This Is My Brave Seeks Veteran Storytellers for Upcoming Virtual Show
Marlon Deleon
Program Coordinator
marlondeleon@thisismybrave.org
(574) 302-2333
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 06/22/23
LEESBURG, VA: This Is My Brave announces a call for Veteran storytellers by extending an open invitation to members of the Veteran community who want to share a story for the November 2023 virtual production of This Is My Brave – Stories from the Veteran Community, Vol. 2. This call is open to all Veterans or any individual who is associated with Veterans – partners, children, parents – to be a storyteller or help with show production.
In 2020, approximately 5.2 million Veterans experienced a behavioral health condition, and more than half of Veterans with a mental illness did not receive treatment within the past year. Additionally, more than 90 percent of those experiencing a substance use disorder did not receive treatment, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
This Is My Brave recognizes not every service member goes into combat, and not every service member in combat goes to the featured combat zone, yet all service members face challenges that may be difficult to overcome. The trauma caused by events experienced outside of combat, or even duty, and any enlistment or commission in the United States Armed Forces involves a level of risk that is not seen by most civilians. All Veterans, regardless of their experience, deserve to be heard.
“We are proud to announce our second annual virtual show dedicated to stories from the Veteran community,” says Erin Gallagher, Executive Director of This Is My Brave. “We have wanted to offer our platform to Veterans for a very long time and so we are thrilled to establish the Veterans show as an annual event. Our Veterans deserve the spotlight to share their stories of hope to inspire others and raise awareness about the Veteran experience.”
Interested individuals are invited to schedule a 15-minute Zoom call with This Is My Brave Program Coordinator, Marlon Deleon. If you have any questions, please email Marlon at marlondeleon@thisismybrave.org.
This Is My Brave – Stories from the Veteran Community is scheduled to premiere virtually on Thursday, November 9, 2023.
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About This Is My Brave
This Is My Brave debuted its first-ever live show in May 2014 in Arlington, VA, at the Spectrum Theatre to a sold-out crowd of nearly 400. Over the past eight years, the nonprofit organization has hosted 82 performances across the United States and Australia. This Is My Brave has been featured in The Washington Post, O, The Oprah Magazine, Stage-Directions Magazine, and the TODAY Show’s Mind Matters with Carson Daly. Visit thisismybrave.org to learn more.
Resources
If you or someone you know needs help, reach out 24/7 to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting 988 or using chat services at suicidepreventionlifeline.org to connect to a trained crisis counselor.
You can also get crisis text support via the Crisis Text Line by texting STORY to 741741.
For additional help, please visit our resource page.