Women Veterans Day: Helping Veterans Heal Through Regrowth
By Kelly Foster, Manatee County Neighborhood Services Marketing & Outreach Specialist
Manatee County is home to approximately 4,000 female Veterans, most of whom continue to serve our community in one way or another. June 12, Women Veterans Day, is an opportunity to share some of their amazing accomplishments.
One such Veteran is Camille Van Sant, a Navy Veteran who has made a big impact on the lives of other Veterans, in particular, those who have suffered from PTSD. Van Sant is Director at Operation Eco Vets, a certified-organic farm on a quarter of an acre that is shared with Easterseals’ Southwest Florida Happiness House (Sarasota). It was developed in response to environmental concerns about how far our food is trucked and to provide a place for Veterans to volunteer to try to heal from psychological wounds they have encountered as a result of their military experience.
On the farm, Veterans can learn how to grow and partake in a variety of events held throughout the year (September to June). For most military Veterans, their transition to civilian life often lacks a big missing piece: camaraderie. Eco Vets gives local Veterans an opportunity to heal and regain a sense of purpose.
Van Sant became involved with Eco Vets when it was Green Path Farm (an initiative of the Florida Veterans for Common Sense) six years ago. After enjoying a lucrative job in the private sector for 20 years, made possible by training she received in the Navy, and having witnessed the injured coming back from Iraq, Van Sant felt she owed something.
“It just struck me that here I had this ‘sweet duty’ and I still haven’t served so I wanted to reach out, and when I moved here, I got the opportunity because I met the guys from Florida Common Sense,” said Van Sant.
Having received a degree in horticulture before entering the Navy and relaunching her farming career, Van Sant was able to soon expand the program and hire three full-time staff members and 15 volunteers. The team grows and harvests about 50 pounds of produce a week which is used to feed the approximately 80 preschoolers at Easterseals’ Lilly School. Included on the farm is a regenerative Food Forest and the Healing Sensory garden. Eco Vets also hosts several events throughout the year (mainly September through June) for Veterans and their family and friends.
“It’s a gentle way of helping them heal. It brings them together. We share a farm meal together, and that helps a lot for their camaraderie, their buddy system, that they don’t have anymore. And doing all that is encompassing, helping them,” said Van Sant.
Van Sant also tries to teach her team members how they could run their own gardening business as a potential job alternative that would allow them more flexibility.
“Many of these Vets have disabilities and need more flexibility in their work hours because especially with PTSD they have chronic insomnia. So it’s hard for them to get to work on time because they’ve been up all night. So we try to work with that, where other employers aren’t going to do that. I really think that they could be in business for themselves and they’d have that flexibility to schedule when they’re feeling well,” said Van Sant.
Often, Van Sant pairs Veterans together, and when possible, a Vietnam Veteran with an Iraqi Veteran so they can try to help each other. She explains that Veterans might not be willing to try to seek therapy for themselves as individuals, but they are usually willing to help another solider, which in turn, ends up helping each other.
“That’s kind of how Veterans are. They want to take care of the needy and the underdog. So it was a good fit,” said Van Sant.
One Eco Vets full-time employee, Leonard, who spent nearly 10 years in the Army, said Eco Vets has had a very positive impact on his life.
“I think the biggest thing I’ve come to love about this place is it creates a sense of camaraderie. Since I’ve been here, my personality, who I am as a person has changed drastically . . . I feel this place has given me a sense of purpose, and once I had that sense of purpose, I felt like all the other stuff that was going on in my life didn’t have any meaning anymore, and so now I spend most of my time here and with family,” said Leonard.
Lee Washington, Veterans Services Officer here at Manatee County, said Operation Eco Vets is a good example of an organization that has successfully aided our community’s service members as they return home and acclimate to civilian life.
“Although some may seek out more intensive medical and mental health care, many look for ways to get out and about with nature for healing. We applaud Camille and her team for their compassion shown to our Veterans, their families and our community and look forward to all the great things they have planned for the future of the program,” said Washington.
Operation Eco Vets is located at 350 Braden Avenue, Sarasota 34243, and is open every Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM. Admission price for special events is free for Veterans, and Non-Veterans are charged $10. To find out more about Operation Eco Vets, go to operationecovets.org, email admin@operationecovets.org, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @operationecovets
More about Women Veterans Day
First celebrated in 2018, Women Veterans Day marked the 70th anniversary of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, signed into law by President Truman, enabling women to serve as permanent, regular members of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. Women now make up 20% of new recruits, 16% of personnel serving on active duty, and 19% of the National Guard and reserve forces. Although the day is not nationally recognized, some states and counties have signed proclamations marking its observance.*
For more stories about some of our local female Veterans, go to bit.ly/ManateeWomenVeterans
June is National PTSD Awareness Month
If you are a Veteran or know of a Veteran who may be suffering, connect with the Veterans Crisis Line to reach caring, qualified responders with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Many of them are Veterans themselves. Call 1–800–273–8255 and Press 1, go to https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/chat to chat or text 838255 All calls/chats are confidential and available 24/7 and serve all Veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserves and their family members and friends.
Manatee County Veterans Services Team is here to help
If you are a Veteran or spouse/family member of a Veteran and need help navigating your VA benefits or have a related need, Manatee County’s Veterans Services office is here to help. Call 941–745–3795 to speak with one of our counselors. For more information about our Veterans Services team, please go to mymanatee.org/Veterans
*Source: https://www.military.com/benefits/june-12-women-veterans-day.htm
