New Farm Will Cultivate A Future For Veterans And American
The S.A.V.E. Farm will offer veterans a year-long training and residency, where they can learn the business of farming and have access to holistic care, along with their families.
Veterans Coming Home
Veterans Coming Home is an innovative cross-platform public media campaign exploring “what works” for veterans as they return to civilian life — exploring the challenges, and sharing the success stories of veterans who are making a difference in the workplace, on campus, and in their communities. This fall, Kansas City PBS and stations across the country are sharing stories about what organizations, programs and approaches are making a difference in the lives of veterans.Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and led by Wisconsin Public Television, Veterans Coming Home builds on public media’s strengths to address the needs of veterans in local communities. KCPT participated in the Veterans Coming Home initiative in 2016 and created local stories and hosted events focused on bridging the military-civilian divide. Check out some of the stories below.
Prose, Poetry and PTSD
Between the pages of Veterans’ Voices magazine, veterans find expression, community and healing. The magazine has published the prose, poetry and art of veterans across the United States for 66 years.
KC Veterans Embark on 'Tiny' Mission
A group of Kansas City veterans are combating homelessness among fellow veterans with tiny houses. The Veterans Community Project plans to place 45 to 50 tiny houses on several acres in south Kansas City.
The Pen is Mightier...
“We’ve all got mud on our boots, or worse,” is the way H.C. Palmer describes the low-key group of veterans who meet once a month at the KC Public Library to sharpen their writing skills. As these men and women hone their literary craft, they also grapple with the kinds of issues that often confront those who’ve returned from military service.
'Moral Injury' Emerges As New Combat Wound
Military mental health professionals have begun to recognize that despondent and suicidal veterans might be suffering from guilt brought on by combat experiences that contradict their religious beliefs or the sense of right and wrong. The Moral Injury Association of America is a new nonprofit in Kansas City working to bring more attention to the condition.
Student Veterans Continue Service Through Mentorship
Donny Whitton tried going back to school several times after he left the military. Now as the veteran services assistant at Johnson County Community College, Whitton helps fellow veterans at JCCC's Veteran and Military Student Resource Center. He says the center's success comes from being part of the national program PAVE (Peer Advisors for Veteran Education).
A Higher Purpose: KC Veteran Opens Rock Climbing Gym
When Andrew Potter left the Army in 2014 he began a journey to take his passion for rock climbing and adventure and build a state-of-the-art rock climbing gym. That several-year journey became RoKC, which opened in April as a a community space serving a higher purpose.
Veteran Voices | Veterans Coming Home | KCPT
Kansas City veterans share how their service has impacted them and their hopes for the community.
Kansas City Veterans By the Numbers
The Kansas City metro area is home to approximately 152,000 veterans. As part of the Veterans Coming Home initiative we look KC veteran population by age and conflict.
A Place of Their Own for Homeless Veterans
From details like haircuts to major changes like a permanent residence, St. Michael's of Kansas City works to combat homelessness among area veterans. But they have to want to be helped, they say.
This story is part of KCPT's project Veterans Coming Home, an innovative cross-platform public media campaign that bridges America’s military-civilian divide by telling stories, challenging
Theatre Company Casts Veterans in a New Light
Self-proclaimed theatre nerd Amanda Cherry found her voice and purpose on the stage at an early age. After her experiences as an EMT, firefighter and a medic in the Army National Guard, Cherry founded a theatre company dedicated to serving her fellow first-responders and veterans.
KC Marine on a Mission to restore Vietnam Memorial Fountain
Michael Focke is a Marine, who served in the Iraq War. Now he spends his days connecting fellow veterans to transition services in Kansas City. One day after talking with local Vietnam veterans he decided to visit the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Fountain. He found trash and a need for major repairs. After regular community clean-up events, Focke is on a mission to raise the money necessary to
Project Healing Waters
Project Healing Waters in Kansas City, MO serves veterans through a unique form of therapy. Ranging from those who served in Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, Project Healing Waters brings veterans together to tie flies, wade into cool streams and find fellowship along the way.
Disabled Veteran Battles the VA and Wins
Seth Cavin, managing principal of Spur Design, is a disabled vet from the Midwest who made nationwide change in the bidding process for VA contracts.