The Mission of 'Support No Stigma':
PTSD Advocacy: To ensure that all veterans with PTSD are treated equitably by reducing the stigma associated with the disorder. This is accomplished through advocacy and
education directed at the general public.
Entrepreneurship Education: Nearly 40% of returning current conflict veterans express a desire to work for themselves. Currently, the education to facilitate this transition
to entrepreneur is lacking in depth and scope. The goal is to create a veteran entrepreneurship initiative that will house multiple programs for veterans to gain the education they need to be more successful in their business ventures.
How Do These Programs Fit Together?:
One of the major obstacles facing veterans with PTSD is finding stable work. In many cases, this leaves veterans out in the cold, thinking they have no options for employment. Offering entrepreneurship education addresses this
issue by providing another source of potential employment and also demonstrates to the community at large that veterans have a lot to offer the professional and economic communities in which they live.
About the Founder, Max Harris:
I am an Iraqi Freedom Veteran and Army Arabic Linguist. I have been struggling with PTSD from the middle of 2003 while I was still on deployment. I was sent home in early 2004 and was quickly assessed by the VA and acquired service-connected
disability status for complex PTSD. Over the ensuing years, I graduated from college (due, in large part, to the compassion of my professors), met my wife, and we had a child (our beautiful daughter, Caley) in 2010. Over those years, I was unable to hold
down steady employment because of the disruptive nature of my PTSD.
For some reason, I decided to start blogging in February, 2011. My blog was on a sub-domain of the website hosting and creation service, Weebly. I used the blog to write down what was bothering me and shared my struggles with
my PTSD. I never thought anything would come of it, being so well hidden in the vast ocean of the internet.
Boy, was I wrong.
Within a week I started getting people visiting my site and sharing with me how insightful they found my posts. They felt like they were finally gaining insight into how their loved ones with PTSD were thinking. At the encouragement
of my readers, I purchased a domain in March, 2011. That website, combatveteranswithptsd.com is now a successful and identifiable brand in the PTSD advocacy community. The website offers resources, my blog, and my story to readers.
This was my second taste of advocacy. The first was being asked to be part of the HBO Documentary, "Wartorn". I found the advocacy work incredibly fulfilling and I found that my advocacy was taking up more and more of my time.
In April of 2011, I was asked to be part of a conference call to discuss agenda for Volunteers of America's Inaugural 'After the Uniform' Panel Series. I was then invited to the National Press Club for the panel discussion.
I felt at home. I was surrounded by passionate veterans' advocates from all walks of life and I realized that I wanted to do more. In early 2012, I started thinking about organizing a non-profit and started reaching out into
the community to learn more about entrepreneurship. I knew I would be happiest working for myself and discovered that 40% of returning current conflict veterans felt the same way.
I started working with local organizations to start the conversation and have garnered support to bring entrepreneurship education programs to the Lehigh Valley, PA. Over this time, the structure of my non-profit continued to
take shape.
In early January, 2013, I started researching the process. I immediately recognized that I didn't have the money to make my non-proft a reality. It was at this time that I discovered StartSomeGood and started thinking about how
I could leverage my online branding and influence to raise the funds I needed for minimum viability.
Then, in late January, something amazing happened. I had my first viral blog post. I talked about how Phillip Phillips music helped calm me down and find peace after a horrific bout of nightmares. I posted the link on Twitter
like I always do and Phillips' fans spread my post worldwide to other fans. The viral post spurred a nationally syndicated radio DJ, Ralphie Aversa to offer me the opportunity to tell Phillips how much his music meant to me during Aversa's interview. I recognized
the rarity of an opportunity like this and jumped on it.
Over the past two weeks, my voice and influence have grown substantially and I knew the time to act was NOW.
So...Here I am. Not everyone gets the opportunity to pursue their passion and find fulfillment. This is my passion. Every time I am able to reach a veteran or loved one in distress, I feel energized. When I have the opporunity
to educate the uninitiated, I feel at peace knowing that the person or group that I talked to will no longer perpetuate the stigmas associated with Combat-Related PTSD.
So, that's it. That's my story. Now you know my motivation for doing this and humbly ask for your support in eliminating this horrible stigma.
Yours In Health,
Max Harris
