The City of Malibu has a long history of celebrating, honoring, remembering and thanking the men and women who have served to protect our country in the armed forces.
On Veterans Day this Friday, Nov. 11, the tradition continues with the city’s 17th annual public ceremony to acknowledge all who have served. The event will take place at Legacy Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is sponsored by the City of Malibu, the Chamber of Commerce, Hughes Research Laboratories, Pepperdine University and the Kiwanis Club of Malibu.
The Kiwanis Club also has a growing history of giving money to veterans’ organizations, especially to help those in need. Recently, the Malibu chapter gave $20,000 to local nonprofit Save A Warrior. The organization — with a flagship location in Malibu — helps veterans who are struggling with post-traumatic stress and suicidal ideation.
According to Save A Warrior, there is a suicide epidemic among veterans, with 22 war vets lost each day. That’s one person lost nearly every hour and 8,000 each year. It is Save A Warrior’s mission to reach those on the brink before it is too late.
“It’s such a wonderful thing that they do,” Sid Dinow of Malibu Kiwanis said. “They save men’s lives and enrich men’s lives so they know they are not alone. Save A Warrior doesn’t get government grants, so we are going to do a lot more.”
Save A Warrior, not to be confused with Wounded Warrior, is a program that addresses the deeply troubling psychological toll war can have on a warrior’s psyche. The staggering rate of suicide dwarfs war deaths sustained in both Afghanistan and Iraq, where a total of 6,740 American soldiers lost their lives from 2000-16.
Instead of talk therapy, Save A Warrior uses a specialized program. The nonprofit calls its method “a novel approach to healing, one that is intensely communal in nature, transforming the lives of those who feel deeply and desperately alone.”
In the hills of Malibu, Save A Warrior serves active duty military, veterans and first responders who are experiencing psychological trauma. Small groups of roughly 15 people spend a week participating in what the organization calls its “war detox” program. In a camp setting, participants use team-building exercises, including ropes courses, equine therapy and meditation, on the road to recovery. Save A Warrior also uses story telling, rituals, ceremony and story listening to identify and resolve the source of psychic pain.
Save A Warrior was started by Ronald “Jake” Clark who is not only a U.S. Army veteran, but has also been a Los Angeles police officer, Secret Service agent and worked for the F.B.I. While in the MBA program at Pepperdine University, he interrupted his studies to create Save A Warrior to reintegrate veterans into life back home and help battle post traumatic stress suicide. The program is free to warriors and claims participants return with hope restored.
The Kiwanis Club of Malibu is also committing to other veterans’ groups, including the Gary Sinise Foundation, which provides counseling, but mainly builds specially adapted smart homes for America’s severely wounded veterans. Kiwanis has also given track chairs to severely wounded vets in need. The $15,000 chairs are specialized wheelchairs that are essentially mini tanks that can operate on all terrain including sand and steep inclines. John Paola of Malibu Kiwanis said the veteran who just received a track chair from the Malibu club waited 12 years for his specialized chair. Paola said the vet and his family were extremely grateful.
“Of the three veterans’ organizations that we Kiwanis give to, none is more important than the other. I wish there were more organizations we could give to, but these are the three that have come to us for donations,” Paola said.
“By next September, we should be able to — well, we will — make commitments to these three veterans’ groups and we will have them on stage and present them with checks,” Paola continued. “We do very well at the chili cook-off, thanks to the people of Malibu that show up for that. They’re very good about it. They helped us a lot.”
In total, 2016 proceeds from the Malibu Kiwanis Club Chili Cook-Off totaled $140,000. More than 100 charities, many local, will receive donations.
Dinow explained he is also working on a fundraiser for Save A Warrior to be held Feb. 16 at Casa Escobar, with more details coming soon.
For more information on Save A Warrior, visit saveawarrior.org.