Dan Van Buskirk, a Vietnam Veteran, has always been passionate about helping Vets. While Dan was taking guitar lessons from Patrick Nettesheim, he began to recognize a significant improvement with his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. That is when the idea was born. Together they started Guitars For Vets (G4V), an organization that enhances the lives of ailing and injured Vets by providing them with free guitars and music instruction.
The first classes started at the VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, WI in 2007, with the intent that self-expression through music would help restore the feelings of joy and purpose that can be lost after suffering trauma. G4V is expanding to other VA Medical Centers, with program requests coming in from across America. There are currently 50 requests from VA Medical centers for chapters. G4V is only able to expand as funding allows. Your support of this mission will bring joy and peace to many.
Guitars For Vets (G4V) provides six free private lessons and a new acoustic guitar to military Veterans at VA medical and community based Vet centers. All veterans are referred by the VA medical team in order to integrate the Guitars For Vets program into their treatment regimen. The private lessons are taught by volunteer instructors and are then followed by group sessions that provide a forum for the veterans to talk and play music with like minded individuals, many of whom have had the same experiences, emotions and traumas. The music sessions provide a communal atmosphere. This has proven to be a catalyst that helps the Vets continue on their road to recovery and well being.
Upon graduation, each Vet in the program is presented a guitar, gig bag, strap, tuner, method book, stand and a certificate of completion. The testimonials throughout the website capture what it has meant to some of the Vets participating in the program. Check it out!
Get Involved:
Donate to Guitars for Vets.
(Monetary donations or used guitar donations - donated guitars are either used as practice guitars or sold in order to raise funds for the program. Unrepairable guitars are turned into visual art through the G4V's Art Strings program and sold at events.)
Shop the G4V online store.
Find One Way Every Day on Facebook.
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Source: http://www.guitars4vets.org
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