|
Women Vets Discover ‘Grace After Fire’ WASHINGTON, July 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — www.GraceAfterFire.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the needs of women veterans of all eras and military branches. Today they launch their online social network — built by women veterans for women veterans. This network is designed to allow women vets to join hands in order to bring a voice to the many who have been silenced due to military sexual trauma, the invisible wounds of post traumatic stress, and the pain of depression and addiction. “Many of our nation’s women veterans feel isolated and not acknowledged as true veterans. Grace is a distinctive online community where women veterans will have the opportunity to share laughter, tears, and strength with other vets who know what they have been through,” said Stephanie Moles, founder of Grace After Fire. “These women have shown phenomenal strength as servicemembers. Many have also endured military sexual trauma, depression — and combat stress due to the lack of a ‘front line’. When you get off the plane, you’re in combat, man or woman. Together, with their sisters-in-arms, these brave and resilient women can help each other cope and discover resources for healing. Coming home from service in silence is one thing, but not having a safe place to convene and heal is brutal,” said Moles. Grace After Fire was founded to ease reintegration and increase access to a full spectrum of services. Whether they have been suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), military sexual trauma (MST), alcoholism, addiction, relationship & family issues, reintegration, or depression, www.graceafterfire.org is a safe place where women vets can go to support each other, 24/7. More than three-quarters of the organization’s Board of Directors are veterans, while the Clinical Advisory Committee is run by women trauma experts, researchers and addiction specialists. The U.S. is currently involved in two wars, with an ever-increasing number of women veterans joining the service (currently 20% of new recruits) to add to the over 1.8M women veterans currently in the system with nearly 70% not accessing VA services. “In addition to working with the VA and their women’s programs, Grace After Fire’s Treatment Partners are gathering from across the nation and are donating treatment to help support the needs of our women veterans,” Moles said. “We cannot do this alone. It is imperative we collaborate with other programs that serve women veterans, and work together to bring wellness to our women veterans and their families.” We are not only asking for public support, but calling out to those providers that offer the urgently needed, gender responsive and trauma-informed care — providers who understand our women veterans and want to join us in this effort. To learn more about this mission and to donate to Grace, go to www.GraceAfterFire.org. SOURCE Grace After Fire MilitaryConnection.com thanks all those who serve. We extend a very special thank you to women veterans. We salute Grace Under Fire. It will be wonderful for women veterans to have this valuable resource. Women veterans will also have a community all their own. Today, it is common for wives and mothers to be in combat. When Jessica Lynch was captured, we all held our breath. Lori Piestawa., her friend and roommate, was the first woman GI killed in Iraq. Lori was a Native American. She was also a single mother and left behind two small children. Today, we are used to having women serve. We need to support them front and center. |
