“I WANT TO BUILD FAMILIES AGAIN!”
A PERSONAL STATEMENT FROM DARLENE GLEASON:
PRESIDENT OF EMPOWERING WARRIORS
“I launched Empowering Warriors.org because of my
desire to build families again. So many military families
have been separated whether it is through deployment,
injury or health problems. When our service people are
away it breaks up the core family. When the veteran comes
home with catastrophic injuries I want them to actually
BE home- to recuperate WITH their families instead of
being isolated in a VA Hospital. I want to break the cycle
of being disconnected and “connect” the healing process
by reuniting families to support the convalescing veteran.
My husband and I believed the family was the very core
of our being. We lived the military and corporate life and
understood the dynamics of both worlds. We developed
a passion for our wounded veterans and wanted to give
back and pay it forward by developing a program to
unite families again. For proper and accelerated healing a
veteran NEEDS their family by their side. They have seen
enough separation through their service and we wanted
to create a program that would provide a safe and loving
facility for them to heal and recuperate while receiving
that special love only their families could provide. As the
veteran heals and prepares for transition into permanent
housing, they will learn to grow their own food products
through Aquaponics and will develop a healthy Organic
diet and lifestyle. This program will provide our warriors
a healing process with their families as well as providing
an opportunity to make money to help support their
families through a self-sufficient “Green” program that is
both healthy and monetarily self-sustaining. This is a total
healing experience for our veterans and their families.”
“Having lived the military life, both my husband
and I intimately experienced the challenges of
separation. Mike was the love of my life; and through
this program I will be honoring the greatest man I
have ever known. We shared the same p assion for our
veterans and were absolutely attached at the hip! We
were also Real Estate investors and saw a great need for
this type of program. We felt if we didn’t do this, then
who would? The private sector had to step up and do it
so we are…and I am carrying on in his memory. Since
I lost my husband I want desperately to honor him.
He served his country with great honor and integrity.
He loved his family and he loved his country. Creating
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Empowering Warriors.org is my gift to Mike- to honor his
desire to help our veterans… it is a labor of love for me.”
“Our program will provide an intermediate facility where
veterans can reside near their families, as they convalesce
in between surgeries. They will have a place for healing and
will not be alone in a VA hospital; they will be WITH their
families. We will build Green houses with Aquaponics
technology that will provide a healthy cathartic process
for our veterans. They need to know someone is there for
them, they need to know we care. When they are ready
to transition out of our temporary facility, they will move
to a safe and comfortable home. Our first home will be in
Hempstead Texas. We chose this community because it is
extremely veteran friendly and close enough to Houston
to provide emergency care if needed for the veteran; and
because we have forged such a special relationship with
Travis Winfree, our Realtor and a WWII veteran who has