Palmetto’s tight-knit community tightens its bonds with veterans

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By Jackie Berg

Palmetto is a patriotic and proud community. If you live here or in surrounding Manatee County, odds are that you or one of your close neighbors is a veteran or active service member.

There’s an unshakable brotherhood and sense of responsibility that comes with such service. Ask Trae Zipperer, who returned here to his birthplace over Memorial Day weekend to clean and restore veterans’ headstones at Palmetto’s Old Memphis Cemetery.

Veterans matter here and should never feel forgotten, according to Gregory and Shannon Zies, who will be celebrating the Grand Opening of Palmetto’s first Your CBD Store on Saturday, Nov. 13.

The couple have a big heart for veterans, particularly for those who are its most recent returns, 44% of whom face serious issues readjusting upon their return home.

They served and protected us and, now, many veterans of Afghan and Iraq are returning home to Florida, which is third only to Texas and California regarding the size of its veteran population.

“They are here. They are home. And it’s critical that we see and support them,” the couple says.

To many, veterans and their needs are invisible, according to the pair, who are working to make sure the recognition of area veterans extends beyond 9/11 and Veteran’s Day events.

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.

The mission is personal, according to the couple, who have served countless veterans throughout their professional careers, in addition to community endeavors.

“My grandfather was a veteran. His Air Force service inspired several family members to follow his path. We are so proud of their sacrifice and service,” says Zies, who worries that without the community’s help and support, its newest arrivals will have a hard time adjusting to their civilian life.

The observation is apt, according to Dr. Sonya Norman, director of the National Center for PTSD Consultation Program, who says like their Vietnam predecessors, many service members coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan will face significant challenges.

Their welcome should not be among them, according to the Zies, who plan to make veterans an integral part of their Grand Opening celebration of their Palmetto-based Your CBD Store located in the Publix shopping center at Moccasin Wallow Road.

Like many veterans, the entrepreneurial couple share a common mission and unshakable bond, which has helped them successfully navigate many challenges.

“I can’t imagine what it would be like not to have Gregory’s support,” says Zies, a registered nurse who recently earned a master’s degree of Science in Nursing Leadership and Management.

“He always supported my educational endeavors early on in my career as a trauma/ICU nurse and later, in leadership roles,” says Zies. “Greg selflessly sacrificed some of his career goals to support and share in raising our two children. We’re a team and have always tackled things together. And we’re carrying that same philosophy forward with our newest business endeavor.”

From the time we announced the opening of our Your CBD Store, the Palmetto community has embraced and supported us too, according to the Zies, who note that the welcoming spirit of area residents has been truly heartwarming.

Gregory knows, and is well known in, Palmetto, where he is one of Michael Saunders’ top real estate producers in Manatee County.

“This community has big heart,” he says. “That’s only a part of what makes it such a great place to invest in. For small business owners and residents alike, this is the place to be. There’s nothing but growth potential here, and we’re excited to be a part of it.

“Shannon’s a big business booster,” he adds. “Small businesses like Hornback Chiropractor & Wellness have embraced her outreach and collaborative spirit. Now, we’re now cross-marketing each other’s services.”

She’s allocated promotional space for and is encouraging more collaboration between area businesses in the store and would like to see more small businesses co-promoting area efforts.

“For Palmetto, Bradenton-and Manatee County area residents and local businesses, support is not only a right, but a sacred tradition,” says Zies. “You can see this is a community that comes together, particularly during the times it matters most. And no one deserves that level of unshakable support more than our service members and veterans.”

The business owners are very familiar with the challenges of Vietnam Veterans, whose service remained largely unrecognized and far too often, unsupported, due to the prevailing public sentiment about U.S. involvement.

Negative homecoming experiences projected to extend PTSD symptoms among Vietnam vets 40 years post deployment, are not far off the mark of mental health journals, including the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, which examined the trend in 2018.

Closure is an essential and necessary part of a veterans’ transition. When absent, it leads to increased incidences of posttraumatic-stress disorder, according to Dr. Jennifer Vasterling, the chief of psychology at the VA Boston Healthcare System and affiliated investigator with the National Center for PTSD.

Veterans may have trouble adjusting because the conflict is not ending with victory parades but with an announcement.

Sleep issues are a common concern among vets with PTSD, along with other concerns.

That’s why they 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 customers from 10 a.m. to noon at the Grand Opening event on Saturday, Nov. 13 .

The Zies will continue to offer veterans a 20% discount until 4 p.m. that day and throughout the month of November, according to the owners, who are trained CBD experts.

The pair plan to host future veteran events at the store and will be laying flags on veteran graves at Palmetto’s Old Memphis Cemetery to commemorate Veterans Day (11/11). “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 our Palmetto culture,” the couple says.

Our veterans deserve no less, from a community that has so much more to give.

Editor’s Note: Your CBD Store’s Grand Opening will take place on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors will receive a (free) gift, a chance to enter-to-win a CBD Gift Basket, and 30% off purchase(s) from 10 a.m. to Noon Veterans will continue to receive 20% off all purchases throughout the month of November. The discount offers exclude Your CBD Stores newly introduced TRIM weight loss product line.

Your CBD Store is located at 9514 Buffalo Road in Palmetto (34221), just off I-75 (Parrish Exit) in the Publix Plaza at Moccasin Wallow Road. To get additional information call (941) 212-6002 or visit their Facebook page.

To learn more about Trae Zipperer, see Patch coverage here or visit his nonprofit ByMemorialDay.com page. If you’d like to clean and restore veteran gravestones, see how it’s done here.

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