Sometimes the heaviest battles our veterans fight are the quiet ones fought alone, long after the uniform comes off. Operation: Veteran Connect community volunteer Bernie knows that story all too well.
In the late ’80s, she was stationed in Panama, surrounded by danger, cut off from family and friends, and carrying the weight of trauma that followed her long after her service ended. Life moved on, she started a business, remarried, built a family, but the isolation stuck like a shadow. Little by little, her world grew smaller until even reaching out felt impossible.
That began to change the day she crossed paths with an AmeriCorps member serving through Operation: Veteran Connect. For four years, they gently encouraged her to join. At first she said no, she didn’t believe she had the skills or the confidence to be part of something bigger than herself. But eventually, she took the leap, signing up for one year of service.
What she found was more than volunteer hours, it was purpose. Friendships pulled her out of isolation, new skills gave her confidence, and serving others lit a spark she thought she’d lost for good. Through the Veterans Art for Healing program, she discovered a passion for art that helped her and other veterans process the wounds of the past. Today, one of her paintings hangs proudly in the VA, a symbol of courage, healing, and hope.
Now after completing her second year of service, she’s training to become a certified instructor in therapeutic art, ready to help even more veterans find the healing she’s discovered. This is what Operation: Veteran Connect is all about, helping veterans rebuild confidence, find community, and discover purpose again. And you can be part of it.
Sign up to volunteer today and help us write more stories of hope and healing for the veterans who’ve given so much for all of us. Email OVC@SeniorsInService.org or click the button to learn how you can get involved today.