Our Blog
Conscientious Objectors in Today’s Military
On June 8, 2021, we hosted a panel discussion with five amazing individuals. The recording is available below. Our GI Rights Hotline Counselors led a discussion with these five service members about the experiences that led them to apply for discharge as conscientious...
The Quaker House Peace Race!
We want to race to peace, and we invite you to join us virtually! The last week of October, design your own 5K or 100 yard run/dash/walk and run it in your location. We would love it if you include place(s) that speak to you of peace and/or social justice (peace for...
Conscientious Objectors’ Panel
Every month, Quaker House takes approximately 300 calls on the GI Rights Hotline from people having issues with military membership. These callers want help and information. Some seek discharge from the military because their consciences will not allow them to fight...
“Raise the Next Generation Gently”
National Guard staging in Fayetteville, NC, in anticipation of protests after murder of George Floyd. Recently a young soldier called us from Ft. Benning, Georgia. Like many, he contracted the coronavirus during his first couple of weeks in basic training and was sent...
Deep Roots of Complex Trauma
Joanna being interviewed by Reuters reporter about what we were seeing among service members with sudden deployments. Reporter was wearing a coat because we had to replace our furnace this year, too. We are very lucky in that despite the COVID-19 outbreak, clients...
Hope and Sustaining Power
What gives us hope? This has been a tough time. As I write this, the presidential election in the United States has not officially come to a conclusion and the nine-day interval since Election Day has felt like a month, at least. COVID cases are beginning their...
A Most Extraordinary Reunion
An extraordinary event took place in Fayetteville, NC, on September 21, 2019. Fifty years of history were relived through the live recollections of past Quaker House directors, counselors, board members, and people whose lives were touched by Quaker House. People...
No Judgment Here
There’s a popular gym-chain that has many locations across the nation (they just opened a second one in Fayetteville) that has the tag line “Judgement Free Zone.” I have actually been to that gym, and the one I visited was true to their statement. People of all...
The Other Veterans
Federal law defines a “veteran” as anyone who served on active duty and was not discharged or released dishonorably. A good many of the veterans who call the GI Rights Hotline on any given day aren’t the ones you probably heard appreciated on Veterans’ Day. Here’s a...