Veterans to hear about post-traumatic stress and mindfulness training Nov. 26

The Delaware Veterans Coalition will meet at 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 26, at FOP Lodge No. 3 in Dover.

Speaker Sam Beard will talk about a program called GIFT that focuses on using untapped powers of the mind to overcome physical and emotional pain, post-traumatic stress, addiction and other challenges through mindfulness and focused meditation. Beard created programs supported by eight U.S. presidents from Nixon to Obama, and was a co-founder of the Jefferson Awards.

The nonprofit GIFT is leading a national initiative to use mindfulness and meditation to transform the lives of 100,000 veterans and active-duty military suffering from PTS and war trauma in the next five to eight years.

GIFT is committed to starting a national movement to continue to support troops once they come home. “The movement began in Elsmere, Delaware, when we partnered with Dr. Jenna Tedesco, who has trained more than 1,500 veterans with PTS using Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction systems. Her exceptional work has transformed the lives of many veterans and their families,” said Beard.

The goal is to work with Delaware’s veterans organizations to create an outreach and marketing effort to help identify 1,250 Delaware veterans and active-duty military members with PTS and war trauma, and create a sustaining system that transforms their lives. The Delaware model will then be used across America.

Meetings are open to all veterans regardless of coalition membership. For more information, go to www.DelawarareVeteransCoalition.com or call 302-697-8483.

FOP Lodge No. 3 is at 1184 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover.