As I near the end of my semester in my Specialized Reporting
for the TV and Web course, I realize how far I have come since the beginning of
that first class. I remember sitting in that chair thinking to myself how hard
it would be to get through a class reporting on a topic I know virtually
nothing about. Contrary to my beliefs, I can finally say I have
reached the end of the course I was somewhat dreading and have come a significant way. Reflecting on everything
I have accomplished has led me to believe I can do anything I put my mind to. I
learned a lot of valuable information about veteran affairs that I had no clue
about before and met a lot of nice individuals along the way. Throughout the
course, we had to come up with three story ideas from Salisbury's veteran community and
execute them in a timely fashion. Here are two of the stories I did and the
outlook I had after completing them:
Veterans & Meals on Wheels
This was the very first topic I decided to tackle for my
story assignment. We as a class were required to define a specific problem veterans as a whole face. I’ve always had a passion for food, so I wanted to try and find a
topic that specifically dealt with vterans in this. While doing research, I found
came across the Meals on Wheels Association of America and how they deliver meals to seniors
who are either too old to cook for themselves or are disabled. I ended up finding alocal station here in Salisbury to visit for my story. They informed me that a
lot of veterans utilize their services, but they could be left starving because
of federal budget cuts known as the sequester. After finding out this
information, I thought it would be important to meet some of these seniors face-to-face. I ended up having the opportunity to ride with a Meals on Wheels driver, Wayne Earp, as he
delivered meals to about 30 seniors. It was truly an eye opening experience to
see struggling veterans in need of a meal as well as a gracious human being
delivering meals to them. I ultimately walked away with a sense of gratitude
for this organization and their work as well as a hope for a bright future for
the program.
Veteran Disabilities – Voiceless Piece
Salisbury has a huge veteran community, which I was very
unaware of. Almost anywhere you go in the city, everyone seems to either know a
Veteran personally or are knowledgeable about an issue they face. Even though
this population is huge, there are still some issues that get swept under the
rug and aren’t brought to public attention. Some of these include sexual assault in the military and even children of veterans. The issue I decided to
tackle was disabled veterans. We hear a lot about parties or get-togethers of
veterans returning home after war, but it’ rare to hear the issues they face
afterward. It’s been a struggle for a while for these veterans to get the benefits
they need and deserve, especially here in Maryland. As I talked to veteran
James Somers, he also told me that VA clinics around the area get crowded often
and the staffing is not adequate to the number of patients. Overall though, he
says he’s had no real problems himself, but he definitely sees improvements
that need to be made. After talking with Somers as well as community officials, the issue of disabled veterans and benefits they deserve continues to be a hurdle needed to conquer. I believe at some point this will be brought out to the forefront as many people continue to fight for their rights.
Those were some adages from the stories I did during my time
in this amazing course. I learned so much valuable information about veterans
that I wouldn’t have known at all if not for this class. I encourage anyone
reading this blog to get out into their communities and find some veterans to
talk to. It really gives you an appreciation for the service they have given
for the country they love. Check out some of my work below!
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