JWV speaker Mike Wold, Institute for Healing of Memories Volunteer Coordinator, conducts workshops for Arizona veterans and their families, which provide healing to those suffering from painful memories of the past. In 2019 Mike was inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame for his volunteer work with veterans.
Nancy Stutman
Jewish War Veterans Copper State Post 619 welcomes Michael Wold, Volunteer Arizona Regional Coordinator for the Institute for Healing of Memories. The Navy veteran will speak on Sunday, Oct. 19, at the JWV meeting in the Oakwood clubhouse ballroom, 24218 S. Oakwood Blvd., Sun Lakes, at 10 a.m. Complimentary lox, bagels, donuts, and coffee will be served at 9:30 a.m.
Wold will detail the many successes Healing of Memories workshops have had in helping male and female veterans deal with the emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds they received from their military experiences. Many veterans have kept these traumas buried deep inside themselves, which led to a barrier in their healing. As they tell their stories and listen to others, they realize that they share a common human bond and are all wounded in some way by past experiences.
The workshop, free to veterans and caregivers, has been conducted 39 times since 2013 for more than 450 veterans in Arizona. Workshop participants include men and women veterans from the Korean, Vietnam, First Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan Wars. Ages of the veterans have ranged from 22 to 91.
Workshops take place at an overnight location, beginning on a Friday evening through Sunday, with a welcome dinner where participants are introduced to the workshop concept and have an opportunity to meet each other. Future time is dedicated to storytelling and sharing their personal experiences in small, facilitated groups, with an emphasis on safety, respect, and confidentiality. Activities are designed to help the veteran release painful experiences and to celebrate the future.
Mike loves to talk about workshop successes. “A woman veteran came up to me after the workshop and said that she had been isolating herself in a trailer home for two years, even having had her food delivered.” She explained how the workshop was life changing. Three weeks after completing the program, she enrolled in culinary school and now is a successful chef.
A disabled First Gulf War veteran who had spent 20 years “divorcing, drinking and blowing up in anger” said that the Healing of Memories workshop changed his life. “He not only healed, but now is one of our best workshop facilitators,” proudly boasts Mike.
Others have offered compliments on the program:
“I learned the technique of purging old memories of negative experiences, resulting in the ability to grow the good in my heart, mind, and soul.”
“I waited 24 years to tell this story.”
“I was empowered to view life as positive; to move ahead and not let the past overpower me.”
“I realized how deeply the deaths of fellow veterans in combat have affected me.”
JWV Post 619, which meets on the third Sunday of every month from September through June, boasts members who represent a wide range of religious affiliations and participates in philanthropic activities to help veterans of all faiths. To learn more about JWV activities and membership, contact Arthur Uram at 702-884-4175 or uramarthur@gmail.com.