Voices™
Helping Veterans Heal Through Art
Pamela created the Voices project to offer veterans an opportunity to showcase their art. The project, sponsored by Kent County Veterans Services, provided a platform for veterans to tell their stories of PTSD, military sexual trauma, suicide ideation, or other challenges unique to their military careers. In 2021 and 2022, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer endorsed the Voices project and its positive affect on the veteran community.
This work can be adapted to fit the needs of your military community. The ongoing work of Voices creates a culture of care, allowing the veterans to be seen, heard, and understood. Fostering connection points between veterans and the general public helps veterans reintegrate back into civilian life. The initiative’s focus on camaraderie and belonging gives participants a sense of hope and healing.
Setup day for the 2021 Voices Project at Veterans Memorial Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
For the 2022 Voices Project, veterans decorated motorcycle helmets depicting stories from their time in the military. This aerial shot captures their exhibit called “SOS: Stories of Service.”
The art and stories inspired new empathy for the veterans’ struggle with pain and loss.
For the Yellow Ribbon Project, visitors wrote nearly 30,000 messages on yellow ribbons and the Blue Star Mothers included the ribbons in care packages to deployed soldiers.
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