NORFOLK, Va. — Army veteran Desh Nendze saw firsthand the mental health issues service members face. She watched fellow soldiers struggle with deployments, staying connected to friends and marriages dissolving — including her own.
"I'd never had anybody in my family who was in the military. I didn't know what was going on. I didn't know the signs," she said.
She didn't know the signs of PTSD; her husband had been silently suffering for years.
After her divorce, she set out on a mission to help others. She earned her Ph.D. in mental health counseling and started the nonprofit Forward March.
"Helping with relationships — helping that family unit," she said. "I want to help them and give them some tools. If they need a higher level of care, I refer them."
She is a member of the American Legion, where she teaches classes on mental wellness.
She says one underserved population she sees is military fathers whose spouses are deployed.
She also reaches the military community at OV Church in Norfolk, where she holds mental-wellness classes for service members.
"It's really awesome that someone came into our space who already had the heart and the credentials and was willing. We didn't have to ask her; she came to us and said, 'I want to do this,'" Pastor Jordan Brown said.
He says the need is large — at least half of his congregation are current or former service members.
"When their spouse is on deployment, they need people — a community that can surround them and make sure there are resources, that they're supported and loved," he said.
Forward March helps military service members in our neighborhoods feel loved and supported. Founder Desh Nendze is 'Positively Hampton Roads.'
If you'd like to donate to Forward March: https://www.forward-march-inc.org/
