G.I. Josie, Inc., is a non-profit corporation dedicated to saving and improving the lives of women veterans and their children by supplying affordable housing in a ranch setting and offering animal interaction as well as other non-clinical therapies in order for them to mitigate as well as eradicate the suffering and suicides which arise from the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Military Sexual Trauma incurred as a result of their service in the United States Military. The serenity of our proposed location along with access to our non-clinical therapy programs in addition to VA supplied clinical therapy and case management will allow our veterans the place and time to heal and become productive members of society.
Description
GIJosie was formed in 2014 after learning that Military Sexual Trauma is a real and prolific epidemic and women who are victimized have few options where they can turn to heal. As stated in the mission statement, our goal is to provide our women veterans and their children a safe, secure and serene environment in which they can live and heal from their inflicted traumas. Until the ranch is ready for residents, GI Josie provides programs throughout Monterey County such as The Equine Project, The Blue Water Project, Write On!, Healing with Laughter, Don't Do Doormat, A Touch of Light, a Drum Circle and Master Your Thrive. Programs on the horizon are Laughter Yoga, Mosaic Madness, Turbo Kick Boxing and Meditation for the Inner Child. To eliminate a financial roadblock to healing, all of our programs are offered free of charge. Additionally, our programs are now offered to active duty women and military spouses who have suffered abuse. Further, the children of our program participants are welcome to join their mother in their healing journey, as they are not left untouched by the trauma and need healing of their own. Josie has recently received a donation of land for our stables in Aromas as well as 6 rescue horses which will serve our veterans in our Equine Project, the first one being a beautiful Draft horse named Hank. We are currently in an expansion stage which will allow us to bring to our participants more programs that will allow each to step away from their traumas and find peace.
