Celebrating Our Veterans

Hello Friends,

Every November we celebrate our Veterans, those of all branches of service and all conflicts. The holiday and its timing grew out of the victories won by “The Greatest Generation” in overcoming the tyranny that created World War II. In that spirit, I want to tell you about a woman I recently met named Debbie Sprague, an overcomer in her own right. She is the author of “A Stranger in my Bed” ($19.86 Amazon.com). The book chronicles the near destruction of her family as a result of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) suffered by her husband as a result of his experiences in the Viet Nam war.

As a community we are doing more for Veterans. Thanks to the relentless work by Sen. Maurice Johannessen and many others, our community now boasts a new Veterans Home. I have felt for a long time that there is more we at One SAFE Place can do to help families of abuse, and particularly veterans. In learning more about Debbie’s story, I gained inspiration. While our first and foremost concern is to help victims find safety and healing, we know that there is more to the equation than that. And, Debbie’s book prompted me to take a fresh look at how we at One SAFE Place serve Veterans. Since meeting her, I have met with several veterans organizations, read countless articles and am now passionately committed to making OSP a resource for our veterans affected by PTSD.

We know that as a community we need to address the whole issue of domestic and sexual abuse, not just pieces. That’s why we continue to reach out to and work with others in the community who can help. One such resource is the Batterers Intervention Program (BIP) started by Hope City that will be launching soon. This program is a resource to those who recognize their need for help in overcoming their anger or tendencies toward abusive behavior. In the last two years we have begun to emphasize the need for prevention and we applaud Hope City for recognizing and responding to this need in our community. We would encourage anyone to seek help who honestly seeks to avoid resorting to abusive behavior.

I don’t want anyone to misunderstand me. We as a society cannot tolerate abuse. However, we can do more to overcome it. And, while One SAFE Place will always remain committed to the safety of victims, Debbie’s book, her story and her experience have shown me that we as a community can do more to assist them in their journey toward healing. I think these sentiments can best be summarized by the actor, Patrick Stewart whose first hand experience with this issue has inspired him to become active in the cause. He, too, has refocused his efforts based on revelations in recent years of the impact of his father’s wartime military service on the family. You’ll understand more as you watch the video.

Warm regards, 

Jean King
Executive Director