Claim OwnershipThe VetsConnection Podcast
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© 2026 The VetsConnection Podcast
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Join host Scott McLean, a veteran and also a passionate advocate for veterans' well-being. Each week Scott will bring you an episode that will feature insightful conversations with representatives from non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting veterans, as well as experts discussing programs within the Veterans Affairs (V.A.) aimed at assisting veterans with their needs. From discussing innovative therapies to highlighting community resources, this podcast sheds light on the myriad of ways veterans can find support and healing thru nonprofit organizations and also to connect nonprofits with each other in hopes of creating a network that will be beneficial to all.
68 Episodes
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Send a text We trace Thomas Coles-Reyes’s path from a draft-day shock and a brutal homecoming to two years on the streets, a life-saving mentor, and the creation of A Vets Place. He explains why permanent housing beats transitional models, how he built a one‑stop hub for veterans and families, and what it took to rebuild after losing everything. • core theme of dignity through permanent, affordable housing • childhood instability, institutional care, and forgiveness • homelessness in New Yor...
Send a text I talk with Natasha and Lee from Points for Patriots to explore Battle Buds, a veteran wellness program that pairs yoga with hydroponic gardening to rebuild structure, lower stress, and deliver fresh food to neighbors in need. Former NFL player Lee Hightower and Army veteran yogi Natasha Rector share how breath, plants, and community help veterans find purpose and calm. • origin of Points for Patriots and its three pillars of wellness, connectedness, social entrepreneurship • Lee...
Send a text We sit down with Marine veteran and counselor Tim Roberto to trace how pain became purpose and why Stomping Out The Stigma offers ten free, confidential therapy sessions to first responders and veterans. We follow his 100-mile Surfside walk, the moments that changed minds, and the simple systems that save lives. • origins of long-term recovery and stigma • Marines, AWOL, addiction and depression • first 20-mile walk and organic momentum • why confidentiality beats fear of HR and ...
Send a text We talk with filmmaker and actor Robert X. Golphin about Chest Candy, a 17-minute short that shows how PTSD reshapes a home and how three generations of women fight for one veteran. We explore craft choices, authentic casting, festival wins, and why community screenings matter. • origin of the story in a 30-second reel and veteran feedback • why the film focuses on family impact over battlefield scenes • research, consultants, and restraint to avoid sensationalism • casting seren...
Send a text We open the year with a candid look at veteran transition, from hard knocks to a practical roadmap that turns service into civilian success. Natalie Schibell, Navy veteran and founder of Mission to Commission, shares how a 60-page playbook, secure tools, and “always care” support veterans, spouses, and even students. • origin story in Navy medicine and recruiting • painful transition lessons and repeated resets • why “everyone hires veterans” is a myth • translating rank and bill...
Send a text We trace Haley’s path from Navy Master-at-Arms to K9 handler, through injury, loss, and COVID isolation, and into a Skillbridge placement at an equine nonprofit that helped her reframe control, connection, and purpose. Candid stories of hypervigilance, TBI questions, therapy wins, and the reality of starting over as a single mom sharpen a hopeful blueprint for transition. • choosing the Navy and MA route amid height and weight assumptions • earning the leash, certification pressu...
Send a text We trace Jalen Auer’s path from Air Force rescue pilot to South Florida program manager at The Fire Watch, and we go deep on grief, stigma, and the tools that save lives before a crisis explodes. A full-circle Huey Helicopter story sets up a candid look at transition, mental health, and community action that works. • origins in Boynton Beach and drive to serve • rescue pilot training, Huey inspiration, instructor years • duty stations, family life, and tough transition out • sudd...
Send a text We record live at Fall at the Farm, where veterans, families, and neighbors gather to celebrate HERD Foundation’s Freedom Patch program. Short conversations show how horses teach presence, why aftercare keeps people connected, and how community partners expand the work. • live fundraiser energy and purpose • overview of Freedom Patch equine-assisted services • veteran reflections on reading horse signals • skepticism turning into trust and change • Tiffany on camps, families, and...
Send a text We look at how WVRF delivers urgent financial aid and critical dental care across Florida, why 85% of veterans cannot access VA dental, and how focused partnerships turn donations into fast, visible impact. Stories like 101-year-old WWII veteran Richard Rossi’s full-mouth restoration show what dignity restored looks like. • teaching veterans storytelling and podcasting through One Man One Mic Foundation • WVRF mission focus on urgent financial aid and critical dental care • why v...
Send a text We trace John’s path from Marine combat engineer to addiction, homelessness, and back to purposeful service, detailing how brotherhood, hard choices, and real treatment rebuilt his life. We also break down gaps in VA community care and how Haven for Heroes moves fast in crises. • choosing the Marine Corps and combat engineer path • deployments to Helmand and the bond of brotherhood • surviving IED blasts and lingering concussion effects • non‑deployable status and the slide into ...
Send a text A veteran’s life arcs from a 17-year-old paratrooper in Vietnam to 18 years on New York streets, to a late-life mission rescuing fellow veterans. Raw scenes of war, failed recovery, homelessness, and hard-earned redemption shape a clear path to purpose. • early enlistment, jump school, 1962 Vietnam operations • traumatic recoveries, Saigon bombing aftermath • post-war collapse, suicide attempt, coma • marriage under strain, untreated PTSD • walking into homelessness, survival tac...
Send a text We talk with artist and musician Ariel Basso about a life in art shaped by Miami roots, Brooklyn grit, and a mother’s blindness that sparked a tactile mixed-media method. The conversation builds toward “We Are America,” a community flag made from the handprints of veterans’ families, alongside a documentary and an original song with a children’s choir. • first‑generation Cuban American upbringing and early street creativity • New York years in music and found‑object sculpture • P...
Send a text A veteran’s spark in a public restroom becomes a nationwide mission to restore independence in the most private room of the home. We unpack the tech, the funding grind, the caregiver load, and the culture shift that lets amputees lead with pride—not surrender. • mission of One Man One Mic and Art’s background • how a hand dryer led to the Tornado Body Dryer focus • expanding from veterans to amputees, ALS, Parkinson’s • partners and discounts from Toto, Delta, Mr. Electric • tub‑...
Send a text Jeremy Tindall, Marine Corps veteran and former police officer, shares the inspiring story behind Operation Mayday 13, his emerging nonprofit dedicated to supporting injured first responders through custom t-shirt fundraising campaigns. After witnessing the financial struggles facing an injured local police officer, Tindall transformed his screen printing business into a powerful platform for community support, creating personalized designs that have raised thousands of dollars fo...
Send a text Navy veteran Saja Ramos shares her powerful journey from military service to addiction recovery, now serving as VP of Military and Veteran Affairs at American Addiction Centers. After a traumatic brain injury and vision loss from a car accident in Italy, she transformed her personal struggle with opioid addiction into a mission helping other veterans find treatment and purpose. • Joined the Navy in 2008 after high school, working in Information Technology in Sicily, Italy • Suffe...
Send a text Melvin Azofeifa, founder and CEO of Stairway for Heroes, shares how a golf nonprofit is helping veterans heal through camaraderie, connection, and community. His personal journey from military transition struggles to finding purpose through golf reveals how recreational activities can combat isolation and create lifelines for veterans. • Founded Stairway for Heroes after discovering golf's therapeutic benefits during his difficult transition from 14.5 years in the Navy • Provides...
Send a text Lucas Lewis transforms his family farm into a free mountain retreat for veterans, giving them space to rest, relax, and reconnect through Project Gallantly Forward. The nonprofit offers cabins, RV hookups, and a peaceful natural setting where veterans can decompress without financial burden. • Founded by Iraq War veteran Lucas Lewis after witnessing veterans struggle with civilian transition • Named to honor the 10th Mountain Division's 171st Cavalry and their motto "Forward" • P...
Send a text Ryan Woodruff shares his journey from Marine Corps combat veteran to Program Director at ClearPath for Veterans, revealing how his own healing path led him to help fellow veterans through comprehensive support programs. • Established in 2011, ClearPath for Veterans offers multiple services including their flagship service dog program for veterans with PTSD and TBI • Veterans often carry constant stress that doesn't ebb and flow like civilians, creating unique challenges in transi...
Send a text When Navy veteran Evan Graver's motorcycle collided with a semi-truck in 2001, his life changed forever. The accident left him a T10 paraplegic, abruptly ending his military career just months before 9/11 and forcing him to rebuild his identity from the ground up. Yet two decades later, Evan has transformed this devastating injury into a launchpad for an extraordinary life of purpose and service. In this raw, honest conversation, Evan takes us through his journey from enlistment ...
Send a text What happens when the guns fall silent? When a director embarks on a journey to understand his brothers' experiences in war, he discovers a story far more complex than he anticipated—one that spans 15 years and follows the profound transformation of men who went from young soldiers to veterans finding their way home. In "Brothers After War," documentary filmmaker Jake Rademacher reconnects with his two brothers and ten other veterans he embedded with during the Iraq War. The film...
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