Vets-focused nonprofit gets $25G grant to expand services for veterans, their families
Army veteran Jeffrey McQueen understands the struggle veterans and their families face when adjusting to civilian life. Haunting memories of war drove him to misuse drugs and alcohol after he left the military.
Now, McQueen has been sober for nearly 21 years and leads the Mental Health Association of Nassau County, a nonprofit also home to the Veterans Health Alliance of Long Island in Hempstead, a conglomerate of organizations that helps veterans. The organization recently received a $25,000 grant from the Long Island Community Foundation in Melville to expand its offerings for families of veterans, whose need for support shouldn’t be forgotten, said McQueen, 59, of East Rockaway.
“Wellness is not just with the individual,” he said.
The military inspires tight-knit camaraderie, but leaving the service and the relationships forged there can feel insurmountable for some veterans as they grapple with the return to civilian life, some of them told Newsday. And they aren’t alone in their struggle. Their families face an adjustment period too, which can sometimes be overlooked, spouses said.
When Ken Liu, 38, of East Rockaway, left the Army in 2010 after serving for four years, including a tour in Iraq, he said he floundered while struggling with the death of a fellow soldier. His wife, Shanita, 37, said she was unsure how to guide her then-fiance through the turmoil.
“I was just learning about what it means to be a veteran and a spouse,” Shanita Liu said. “I realized maybe we needed mental health support, but I didn’t know what it looked like.”
The pair’s desire for support was met around 2014 through a couple’s retreat hosted by the alliance. For the first time, the Lius were surrounded by others who understood their struggles. The retreat opened the door for the couple to discover community support. Today, they’re still involved with the alliance through support groups.
Ken Liu called the retreat “very powerful” and said it armed him with the ability to discuss his friend’s death.
“I think it’s important for veterans and their spouses to seek assistance, seek help, by community groups like this to really help them to adjust to civilian life and cope with issues that couples may have because of service in the military,” he said.
The alliance has grounded Delmar Green, 61, of Baldwin, and her husband, Michael, who was deployed to Iraq twice as a Marine during the Persian Gulf War and later through the Army Reserves. When he returned, Green noticed a change in her husband, whose temper flared.
The Greens both attend support groups and have found comfort among others facing similar circumstances. The investment in veteran families is needed, Green said, and long overdue, adding that her father was a Vietnam War veteran and she witnessed how his service impacted their family. With four daughters, Green wanted to ensure the challenges their family faced were adequately addressed.
“I didn’t want to survive, I wanted to live, and I didn’t want my husband to survive, I wanted him to live,” Green said. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it without the programs. I would’ve been out here trying to figure it out alone.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misspelled the last name of Ken and Shanita Liu.
Army veteran Jeffrey McQueen understands the struggle veterans and their families face when adjusting to civilian life. Haunting memories of war drove him to misuse drugs and alcohol after he left the military.
Now, McQueen has been sober for nearly 21 years and leads the Mental Health Association of Nassau County, a nonprofit also home to the Veterans Health Alliance of Long Island in Hempstead, a conglomerate of organizations that helps veterans. The organization recently received a $25,000 grant from the Long Island Community Foundation in Melville to expand its offerings for families of veterans, whose need for support shouldn’t be forgotten, said McQueen, 59, of East Rockaway.
“Wellness is not just with the individual,” he said.
The military inspires tight-knit camaraderie, but leaving the service and the relationships forged there can feel insurmountable for some veterans as they grapple with the return to civilian life, some of them told Newsday. And they aren’t alone in their struggle. Their families face an adjustment period too, which can sometimes be overlooked, spouses said.
When Ken Liu, 38, of East Rockaway, left the Army in 2010 after serving for four years, including a tour in Iraq, he said he floundered while struggling with the death of a fellow soldier. His wife, Shanita, 37, said she was unsure how to guide her then-fiance through the turmoil.
“I was just learning about what it means to be a veteran and a spouse,” Shanita Liu said. “I realized maybe we needed mental health support, but I didn’t know what it looked like.”
The pair’s desire for support was met around 2014 through a couple’s retreat hosted by the alliance. For the first time, the Lius were surrounded by others who understood their struggles. The retreat opened the door for the couple to discover community support. Today, they’re still involved with the alliance through support groups.
Ken Liu called the retreat “very powerful” and said it armed him with the ability to discuss his friend’s death.
“I think it’s important for veterans and their spouses to seek assistance, seek help, by community groups like this to really help them to adjust to civilian life and cope with issues that couples may have because of service in the military,” he said.
The alliance has grounded Delmar Green, 61, of Baldwin, and her husband, Michael, who was deployed to Iraq twice as a Marine during the Persian Gulf War and later through the Army Reserves. When he returned, Green noticed a change in her husband, whose temper flared.
The Greens both attend support groups and have found comfort among others facing similar circumstances. The investment in veteran families is needed, Green said, and long overdue, adding that her father was a Vietnam War veteran and she witnessed how his service impacted their family. With four daughters, Green wanted to ensure the challenges their family faced were adequately addressed.
“I didn’t want to survive, I wanted to live, and I didn’t want my husband to survive, I wanted him to live,” Green said. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it without the programs. I would’ve been out here trying to figure it out alone.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misspelled the last name of Ken and Shanita Liu.
Helping hands
- The Mental Health Association of Nassau County received a $25,000 grant to expand its services for women veterans and the families of former service members.
- The association is home to the Veterans Health Alliance of Long Island.
- Family members said support is needed for them, too, as their loved one adjusts to civilian life.
Brinley Hineman covers the Town of Hempstead and the City of Long Beach for Newsday. She previously was a reporter in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a West Virginia native.
Year-round tick season for LI ... Commack housing development ... Bethpage Air Show ... Isles game 3
Year-round tick season for LI ... Commack housing development ... Bethpage Air Show ... Isles game 3
