The Veteran READS Program

The Veteran READS Program We use story: literature, myth, and lived experience, as a bridge between service and civilian life. The Veteran R.E.A.D.S. Program.

It's why our motto is: Stories are Strongholds & Strategies for the Mind's Frontlines. Program Overview:

Transitioning from military service to civilian life can present significant challenges for veterans, including mental health issues, social integration difficulties, and general well-being concerns. Program leverages the power of narrative and storytelling to address these challenges, foste

ring resilience, education, advocacy, dialogue, and service— the “READS” in the Veteran R.E.A.D.S. By engaging veterans in storytelling and bibliotherapy, the VRP provides a supportive community and opportunities for veterans, including student veterans, to share their experiences, access resources, and combat issues such as PTSD, depression, suicidal ideation, and social isolation. The Power of Story:

Stories guide humanity through difficult times, acting as innovative tools for addressing fundamental issues. They function as social glue, allowing people to practice essential social skills and better understand themselves and the world. Storytelling aids in meaning-making, personal growth, and learning, with personal life narratives significantly influencing behavior, relationships, and mental health. For veterans, storytelling is transformative, offering a means to process and articulate their experiences, fostering emotional release and community connection. It helps them reconstruct their identities, integrating military experiences into civilian life, promoting healing, resilience, and improved mental health. By reflecting on their narratives, veterans can gain insights, recognize strengths, and envision a future beyond their service, aiding in their post-military adjustment and well-being. Research & Evidence-Based Practices:

~“Veterans identified telling their stories to others as an effective way to cope with war memories (Esaki, et. Al, 2020).

~ “Making meaning of scenes in a book may present a less threatening way to practice engaging with difficult topics and finding ways to construct meaning from it” (Hamm & Leonhardt, 2023).

~ “Just as bootcamp integrates service members into the military, a similarly immersive experience is needed to integrate them back into civilian life, and this applies to all veterans (MITRE Co., 2019).

~ “In coming to terms with the mind of another, you can come to better discover your own mind, both its strengths and its weaknesses. To read your own mind, you must learn how to do second-order thinking: how to think about your thinking while you are thinking from outside your thinking. But how do you get outside your thinking? Read… The better you understand someone else’s logic, the better you understand your own” (Elder and Paul, 2004).

~“High levels of distress exist among veterans who are caught between military and civilian cultures, feeling alienated from family and friends, and experiencing a crisis of identity. Narrative is identified as a means of resolution” (Demers, 2011).

🇺🇸 Veteran R.E.A.D.S. is coming back to Cameron!Veterans, first responders, family members, and community partners are i...
08/21/2026

🇺🇸 Veteran R.E.A.D.S. is coming back to Cameron!

Veterans, first responders, family members, and community partners are invited to join us for our next Veteran R.E.A.D.S. Program gathering at The Creative Cafe in Cameron.

📅 Tuesday, August 25
⏰ 5:00–6:30 p.m.
📍 Creative Cafe Cameron: 107 E. 3rd St., Cameron, MO

The program is FREE and open to all military and first-responder communities.

This month, we'll be exploring selections from Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried and using his work as a starting point for a larger conversation about the things we carry with us, both literally and figuratively.

And we're asking you to bring a "thing" of your own.

Bring an object that has some meaning to you and that you're willing to show the group. It might be something connected to your service, your family, a particular place or time in your life, a person you remember, or simply an everyday object with a story behind it. You decide what to bring and how much of its story you want to share.

You don't need to have read "The Things They Carried" beforehand, and there's no homework or preparation required.

Veteran R.E.A.D.S. (Resilience, Education, Advocacy, Dialogue, and Service) uses literature, myth, and lived experience to build community, bolster resilience, and bridge service and civilian life.

A huge thank you to the Cameron Public Library and The Creative Cafe for helping us bring these conversations to the Cameron community.

Please share this with a veteran, first responder, family member, or organization that might be interested. And don't forget to bring your "thing." We can't wait to hear the stories behind what you carry.

Stories are Strongholds & Strategies for the Mind’s Frontlines.

This September, our VRP community encourages everyone to take time to remember.From September 9–14, the Vietnam Travelin...
08/05/2026

This September, our VRP community encourages everyone to take time to remember.

From September 9–14, the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall will be in Excelsior Springs Missouri at Piburn Field, offering veterans, families, and community members an opportunity to reflect, honor, and remember those who served and sacrificed.

In addition to the Wall, the Excelsior Springs Museum & Archives is hosting "Not Forgotten: Local Stories of the Vietnam War Era," a companion exhibit sharing the stories of local Vietnam veterans and the communities they called home. Together, these experiences remind us that every name represents a story, every story represents a life, and every life continues to shape the communities we build today.

