In a small corner space in a nondescript plaza in Freeland, there’s a lot of healing going on. It’s not a doctor’s office or a walk-in clinic. It’s the Veterans Resource Center, a nonprofit organization which aims to heal the effects of war on veterans, their families and their communities.
“We are specifically dedicated to veterans and their families, whatever the issue, no matter what,” said VRC board member John McFarland, who served four years active duty in the Army and 26 years in the Reserves. “There is no other entity like this on Whidbey Island.”
The center officially opened last September, and provides a safe, drug and alcohol-free environment for veterans of all ages. Simple, hand-painted, brown paper signs adorn doors and walls. There is a library, a room for group sessions, a large common room with workout equipment, a pool table and a computer station where veterans can come to check their email. Plans are in the works to put in a small kitchen.
McFarland said the center sees veterans of all ages, from World War II vets who are trying to determine their eligibility, to Vietnam vets, to new veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is no shortage of veterans on Whidbey Island, and the VRC wants to be of service to them all.
Invisible wounds
According to census figures from 2000, there are more than 12,000 veterans in Island County. Of those, approximately 2,000 are young veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of them are homeless, which makes the VRC a critical link to normalcy. Many carry scars not visible to the rest of the world.
“They are invisible wounds. There is no prosthetic, no scar. It’s internal,” said McFarland.
For many of these recent combat veterans, it’s difficult to return to civilian life. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affects many.
“PTSD is a nervous system injury,” said Judith Gorman, one of the VRC’s founders and co-director of the nonprofit center. “When the nervous system doesn’t get a chance to slow down and process things, it gets stuck. Emotional and psychological problems evolve from it. There are many avenues for healing to occur that mostly involves making a connection with another person.”
Gorman knows from personal experience the pain that can accompany PTSD. Her son, Orrin, was deployed to Afghanistan while in the Army. He began exhibiting signs of PTSD after coming home. The VRC evolved from Gorman’s, and her husband, Perry McClellan’s, attempts to find treatment for their son. Resources on Whidbey Island were limited. While they were able to get treatment for Orrin, he tragically took his own life just over a year ago.
That is the scenario Gorman and McClellan, as well as others involved with the VRC, don’t want to see repeated. The VRC tries to be a bridge, connecting veterans in need to vital services available through the Veterans Administration and other resources.
“The Veterans Administration is overburdened,” said Gorman. “They’re not going to be able to do their job without help from organizations like us.”
“Probably our most pressing need right now is young veterans returning with signs of PTSD,” McFarland said. “That doesn’t mean we’re not there for the 85-year-old woman who calls because her husband is having health issues and isn’t registered with the VA. But we need to be there to help these young veterans make that transition.”
The VRC helps vets of all ages and in all different circumstances. Gorman hopes the center can be used to help overcome some of the public misconceptions of veterans.
“Veteran is a word that has an image attached to it,” she said. “People think it’s just one profile, but veterans are most diverse. It is not a stereotype.”
“We should not diminish the value of a veteran. We should not put them in a box and categorize them,” McFarland said. “I spent 26 years as a city manager. Those qualities that made a good soldier were the ones I wanted in my office. I never went wrong.”
Community Action
One of the goals of the VRC, said Gorman, is to get the community involved. The agency is planning a Memorial Day event on May 30, with an open house from 1 to 5 p.m. A special tribute will be held at 3 p.m.
“We invite people to bring their own memorabilia, and let it be an example to honor loved ones who have died or are serving,” Gorman said.
But the agency, like many other nonprofits today, needs help to continue its work.
“Lots of non profits are poor right now. We’re the new one in the field,” acknowledged Gorman. “We need ongoing support, a constant revenue stream.”
The VRC is not a government agency and is not connected to the Veterans’ Administration in any way. There are nine positions on the center’s board of directors, with eight of those seats filled.
The center has drop-in hours from 2 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays and is completely staffed by volunteers. Gorman said the center needs ongoing financial support and that special someone to pull it all together.
“We need a volunteer coordinator,” Gorman said. “We do need somebody that’s the glue, that has the heart and passion to do this.”
In just a few months, the VRC has begun to make an impact. Community agencies and local churches have heard the message the VRC is trying to spread, and are looking to Gorman and the VRC to find out ways they can help.While there may be a long way to go, Gorman is pleased with the center’s progress so far.
“I think we’ve succeeded already,” she said.
VRC Memorial Day Event
Veterans, their families and their communities are invited to attend an open house at the VRC Community Activity Center in Freeland from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday, May 30. A special tribute will take place at 3 p.m. There will be a quiet memorial room where those interested may place photos, poetry, letters and mementos.
The VRC is located at 1796 Main St., #106, in Freeland. Call 360-331-8081 or go to www.vetresourcecenter.org for information.
To make a contribution to the Veterans Resource Center, go to www.vetsresourcecenter.org, or send your donation to Veterans Resource Center, P.O. Box 85, Freeland, WA 98249. Call 360-331-8081 for information.
