Jacksonville’s tight-knit community proudly supports its veterans

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By Jackie Berg

Jacksonville is a patriotic and proud community. If you live here or anywhere in Northeast Florida, odds are that you or one of your close neighbors is a veteran or active service member.

It seems like everyone here is either in, or a part of, our annual Veterans Day Parade, the largest in the country.

Jacksonville is the kind of town that flags fly in every day, not just holidays. And, this week, you’ll see its patriotism proudly reflected on the faces of citizenry from Mayor Lenny Curry, Sheriff Mike Williams, 2021 Veterans Parade grand marshals Northeast Florida Women Veterans nonprofit founder and Tech Sgt. Dee Quaranta, Lt. Col. Alton Yates, 100-year-old Chief Boatswain’s Mate Dan Stanley and 103-year-old Staff Sgt. Sollie Mitchell and others lauded by parade goers to The Jacksonville Ladies group, whose work was featured in the national publication Growing Bolder this month.

With one in four residents with ties to the military, it’s no surprise that our city ranks among the nation’s top 15 veteran-friendly cities.

AN UNSHAKABLE BOND

There’s an unshakable brother and sisterhood and sense of responsibility that comes with military service.

Ask recent Army retiree Colonel Wendell Bender and his wife Davinna, who served as a secretary for a Command Group and hospital administrator, in addition to other civil service posts with the U.S. Air Force.

With the recent opening of downtown Jacksonville’s Your CBD Store, the newly minted entrepreneurs join the ranks of the city’s growing base of small business owners who collectively make Jacksonville among one of LinkedIn’s fastest-growing cities for entrepreneurs.

The couple have a big heart for veterans, particularly post 9/11 service members who were more likely deployed and to have served in combat than those in recent eras.

“Since 9/11, support for military veterans is at an all-time high,” says Bender, whose two children are enlisted members of the Navy and Army, respectively, and in medical school.

“Despite America’s growing patriotism, it’s important that we guard against post 9/11 and Veterans Day amnesia,” he says, emphasizing that it’s easy to become apathetic to service member and veteran needs when the fanfare fades.

“Twenty years of active conflicts and wars have dulled our collective consciousness and made us numb to some of today’s realities,” says Bender, who notes that pandemic- and PTSD-related sleep issues are at their highest levels ever among veterans.

“Given the past 18 months, many of the things that were once top of mind to us have become nearly invisible,” says Bender. “I worry that the needs of veterans may fade even further against the backdrop of pandemic and other pressing issues of the day.”

The couple hope to call particular attention to the needs of Iraq and Afghanistan’s vets, 44% of whom face serious readjustment issues upon their return home at the Grand Opening of their Jacksonville location and the city’s first downtown Your CBD Store on Saturday, Nov. 20.

The troops engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan are among the most diverse ever and include more women, parents of young children, reserve and National Guard troops.

The needs of female service members returning home are complex, according to health experts at the National Academy of Sciences, who say that despite the proven need for support to treat PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and related issues, many service members won’t ask for or accept help — particularly servicewomen.

Making sure that people feel welcome and consciously supported is a part of the Bender’s plans to put veterans front and center at their Your CBD Store.

SUPPORTING THE SLEEP-DEPRIVED

Nearly 60% of veterans experienced insomnia versus 30% of the general population, according to a Sleep Journal’s report issued in Dec. 2020. Now, 18 months into the pandemic, experts agree sleeplessness rates have skyrocketed across all demographic groups, particularly veterans.

Among veterans with PTSD, or a traumatic brain injury (TBI), sleepless rates continue to soar beyond the 93% reported by the Department of Veteran Affairs in 2020.

Davinna Bender is particularly concerned about the stress and sleep levels of high-risk veteran households, whose needs are more elevated than the general population.

“Women and minorities have disproportionately high stress levels,” says the former health administrator. “Coupled with pandemic issues, it’s only natural they increase exponentially. Left unaddressed, they have a very real potential to morph into even bigger, and more chronic, health concerns.”

Bender’s experience as a mother, longtime civil servant, veteran advocate and, now, female small-business owner, affords her a unique opportunity to deploy her natural nurturing skills and call upon and encourage other women to do the same.

“Most women, particularly mothers, pay close attention to the health and wellbeing of others,” says Bender.

“Today, more than ever, we need to elevate our awareness of and conversations around health issues wherever and whenever we can, particularly among fiercely proud servicewomen, who have been trained and rewarded for displays of independence and strength.

“For many, asking for help and support upon their return home is particularly difficult,” say the Benders, who acknowledge that military personnel are among those least likely to ask for help.

But cultural norms, even military ones are shifting. Prior to the pandemic, the topic of mental health was still relatively taboo, particularly within the African American community.

The pandemic has helped to open up conversations about good mental health and the importance of maintaining overall balance in our lives, according to Bender, who says, “In the past, such self-care conversations would have seemed selfish. Today, we are moving toward a healthier attitude that self-care is actually ‘selfless.’ That’s something that resonates with veterans.”

“Both Wendell and I want to help people be the best versions of themselves,” she adds. “When we prioritize our own mental, physical and spiritual health, we are better able to help others.”

That’s why the couple incorporated wellness education, as well as veteran’s support in their new business venture. The store is providing a (free) gift, product samples and a 30% discount to all its customers from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, Nov. 20, at its Grand Opening Event.

Veterans will receive an exclusive 30% discount throughout the month of November, according to the couple, who are trained CBD experts.

They also plan to host future veteran events at the store.

“We hope that our Grand Opening event will reunite veterans, serve as an opportunity to form new friendships, increase understanding and support of veteran needs and, most of all, strengthen the spirit of inclusiveness that is uniquely a part of Jacksonville’s culture,” the couple says.

Our veterans deserve no less from a generous community that has an even greater capacity to give.

Editor’s Note: Downtown Jacksonville’s Your CBD Store’s Grand Opening event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. until noon. Visitors will receive a (free) gift, product samples and 30% off purchases during that time. Veterans are eligible to receive 30% off all purchases throughout the month of November. The store’s promotional offers exclude Your CBD Stores newly introduced TRIM weight loss product line.

Your CBD Store – Jacksonville is located at 45 West Bay Street in Suite #101 in downtown Jacksonville. To learn more call (904) 299-9929 or visit their Facebook page.

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