BAKERSFIELD, CA - A group of local veterans is coming together through art -- to recognize women who served in the military. They say the female veteran is often overlooked.
The committee formed about a year ago, in an effort to reach female veterans in our community. This Saturday, the group is inviting women to come share their story of service through an art project.
Women Veterans Advisory Committee member Jeannine Waits said, "We're going to decorate our combat boot in a way that reflects how we each have viewed our own military journey and how that's maybe impacted our civilian lives."
"Walk a Mile in My Boots" is a creative workshop for female veterans.
Committee member Jenny Frank said, "Well I served four years in the Marine Corps. I served from 1989 to 1993, during Desert Storm."
"I was in the Air Force. I'm actually a third generation Air Force," said Waits.
Committee chair Deborah Johnson said, "I joined the military, the Wisconsin National Guard when I was a senior in high school."
Each woman has a different story, but they all face similar challenges.
"When we leave the military, we take on completely different roles than our male counterparts do when they leave. We become mother, we become wives, we go into the workforce and so those different roles that we take on kind of tend to bury what we did in the military, as far as our own personal identity," said Waits.
The California Veterans Assistance Foundation's Women Veterans Advisory Committee aims to locate females who were in the military and honor them for their service.
Johnson said, "It is a part of who we are and we need to be proud of it and let people know."
The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates there are almost 185,000 female vets in California. So far, the local committee has identified 135 in our area.
"Kern County, being such a large veteran population, that we do have a lot of women veterans out there and there are a lot that haven't been reached yet and just don't know that there are those services out there for them," said Frank.
The group hopes events like "Walk a Mile in My Boots" will help get the word out to more local women.
Waits said, "We want to be able to gather with other women veterans and talk and share the stories and share the memories, share the experience and share the recovery."
The event is Saturday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Mercy Art and Spirituality Center downtown. It's free, but registration is required. To register call 632-5747 and leave a message with your name and phone number.
The combat boots will be provided. Organizers say veterans are encouraged to bring patches, tags or anything to personalize the boots. They also say art experience isn't necessary.
To register, click on the link below.
http://www.mercybakersfield.org/PATIENTS_AND_VISITORS/ART_FOR_HEALING/INDEX.HTM
The committee formed about a year ago, in an effort to reach female veterans in our community. This Saturday, the group is inviting women to come share their story of service through an art project.
Women Veterans Advisory Committee member Jeannine Waits said, "We're going to decorate our combat boot in a way that reflects how we each have viewed our own military journey and how that's maybe impacted our civilian lives."
"Walk a Mile in My Boots" is a creative workshop for female veterans.
Committee member Jenny Frank said, "Well I served four years in the Marine Corps. I served from 1989 to 1993, during Desert Storm."
"I was in the Air Force. I'm actually a third generation Air Force," said Waits.
Committee chair Deborah Johnson said, "I joined the military, the Wisconsin National Guard when I was a senior in high school."
Each woman has a different story, but they all face similar challenges.
"When we leave the military, we take on completely different roles than our male counterparts do when they leave. We become mother, we become wives, we go into the workforce and so those different roles that we take on kind of tend to bury what we did in the military, as far as our own personal identity," said Waits.
The California Veterans Assistance Foundation's Women Veterans Advisory Committee aims to locate females who were in the military and honor them for their service.
Johnson said, "It is a part of who we are and we need to be proud of it and let people know."
The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates there are almost 185,000 female vets in California. So far, the local committee has identified 135 in our area.
"Kern County, being such a large veteran population, that we do have a lot of women veterans out there and there are a lot that haven't been reached yet and just don't know that there are those services out there for them," said Frank.
The group hopes events like "Walk a Mile in My Boots" will help get the word out to more local women.
Waits said, "We want to be able to gather with other women veterans and talk and share the stories and share the memories, share the experience and share the recovery."
The event is Saturday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Mercy Art and Spirituality Center downtown. It's free, but registration is required. To register call 632-5747 and leave a message with your name and phone number.
The combat boots will be provided. Organizers say veterans are encouraged to bring patches, tags or anything to personalize the boots. They also say art experience isn't necessary.
To register, click on the link below.
http://www.mercybakersfield.org/PATIENTS_AND_VISITORS/ART_FOR_HEALING/INDEX.HTM