Writers On The Storm

From 1971 to 1982, Conestoga resident Scott Hower served in the United States Air Force and spent most of his time in Thailand. In the mid-1990s, Hower found himself in Washington, D.C., standing in front of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Hower said the memorial had a very profound effect on him. "I wasn't expecting the emotion that occurred," he explained. "I realized that I denied all of my issues until that day." A few days after he returned home, Hower picked up a pen and paper and started writing. Over time, Hower's writing turned into poetry.

In 2006, the first of many veterans approached Hower at a Home Depot in Connecticut where Hower was picking up supplies. "This man came up to me and asked if I was a vet, and I said yes," said Hower. The man had just returned home from Iraq and was struggling with his mental health. Hower helped as much as he could. "We ended up spending around three hours sitting in my van," recalled Hower.

Similar scenarios played themselves out numerous times over the years. "In 2010, I realized maybe there was some higher power at work telling me that since I found such catharsis in writing that maybe I should do something with it to help others," noted Hower. To start, Hower turned to the Veterans Affairs (VA) in Lebanon and presented his idea. After receiving a mediocre response, Hower put the project on the back burner. Three years later, Hower met Annie Ginder. At the time, Ginder had just received her certification in journaling instruction. Hower proposed that they create a curriculum to help veterans, and she accepted. That is how Writeface was born.

Writeface aims to help attendees clarify and understand their thoughts through writing. All of Writeface's classes are free to veterans and their family members. "Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) doesn't just affect veterans; everyone can be impacted by it," said Hower.

One of Writeface's workshops, called Writers on the Storm, familiarizes participants with the creative writing process through the use of prompts. For the past year, Hower and John Gerdy of Music For Everyone (MFE) have worked together to offer a new Writeface workshop called Music for Every Vet. Within eight weeks, participants transform their creative writing into a song. "The Music for Every Vet is an amazing experience," said veteran Audra King. "We write poems, share our work with songwriters who add melody, and form it into a song."

Hower said he believes a common misconception people have about Writeface is that attendees must recount their military experience. "That's the last thing we want to do," clarified Hower. "We want to show veterans a tool they can use for the rest of their lives."

"As a veteran with PTSD, going to therapy is always very stressful," said King. "You need to constantly repeat your story to get help. Writeface is different because you don't have to share anything or talk about details. You can write about it."

All of Writeface's workshops are temporarily held over Zoom. To make a donation or inquire about classes, contact Hower at scotthower@aol.com.