Serving the Ozarks: The Warrior's Journey

Yahoo

31-01-2025

Springfield is the headquarters for a worldwide non-profit with a mission of healing the invisible wounds that often impact the men and women who serve our country.
For this week's Serving the Ozarks, we're highlighting The Warrior's Journey.
The efforts by local people have proved to lower veteran suicide rates, the organization provides resources to active duty troops both here in the Ozarks and around the world.
Founded ten years ago, The Warrior's Journey is using camaraderie to help people and their families navigate life through years of service to our country.
Through surveys, the non-profit found veterans and active duty members were not just struggling with PTSD.
'Number one issue isolation that followed by things like moral injury, identity issues,' says Co-Founder Kevin Weaver. 'We didn't want to be afraid to cover whatever it is that that person needed to find complete what we would call healing.'
All services are completely free for clients.
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Since 2016, the organization has facilitated more than 3,200 direct suicide interventions—1,200 of those in the last year alone.
'There isn't 48 hours that goes by that we're not touching every single client that we serve,' adds Weaver.
Those struggling are immediately paired with a 'Warrior Connector,' a military member with similar experience, volunteering their time to listen and relate.
'Come alongside the people that call us for help. They don't need to have the answers for them. They just need to be able to be an ear to sit and listen to them and say, I've been in your shoes. I know what it's like. I know some of the difficulties you're going through,' explains Brad Lewis, Director of Warrior Connections.
Lewis served as a Chaplain in the Army for 25 years before retiring and joining The Warrior's Journey mission.
The organization also puts a focus on navigating civilian life.
Weaver says, individuals often leave active duty and feel as though they only know how to do one job.
'Many people just don't see the connection,' he says.
Veteran Blake Leitch worked at the VA after serving.
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'I was told, you can't if you get out, you're not going to amount to anything. You can't do anything on the outside. I was infantry. My job was to pull the trigger. And that, you know, that gets to you.'
Now working for The Warrior's Journey, he can create relationships instead of just filing paperwork.
'We help them understand that you have value and will help you find purpose,' Leitch says.
'Usually when they're leaving, they're not just submitting a claim, but we're helping them with other life issues that were discovered through that process.'
The organization spans worldwide. There are The Warrior's Journey facilities in Germany that are helping hundreds of troops every day. It also just opened a center in Japan.
In the U.S., there are both sites in Wichita, Kansas and Pensacola, Florida.
The expansion is happening here in Springfield too.
A new space on the backside of their building on North Glenstone will soon be a classroom, offering workshops on combat recovery, financial literacy, and more. The space will also serve as an extension campus of Evangel for veterans taking classes on their GI Bill.
If you know of someone who could benefit from their services, or a veteran willing to volunteer, visit their website: thewarriorsjourney.org.
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