wars through the ongoing post-911 Mideast conflicts, will present the Vietnam War Veteran pins.
Military Friends and Family Bereavement Support Group
Are you a military family or friend who has faced the death of a service member from the hidden wounds of war, combat or other service-connected losses? Our first Military Friends and Family Bereavement Support Group meeting is March 4.
Looking back, looking ahead
There are still 20 veterans a day who commit suicide. And 70% of the veterans who take their lives have never contacted the VA for health services.
That is why our outreach and education work is so important.
‘It’s really up to all of us’
The gathering was a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs free training for clergy, religious leaders and other community members to assist them with helping veterans and their families.
Writing, directing from the heart
Veterans’ stories are close to JS, Hobbs’ heart. The director of “Welcome Home” has worked with numerous veterans, veteran organizations and he has heard many, many stories. He worked for several months to write the story the play is based on, listening, watching, reading, compiling.