ResilienceMN   /     Gary Melom - the essence of recovery is the human spirit

Description

"Your first 6 months in the service you're basically learning to forget who you are. Which makes it that much harder when you come back, when you've seen some bad stuff and you don't know what to do about it and the you don't even have yourself anymore. You're something else. So, that's where dealing with PTSD is so crucial, because it opens a door to get yourself back." Gary Melom Gary Melom is a retired Hennepin County social worker/case manager and chemical dependency counselor. He is a Vietnam veteran and the vice president of the Veteran Resilience Project board of directors. Gary is known for his ability to generate trusted relationships with his clients by listening to them, not categorizing them, and letting the facts of their life be the impetus for healing. Carl Sandberg - The People, Yes Telling Stories of Strong Women Landmark Center celebrates World Storytelling Day, March 22 SAINT PAUL, Minn. (Feb. 1, 2016)–Seven women will each tell the story of a strong woman in history, in honor of World Storytelling Day. “Strong Women Telling Stories of Strong Women” is March 22 at 7 p.m. in Landmark Center’s F.K. Weyerhaeuser Auditorium. Every year, since 2003, World Storytelling Day events take place on or around March 20 in more than 25 countries around the world. Each year a global theme complements the principal concept behind WSD, "If I can hear your story, it's harder for me to hate you.” “This year’s global theme is ‘Strong Women and Heroines,’” said Larry Johnson, storyteller, WSD coordinator, and medic during the War in Vietnam. “This year, we especially like that World Storytelling Day is in March, as the March 22nd event will also commemorate Women's History Month.” Storytelling is often thought of as fairytales, fables, and oral history, but it is also commonly used to foster peace and understanding, community building, healing, and in advocacy work. A collection of peacemaking, veterans’, and women’s groups—Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers, Women Veterans Initiative, Veteran Resilience Project, ERA Movement, Women's Congress for Future Generation and Future First MN, and Coming Home Collaborative—will be sharing their work at Landmark Center’s WSD event with information tables at 6 p.m. Storytellers: Peggy Flanagan - Director of Children's Defense Fund; State Rep District 46A Catrina Huynh-Weiss - Writer/Producer/Performing Artist; Immigrant after 1975 Fall of Saigon Rose McGee - Storyteller/Author/Social Justice Activist; Creator of Sweet Potato Comfort Pie Initiative Renee Weeks-Wynne - Storyteller/Augsburg student; Kawase Fellow at 2015 Hiroshima Peace Inst. Judy Brooks - Landmark Center Director of Community Programming Elaine Wynne - Storyteller/Therapist/Activist; Veteran Resilience Project Founder Chante Wolf - Persian Gulf Veteran for Peace; Writer/Artist/Activist with Women Veterans Initiative In addition to the seven storytellers, the program will recognize the three high school winners of the Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers’ Peace Essay contest, each one a “strong” young woman in her own right. “Strong Women Telling Stories of Strong Women” is co-presented by Landmark Center, Veteran Resilience Project, Women Veterans Initiative, Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers, ERA Minnesota, and Women's Congress for Future Generation and Future First MN. A suggested donation of $10 supports Veteran Resilience Project, a nonprofit, founded by storyteller Elaine Wynne, that brings EMDR trauma therapy to Minnesota veterans, women and men. Please RSVP for tickets to Larry Johnson, 612-747-3904, or larryjvfp@gmail.com. Visit www.resilienceMN.org for more information about how the Veteran Resilience Project is preparing to reach every veteran in Minnesota that could use a powerful resilience training therapy to transform past memories into future growth. Send feedback and nominations for show guests/interviewees to podcast@resiliencemn.org Call 612-88-VRP-38 or 612-888-7738 to leave a voice message to be considered for future broadcast on the show. Please help us reach the widest possible audience by sharing the show with your loved ones. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you for helping us to fulfill our promise to those we send to fight wars on our behalf. This community gets stronger and more resilient with every veteran that we reach. Each one find one. We do that and we will succeed. Paul Riedner ResilienceMN Host/Producer podcast@resilienceMN.org www.resilienceMN.org

Summary

"Your first 6 months in the service you're basically learning to forget who you are. Which makes it that much harder when you come back, when you've seen some bad stuff and you don't know what to do about it and the you don't even have yourself anymore. You're something else. So, that's where dealing with PTSD is so crucial, because it opens a door to get yourself back." Gary Melom Gary Melom is a retired Hennepin County social worker/case manager and chemical dependency counselor. He is a Vietnam veteran and the vice president of the Veteran Resilience Project board of directors. Gary is known for his ability to generate trusted relationships with his clients by listening to them, not categorizing them, and letting the facts of their life be the impetus for healing. Carl Sandberg - The People, Yes Telling Stories of Strong Women Landmark Center celebrates World Storytelling Day, March 22 SAINT PAUL, Minn. (Feb. 1, 2016)–Seven women will each tell the story of a strong woman in history, in honor of World Storytelling Day. “Strong Women Telling Stories of Strong Women” is March 22 at 7 p.m. in Landmark Center’s F.K. Weyerhaeuser Auditorium. Every year, since 2003, World Storytelling Day events take place on or around March 20 in more than 25 countries around the world. Each year a global theme complements the principal concept behind WSD, "If I can hear your story, it's harder for me to hate you.” “This year’s global theme is ‘Strong Women and Heroines,’” said Larry Johnson, storyteller, WSD coordinator, and medic during the War in Vietnam. “This year, we especially like that World Storytelling Day is in March, as the March 22nd event will also commemorate Women's History Month.” Storytelling is often thought of as fairytales, fables, and oral history, but it is also commonly used to foster peace and understanding, community building, healing, and in advocacy work. A collection of peacemaking, veterans’, and women’s groups—Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers, Women Veterans Initiative, Veteran Resilience Project, ERA Movement, Women's Congress for Future Generation and Future First MN, and Coming Home Collaborative—will be sharing their work at Landmark Center’s WSD event with information tables at 6 p.m. Storytellers: Peggy Flanagan - Director of Children's Defense Fund; State Rep District 46A Catrina Huynh-Weiss - Writer/Producer/Performing Artist; Immigrant after 1975 Fall of Saigon Rose McGee - Storyteller/Author/Social Justice Activist; Creator of Sweet Potato Comfort Pie Initiative Renee Weeks-Wynne - Storyteller/Augsburg student; Kawase Fellow at 2015 Hiroshima Peace Inst. Judy Brooks - Landmark Center Director of Community Programming Elaine Wynne - Storyteller/Therapist/Activist; Veteran Resilience Project Founder Chante Wolf - Persian Gulf Veteran for Peace; Writer/Artist/Activist with Women Veterans Initiative In addition to the seven storytellers, the program will recognize the three high school winners of the Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers’ Peace Essay contest, each one a “strong” young woman in her own right. “Strong Women Telling Stories of Strong Women” is co-presented by Landmark Center, Veteran Resilience Project, Women Veterans Initiative, Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers, ERA Minnesota, and Women's Congress for Future Generation and Future First MN. A suggested donation of $10 supports Veteran Resilience Project, a nonprofit, founded by storyteller Elaine Wynne, that brings EMDR trauma therapy to Minnesota veterans, women and men. Please RSVP for tickets to Larry Johnson, 612-747-3904, or larryjvfp@gmail.com. Visit www.resilienceMN.org for more information about how the Veteran Resilience Project is preparing to reach every veteran in Minnesota that could use a powerful resilience training therapy to transform past memories into future growth. Send feedback and nominations for show guests/interviewees to podcast@resiliencemn.org Call...