Click on photo to enlarge
Blue Star mother Josie Monaghan surrounded by her all era veteran brothers and sisters.
Blue Star mother Josie Monaghan's dream of creating a veterans
resource center as well as an all era veterans peer-to-peer group which meets
and breaks bread with each other every Wednesday, with commonality, camaraderie
and mutual sharing being the empowering agenda, has become a reality in
Antioch, California: Allen L Roland
Heart
felt authenticity, commonality and camaraderie are the bedrock of veterans
rehabilitation.
As
an active duty Navy veteran, as well as the facilitator of eleven extremely
successful East Bay heart centered combat veteran transformation
workshops (which effectively utilized
peer to peer sharing, commonality and camaraderie in the self-healing process) over the past three years ~ Veterans, which
include myself, often miss the deep bonds of authentic
commonality and camaraderie that
exist between fellow veterans who have all
faced their inner and outer fears and demons in accomplishing their service to
their country.
Originally located in
a small veterans thrift shop in downtown Antioch, California the rapidly
growing non-profit community organization now includes an adjacent veterans antique
store as well as a recently leased veterans recreation center ~ which now
provides a space for workshops and the informal peer-to-peer Wednesday night
veterans dinner meetings ~ where all war era
veterans are welcomed to attend.
Josie holding forth
in her Antioch thrift shop
Josie
Monaghan is the Vet blue star angel mother
behind this working dream ~ whose vision, relentless energy and giant heart has
drawn others, such as myself, to volunteer their services to help make her East
County Veterans heart centered dream come true. See February 2013
Veterans Today article ~
Navy Veteran Jim Marchetti, Peer to Peer
spokesperson, speaks movingly about what this ongoing group means
to him ~ "East County Veterans is an organization like no other I’ve
seen to date and it rises above any experience I have had since leaving the
Navy in 1992. I stumbled across the thrift store first about a year
ago and met Josie. We’ve been great friends ever since and the camaraderie and
special connection I have with other veterans is something I get to share every
week. The fact that this is a community based, independent organization is
terrific and It alleviates all of the bureaucracy and other overhead in so many
other organizations. Having a resource center is great ~ it is a place that
is fun and safe for veterans from all eras and branches of service. I only wish
more places around the country had a person like Josie to spearhead such a
vision. The friends here are already my lifelong friends and I feel like I have
known them for decades. I love my fellow service members and am so
incredibly thankful that Josie had this vision, this dream, of providing a
place where we can truly commune with our brothers and sisters who served."
Being
real, commonality and camaraderie are the free flowing magic of this
Veteran's Peer to Peer Oasis for the spirit tucked into
the corner of L and 2nd Street in Antioch, California ~ about 100 yards away
from the Marina and the cool breezes from the Delta.
It
has certainly been proven with veterans elsewhere that heart felt peer to peer authenticity and realness fosters both commonality and camaraderie
which in turn supports self-healing from the seen and unseen ravages of war ~ see
2 minute video on
the veteran being
real game. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVvkQQC5rU0
To
many of these veterans, including myself, being real
is not a game but instead a way of life and a loving
place to come home to as 12 year Army female veteran TaiAri explains ~ " When
I got out of the Army and moved back home I did not have a job or any friends. I
felt hopeless and alone. Then one day I happened to meet someone who was
talking about the East County Veterans' Center. I got involved and met
Josie, our founder. Immediately, Josie and I had a connection and I knew I had
found my second home. I am now a key group member at the Center and I am the
Community Outreach Coordinator. I look forward to our many events, and
especially our Wednesday night peer-to-peer groups, because these
guys are my family. I finally feel that camaraderie I missed so much.
I have a connection with my guys that civilians will never be able to
understand. We share so much with each other; we participate in events
together, and this is all because of Josie. She is our mother, our rock, and
she has made this happen for us and allowed us to all come together. There
is no other place in the East Bay like our Center and I plan to be a part
of it for years to come. I couldn't imagine my life without it."
Long
time Air force Veteran Sean loves the informality of the center with its pool
table and veterans pictures hanging on the wall ~ " I feel
comfortable around the other veterans talking about fun things, hobbies,
current events and world events. What I really like is how the center
participates in local events and is an integral part of the community."
As
for myself, a five year active duty Navy veteran, I love the commonality,
mutual respect and camaraderie that exists at the peer to peer veterans
Wednesday dinner meetings. There is no agenda ~ but
instead there is a genuine affection for each other that permeates this heart
centered peer to peer group and especially toward our visionary founder and
Blue star mother Josie Monaghan, who we regard as an honorary veteran ~ for we have all enlisted in her dream.
If
you live in the East County listen to what fellow member Jeremy says ~ "The reason I joined
this particular veterans group was because I missed the camaraderie I
experienced in the military. I wanted to link up with some individuals
that had/have experienced situations similar to my own. I
was welcomed with open arms when I was introduced to this group and I’m happy I
made the decision to join this group. If you’re a veteran I encourage
you to join us and I look forward to meeting
you soon."
Josie
recently suffered the death of her brother in Chicago and when she returned to
Antioch she realized that she had gained a dozen more brothers and sisters who
lovingly welcomed her back to her family ~ that she had created.
For
more information call Jim Marchetti (925) 642-0791 or Josie Monaghan at (925)
642-7537.
There's
a difference between camaraderie and normal friendship. In friendship, the
individualism of the different people is accepted and helps the friendship; in camaraderie
the thing that brings people together is commonality: All Quiet on the
Western Front ~ where camaraderie is Remarque's main theme.
Allen
L Roland
Freelance Alternative
Press Online columnist and psychotherapist Allen L
Roland is available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private Skype consultations
(allen@allenroland.com )
Allen
L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and
lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his web log and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a
monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net
