Tori Douglass went in the service after high school for the same reason many young people do: to create opportunities and make their life better. Douglass enlisted in the Marine Corp and after basic training was assigned to the Fleet MALS 11 ( an aviation logistics squadron) and FMFA 232 (a marine fighter attack squadron). In 2011 she was deployed to Kandahar, Afganistan for eight months as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Upon her return she moved to Grant County in order to be closer to family and transitioned into the Marine Reserves. That’s when things got really hard. “The transition from being in the service to being a civilian is so much more difficult than people realize it is. It’s its own shell shock. There is such little support it makes it hard for veterans to reach out or even look [for assistance] because there’s so little things to find,” Douglass said.
Thanks to new friends and family, and some lucky introductions, Douglass has been able to find a new foundation as a civilian and a way to move forward.
For many, however, that is not the case. “If veterans don’t get these services, and these are topics that people don’t like to talk about, survivors guilt and loneliness is real and suicide is a real problem in the [veteran] community. A lot of times veterans are 1,000s of miles from home, attached to a spouse or their last post and they don’t or can’t go home and when the system lets you go, that’s it. There are several homeless veterans in Grant County,” Douglass said. She has lost several friends from her days in the Marines to depression and loneliness.
Thankfully for Grant County’s veterans, Douglass is not willing to let that be the norm. “We did this thing and now we’re here and we shouldn’t be bouncing along. And when we come out of the haze,” someone should be “standing there ready to lend a hand to help people,” she said. Her plan is to make a central hub in Grant County where veterans can get the services they need, including mental, medical, housing, clothing, community, etc.
She is already working with several groups, including the Grant County Veteran’s Advisory Board (VAB), the local Vet Corps Navigator, the Sand Scorpions, and several individuals, many who are veterans and many who are not, who want to serve those who have sacrificed their lives in service.
Douglass said they have providers, including doctors, psychologists, etc., who are willing to volunteer their time, but they are still looking for a physical location to house the project. The requirements for the space include private areas for counselling, etc.
Douglass is only getting started – she hopes to officially join the VAB in the near future, and continues to spread her message to other groups she’s involved in, including Young Professionals of the Columbia Basin and Moses Lake Rotary.
If you want to support Douglass’ work and her mission to support veterans in our region, please contact her at tori1swartz@gmail.com.
