Nonprofit organizations and their efforts help strengthen ties within a community, and when those organizations work together, it serves to benefit the community even more.

President of V.F.W. District 5 Auxiliary, Joan Murphy, says that nonprofits throughout the community are working together to serve local veterans and the community as a whole.

“These organizations complement one another. They work well together,” she said.

Organizations like the V.F.W. and active volunteers like Wil Russoul have been working toward creating an environment for veterans in which they feel comfortable, cared for and understood.

“If you served, you deserve,” Russoul said in summarizing his long list of reasons for playing such an active role in serving veterans.

One event that works towards the collective goals shared by the V.F.W. and Russoul are organized stand downs for veterans. Available at these events for veterans are a variety of resources like mobile dental care, showers, haircuts and donated clothes. Murphy also called to attention Northwest Battle Buddies, a program she is involved with that, at no cost to veterans, supplies veterans suffering from PTSD with dogs adopted from the pound and retrained as service animals.

“It’s a win-win for the dog, it’s a win-win for the vets,” she said.

Both Murphy and Russoul said that while taking care of veterans in the here and now is vital, it is also important to help returning veterans get re-accustomed to civilian life and the challenges, like finding a job and progressing their education, that come with that transition.

Russoul says that GI Bill funding for education has in the past covered up to 50 percent of the education for veterans, and that utilizing this tool is a great way for veterans to not only further their education, but to set their families up for success in the future.

“From that point on, the families really change,” Russoul said, bringing attention to the fact that utilizing the GI Bill can have a positive impact on veterans’ families for years to come.

In addition to veterans benefiting from the GI Bill, Murphy highlighted V.F.W. service officers who are equipped to help veterans with paperwork or with relations with the VA. Russoul explained that if there is anyone who wants to help, but isn’t sure how, they should volunteer to help with paperwork.

For some veterans, Russoul notes, getting plugged back into civilian life can be especially difficult because they are living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a disease that he and Murphy both want to educate the community on further. Along with PTSD, Russoul says some veterans may feel a bit out of touch when it comes to civilian work compared to the work they have been doing for the military.

He describes it as “Superman/Clark Kent syndrome.”

“There are issues and it’s crazy, and you’re trying to help people and it’s frantic and you’re living in that battle rhythm that just pushes you way up — you are superman. Then, you come home, go right back to your job, answer your phone look at your paperwork, look at your email — it is meaningless, none of its worth your time anymore because you’re becoming Clark Kent again,” Russoul said.

On top of work that may seem meaningless, Russoul says matters aren’t helped by veterans feeling like they have nobody to relate to.

“Clark Kent has no one to talk to. Clark Kent doesn’t say ‘I was just in this situation with a dirty bomb,’ these are stories you don’t want to share with your neighbors,” he said.

This mentality, according to Russoul and Murphy, can lead to veterans feeling isolated.

“My dad came home and sat in his room until he died at fifty-something,” Murphy said, explaining what can happen when veterans don’t have an appropriate outlet to share, or not share, their experiences.

The District 5 Auxiliary is working closely with Wil Russoul and Stone Soup, a program that allows local musicians to display their skills.

“You wouldn’t think rock n’ roll and the V.F.W. would go together, but they really do,” Murphy said.

Reaching out to the veterans is a primary goal of the collaborative efforts of the Auxiliary and Russoul’s projects, but along with that comes the added goal of making sure the families of veterans have an outlet to share or just come together and enjoy the fellowship of other families in similar situations.

“When you bring music in, you appeal to a younger generation,” Murphy continued, noting the importance of including the entirety of a veteran’s family when developing a nurturing community that supports veterans and their families.

Murphy and Russoul both noted that while non-profits can do a lot, input from individual citizens is vital if those efforts are to take hold within the community.

“When you give yourself and your time, when you’re selfless, you can sleep well knowing you’ve done something good,” Murphy said, with Russoul adding that it is going “above and beyond” to help others.

Murphy and Russoul agree that when it comes to serving the veterans of the community, there are more important things than getting paid for your time. In fact, they both believe that the rewards are far greater when volunteering solely for the sake of helping the community.

“Everybody can do something, even if it’s stuffing envelopes or maintaining a Facebook page,” Murphy said.

People don’t have to be professionals within organizations to make a difference by volunteering, all anyone needs to do is put forth the effort.