Welcome to The Sanctuary


Spearheaded by military family members and veterans, The Sanctuary for Veterans & Families (SVF) is working to develop a retreat/family services center that will offer a wide range of programming for day-use and overnight visitors suffering the invisible wounds of war. The vision is to provide innovative, high-quality non-clinical therapeutic programs, services, outreach, peer education and support for military family members impacted by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and veterans of the "war on terror."

On behalf of the military family members and veterans who have volunteered their time, energy, expertise and resources to establish The Sanctuary for Veterans & Families in Pierce County, Washington, I regret to say that we are unable to proceed with project planning in this area.

We are currently exploring the possibility of partnering with organizations and individuals in other states who share our passion and commitment to caring for military family members and veterans. We will continue to act as volunteer advocates for our veterans and their families as we work to identify locations that will be more welcoming to creating The Sanctuary. In the interim, we are requesting that generous individual donors please refrain from contributing to The Sanctuary for Veterans & Families.

We are immensely grateful for the support we have received in the early stages (a breakdown of FY 2007 expenditures is available upon request from our fiscal sponsor, IHCenter.org), particularly Andrew Lehman Design, Rainier Connect, Gerri Haynes, Wayne Brokaw, and Seattle’s AM 1090, but in good conscience, cannot accept additional donations until further notice. To that end, all contributions posted as of February 1, 2008 will be refused/refunded.

We are sorry to inform you of this development, and hope to have better news soon.

Please continue to support the troops, their families and veterans!

Stacy Bannerman


“A Freight-Train of Suffering”

ChavezAt least 1.6 million American military personnel have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Iraq war veterans are exhibiting higher rates of post-combat mental health problems than veterans of any other war in this nation’s history. In the words of one military analyst, “There is a freight-train of suffering soldiers headed our way, and we’re not prepared for them.”

Due to repeat, extended tours, an unprecedented wound-to-kill ratio of 16 to 1, and the high incidence of civilian casualties in a war without front lines, the most conservative estimates now are that at least 30 percent of troops will suffer some post-combat mental health problems. While post-combat mental health issues affect an individual veteran, the aftermath of war impacts the whole family and reverberates across communities.

Citizen Soldiers Have Higher Rates of Combat Trauma

More than 400,000 National Guard and Reservists have fought in the war on terror, but their battles didn’t end when they got home. “Reservists are more vulnerable than regular service soldiers…for psychiatric breakdown,” according to a 1996 study commissioned by the Department of Defense on the impact of long-term overseas deployments of Guard and Reserve troops. Almost half of the citizen soldiers who served in Iraq have post-combat mental health problems, but they don’t have the same care as active duty. That’s wrong, and The Sanctuary for Veterans & Families wants to make it right.

Military Families Serve, Too

When a soldier goes to war, so does the family. Over 10 million Americans have sent an immediate family member off to war, and saying good-bye to your soldier for the second, third, or fourth deployment doesn’t get easier. Every combat deployment means more stress for the troops and the families left behind. When a soldier is killed or wounded in combat, or comes home with combat trauma, the whole family suffers. But help can be hard to find. The Sanctuary for Veterans & Families will provide military and Gold Star families and loved ones a safe haven that offers outreach, referrals, respite, counseling, workshops and support before, during, and after their soldier’s combat deployments.

Thank you for helping us keep America’s promise to support the troops and care for this nation’s veterans and military families by making a tax-deductible contribution today.

FFI: Contact Stacy Bannerman, Founder/Director, at info@sanctuaryvf.org

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"Current deployment policies and operational tempo are compounding the wounds of war ... The DOD Mental Health Task Force has already reported that almost half of the members of the Guard and Reserve who have served in Iraq are experiencing such problems, as are 38 percent of Soldiers, and 31 percent of Marines." (Bobby Muller, Director, Veterans for America, July 2007)

A resource for those affected by combat trauma

Back from the Front helps veterans and their families better understand combat trauma and it's possible effects on intimate relationships and family life. Please visit www.backfromthefront.org for more information.