Our Path

          Veterans Tell Their Story of Coming Back After Their Service to Our Country

OUR PATH, a documentary by John Rizzo and Joanne Morrison, tells the personal stories of three veterans after returning to this country from deployment and an art therapist who works closely with veterans.  This project was funded by an Arts Alive Grant received from ArtsWestchester and the NYS Council on the Arts.
 
When we first started developing this project, we knew that we wanted to feature veterans. While there are  many challenges that returning veterans face, we also knew there are many stories of strength, courage, recovery and inspiration. On this front,  we would like to introduce you to four very exceptional people. Each person left their comfort zone to speak with us. They spoke because they wanted to talk, to tell their story, and they figured it was worth the risk.

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​Meet Teddy. He shows us his world and explains what it was like for him after he returned from service in the U.S. Marine Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He spent many years in isolation after his service. He is now part of a peer program that helps vets on a range of services.

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​Meet MarieAnn. She was awarded a Purple Heart after sustaining serious injuries during her service in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. She is now a full-time student and says after years of struggling with her injuries, she now feels human again. 
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​Meet Ron, he is a talented artist who says his work is his voice. Art helped him as he struggled after his time in the U.S. Army Infantry during Desert Storm. Ron, now a high school art teacher, is co-creator of a program that brings students and veterans together.  

​​Meet Laura. She is an art therapist and runs a program that helps veterans. She discusses how art is something that helps veterans open up about their experiences.

This project was funded by an Arts Alive Grant received from  

​Arts Alive Project Grants are made possible with funds from the Decentralizaton Program (DEC), a regrant program of the new York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature, and administered by ArtsWestchester