Blythewood Nonprofits and Charities

After spending 5 years in Law Enforcement I was diagnosed with PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, and Panic Attacks. I spent years in law enforcement hiding my symptoms and moving from department to department trying to keep the house of cards from crashing down. In November of 2018 I was 2 months into serving at a new department and couldn't hide the symptoms anymore. I was having a panic attack every shift. I told my command staff about my diagnosis' and was found "unfit for duty", put on two months of unpaid leave before ultimately being "relieved of duty" <br> <br>While I was on leave I was able to access resources through SCLEA to try and help me but as soon as I was relieved of duty and no longer an "active LEO" all those resources were no longer available. I spent the next two years working jobs trying to make ends meet while also trying to pay for my own counseling, and treatment. In October of 2020 I was in the darkest point of my life. I was having multiple panic attacks a day which then just compounded into depression and was out of work on disability. I felt like a diminished version of who I used to be and believed that there was nothing good in my future. I found out about the Big Red Barn Retreat Warrior PATHH Program and reluctantly signed up. I had tried everything and nothing had helped. I was able to attend the first Warrior PATHH program in October of 2020 and the Program changed the trajectory of my life. <br> <br>I spent 7 days with four strangers who became my brothers and was able to finally understand what was going on with me. I was able to remove the mask I had been wearing for years and share openly the struggles I was dealing with and through that process I found there there was immense strength that could be harnessed because of the challenges I had faced and was facing. I learned that there was nothing "wrong" with me and that my training and experiences were what caused me to have what society sees as "symptoms". I was exactly the person I was supposed to because of my training and the experiences that I had. I had just lost sight of that and I accepted the labels and diagnosis' I received as my identity. <br> <br>After returning from the retreat my counselor told me he didn't think I needed to see him anymore. I went from having daily panic attacks to going 8 months straight without a panic attack at all. Even when i get a panic attack today it is no where near what they used to be and are less and less frequent the longer I practice the wellness practices I learned at the retreat. The medication I took for panic attacks and anxiety went from lasting 1 month to 5 months. <br> <br>After completing the program I knew I had to get involved. There is nothing like this out there for First Responders. SCLEA, EAP, and Post Critical Incident Seminars, therapy, and counseling do not come close to providing the amount of help that I received in just 7 days at Warrior PATHH. A year after completing the program I quit my Job and returned to the Big Red Barn to begin teaching the program as a PATHH Guide because of the impact that it had on me. <br> <br>If you are struggling as a first responder whether you are active, have retired, or have left, or been let go like I was I would STRONGLY encourage you to attend the Warrior PATHH Program. You will not regret it! Come learn how to turn the struggles you face today into strength that will guide you through your future.

My Inspiration for Giving<br><br>My inspiration for giving began in 2011 when my daughter, Teaira turned 16. Teaira was a very smart girl, but had very low self-esteem, had a hard time making friends, and was very unsure about her future. My husband and I discussed the problem and decided that a mentor or a youth program would be helpful to her. We were surprised to find out that most mentoring programs were income contingent, were very expensive, or automatically disqualified our daughter because she didn&rsquo;t live in a single parent home. I started talking with other mothers and women in my community and realized that they were having the same problem. The non-profit organizations in our area did not support or focus on the needs of middle income families. This inspired me to create an organization that would support everyone in our community based on need and not income.<br><br>Fast forward to 2012, my inspiration to help children in need led to the formation of Women of Distinction Network. This organization is comprised of 13 ladies, who work together to mentor young girls, empower other women, and assist people in need within our local community. In 2013, we were able to mentor our first group of young ladies and offer two, $500.00 scholarships. Since then, we have started offering brand new laptop computers as part of our scholarship program. This strategy allow us to mentor young girls and women for college and meet a need that is based solely on an essay and a desire to attend college. It warms my heart to see a young woman smile, because of our desire to support her college journey and to motivate her. <br><br>Every time that I have the opportunity to mentor a young girl, encourage another woman, or give out a laptop, I am once again inspired by my daughter, Teaira. Her life completely changed when her Youth Pastor became her mentor. Her self-esteem improved and she was excited about attending college and making new friends. I pray that I have the same impact on the girls I mentor and that they become successful women who give back to another woman and their community. I also pray that Women of Distinction Network will continue to make a difference in the lives of individuals in our community through mentoring, motivating and uplifiting.