At the VRP, we often say that stories are more than memories—they are bridges between generations. They help us understand sacrifice, preserve history, and ensure that those who served are never forgotten.

If you're able, consider making the trip to Excelsior Springs and spending some time with the Wall and the exhibit. Bring a veteran. Bring your family. Listen. Reflect. Remember.

📍 Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall
Piburn Field, Excelsior Springs, Missouri

📅 September 9–14, 2026

"The stories we preserve today become the strength we pass on tomorrow."

Tonight at Veteran R.E.A.D.S.: Mapping the Places That Made UsSome places become more than locations; they become part o...
07/06/2026

Tonight at Veteran R.E.A.D.S.: Mapping the Places That Made Us

Some places become more than locations; they become part of who we are: A hometown. A deployment. A front porch. A classroom. A battlefield. A fishing hole. A hospital room. A bridge we crossed, or one we never did.

Tonight, we'll explore a simple but powerful question: What are the places that made you?

Through conversation, reflection, Wendell Berry's "The Sycamore," and a personal mapping activity, we'll discover that the most important places aren't just where we've been; they're the places that continue to live within us, shaping our identity, purpose, and resilience.

Come join us tonight:
📍 Habitat for Humanity's Hiram Young School
501 N. Dodgion St., Independence, MO
🕔 5:00–6:30 PM
🇺🇸 FREE for all veterans, active-duty military, first responders, and their families & support communities.

📚 Come share your story.
🧭 Reflect on the places that shaped your life.
🤝 Connect with others who understand.

See you there.

In Greek mythology, Perseus could not face Medusa directly; one look would turn him to stone. Instead, he looked into th...
06/29/2026

In Greek mythology, Perseus could not face Medusa directly; one look would turn him to stone. Instead, he looked into the polished shield of Athena, using reflection to approach what would otherwise destroy him.

Veteran R.E.A.D.S. is built on the same wisdom.

Stories become our shield. Through literature, reflection, and dialogue, we can examine grief, trauma, loss, and moral injury from an angle that makes understanding possible. Reflection doesn’t weaken us; it gives us the courage to face what once seemed impossible.

Sometimes the safest way to confront our Medusas is not head-on, but through the wisdom of reflection.

The shield doesn’t hide the truth. It gives us a way to see it.

Tonight in Cameron at the Creative Cafe Cameron! 🇺🇸📚The Veteran R.E.A.D.S. Program returns to Cameron this evening for a...
06/23/2026

Tonight in Cameron at the Creative Cafe Cameron! 🇺🇸📚

The Veteran R.E.A.D.S. Program returns to Cameron this evening for another opportunity to connect through stories, conversation, and shared experience. Whether you're a veteran, active-duty service member, first responder, family member, or supporter, you're welcome to join us as we explore how stories can help us make sense of service, sacrifice, resilience, and life beyond the uniform.

📍 The Creative Café
107 E. 3rd Street, Cameron, MO
🗓 Tuesday, June 23
⏰ 5:00–6:30 PM

Tonight's reading will focus on selections from "What It's Like to Go to War" by Karl Marlantes, a highly decorated Marine Corps veteran of Vietnam. Through his personal experiences, Marlantes examines the psychological impact of combat, the moral and ethical challenges faced by service members, the bonds of camaraderie formed in war, and the often difficult journey of returning home. Our discussion will explore themes of resilience, meaning, healing, and reintegration.

As always, no preparation is required. Just bring your experiences, your curiosity, and a willingness to engage in thoughtful conversation.

Because stories are strongholds and strategies for the mind's front lines.

06/21/2026
🇺🇸 Not every veteran experiences the Fourth of July the same way.For some, fireworks are a celebration. For others, they...
06/17/2026

🇺🇸 Not every veteran experiences the Fourth of July the same way.

For some, fireworks are a celebration. For others, they can trigger anxiety, hypervigilance, or difficult memories. That’s why we appreciate efforts like the Hutchinson, Kansas salt mine’s annual Fourth of July refuge for veterans seeking a quieter place to spend the holiday.

At the VRP, we believe resilience isn’t about “toughing it out.” It’s about knowing what you need, finding healthy ways to care for yourself, and connecting with people who understand.

However you spend the upcoming holiday, remember: your well-being matters, your service matters, and your story matters.

650 feet underground, in the Strataca salt mine, veterans can escape the sound of fireworks for free.

Address

501 N. Dodgion Street
Independence, MO
64014

Opening Hours

Monday 5pm - 6:30pm

Telephone

+18165055966

Website

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