VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE 63
AIR DATE 03 29 2019
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
No Judgement
((SOT))
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Returning Home
((SOT))
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
The Big unEasy
((SOT))
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) MENTAL HEALTH CENTER
((Banner: A Welcoming Place))
((Reporter/Camera: Gabrielle Weiss))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((NATS))
((Maria Núñez, Executive Director, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
In Clubhouse, we like to say that people leave their diagnosis at the door. So, because they’re not receiving any kind of clinical services, there’s not a psychiatrist here. They’re not getting one-on-one therapy here or anything like that. The therapeutic value is from coming in and being just a part of a group and working together every day. So, everybody’s been here before. So, we all, we’ve talked about what is the Clubhouse, but does anybody want to say anything about that again?
((Brenda, Member, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
The Clubhouse is a place where I have a reason to wake up in the morning. You meet friends and stuff like that and learn how to work together.
((Maria Núñez, Executive Director, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
Oh, perfect. That’s really great.
((Julian, Member, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
Well, it’s a beautiful place to be. Meet cool people and very nice.
((Maria Núñez, Executive Director, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
Capital Clubhouse is an organization that serves adults with serious mental illness and we create a place where people can come where they belong, where they can make friends, be productive and achieve whatever goals they have to achieve.
((NATS))
((Maria Núñez, Executive Director, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
You’re doing a good job Marsha.
((Marsha, Member, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
Thank you.
((Maria Núñez, Executive Director, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
You have talent you didn’t even know you had.
((Marsha, Member, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
I’m making trivets.
((Amy Muhlbach, Program Director, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
They’re coming here to practice using their strengths and skills or, maybe, discover what their strengths and skills are. Learning to be a little handier in the kitchen. I can do more than use a can opener. How do I cut an onion without crying? That’s always a great discussion among members and staff, and so, we’re actually learning from each other.
((NATS))
((Micah Saviet, Social Work Student Intern))
No, I don’t think so. All right, that’s it.
((Marsha, Member, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
That was a little better. That was a little better.
Some of the members are living with mental disorders, like myself. And I come to Capital Clubhouse because I just like to keep busy and also stimulate my mind. I’m not worried about people judging me.
((NATS))
((Maria Núñez, Executive Director, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
Trivet.
((NATS))
Nice, trivet number two.
((Maria Núñez, Executive Director, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
At Clubhouse, the people that come in, they’re not clients, they’re not patients, they’re not consumers, they’re members. And so, it’s their Clubhouse. So, members and staff work together side-by-side, that’s part of the model, to achieve what needs to be achieved for the Clubhouse. So, every day we fix lunch together, we’re putting a newsletter together. Everything that has to do with the Clubhouse, members and staff do it together.
((NATS))
((Brenda, Member, Capital Clubhouse, Inc.))
Is there another box after this?
((Micah Saviet, Social Work Student Intern))
That is the last box.
((Brenda-Member, Capital Clubhouse, Inc.))
Ok.
((Micah Saviet, Social Work Student Intern))
Yeah, you’ve done solid work on the snow pea operation. Remember when you first got here Brenda?
((Brenda, Member, Capital Clubhouse, Inc.))
The first day.
((Micah Saviet, Social Work Student Intern))
Not, not too experienced, right?
((Brenda, Member, Capital Clubhouse, Inc.))
Right. The first day, I was a little nervous because I wasn’t, you know, in my comfort zone, and so, as I started doing, the more I did the kitchen, the more comfortable I got.
((Maria Núñez, Executive Director, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
It’s interesting because for people with mental illness, when they’re really doing really, really poorly, obviously the community wants to engage them in services, and all of those things revolve around being a patient, and people want a different kind of role than that. I mean, once you start feeling better, you don’t want to always just be focused on being a patient. And so, that’s what Clubhouse wants to see, is that person really begin to fulfill a different role in their life. You know, the role of friend, the role of worker, of student. But here, it’s not the role of patient. It’s the role of someone who is like anybody else, making friends and achieving something.
((NATS))
((Jesse, Member, Capital Clubhouse, Inc.))
They always expect something more and more, like even the Executive Director Maria will ask me, my opinion on something. And we have a place to come, so we can do something. We can be part of an organization and right now, we’re building it. We get to direct where it’s going.
((NATS))
((Brenda, Member, Capital Clubhouse, Inc.))
Bye Micah.
((Micah Saviet, Social Work Student Intern))
Good work today. Next time, until next time.
((Jesse, Member, Capital Clubhouse, Inc.))
Until next time.
((Maria Núñez, Executive Director, Capital Clubhouse Inc.))
So, we’re just getting started. We’re really eager to be fully open and eventually, we do hope to see other Clubhouses opening in D.C.
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Support on the Homefront
((SOT))
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) GARY SINESE FOUNDATION
((Banner: An Actor’s Service))
((Reporter/Camera: Kane Farabaugh))
((Map: Chicago, Illinois))
((NATS))
((Bryan Anderson, Iraq War Veteran))
And most people pre-911 join the military to get college money or to get out of a bad situation or to get an extraordinary life or whatever. That's why I joined was to go see things, see the world. When September 11 happened, that day, we got on the buses, and we were driving to Fort Leonard Wood. I, kind of, thought that recruits would be like, Oh, no, what did I do? I got to figure out a way to get out of this, and it was the exact opposite. It was, you know, it really sucks that our country got attacked but at least we get to be the ones to do something about it. We get to be the tip of that spear and we felt good about that. October 23, 2005. That's the date that I got blown up.
((NATS))
((Bryan Anderson, Iraq War Veteran))
I still smoke, can't be too mad at it because it, kind of, saved my right hand.
How so?
((Bryan Anderson, Iraq War Veteran))
When I got blown up, I had both of my hands on the bottom of the steering wheel, and right before the explosion went off, I took my hand off, grabbed a cigarette, stuck in my mouth. When I want to go light it, the explosion happened and it took the whole bottom of the steering wheel on my left hand off. My legs were laying on the floorboard. My hand was in the passenger seat. Soldiers don't think about coming back halfway. You either think you're going to make it or you're not. It literally felt like three seconds from the time that I closed my eyes to the time I opened them again, and when I opened them, my mom’s face was there and I'm like, mom, whoa, what are you doing here? She's like, no, no, it's okay. You had an accident. I'm like, I know an accident. What the heck you're doing here? She goes, it’s seven days later, and you're at Walter Reed in Washington, D.C. I am like, what? And I'm waking up as a triple amputee and I'm kind of like, okay, now what? I didn't know what life was going to be like? What kind of quality of life I was going to have? At Walter Reed, there are a lot of pure visitors or celebrity visitors. At the time, I was practicing walking on prosthetic legs. I'm trying to like, excuse me, excuse me, can I get by, can I get by? I fell forward and I landed right into somebody and I grabbed his chest and he stood strong and he held me up and I pushed back and I stand up and I'm like Gary Sinise, and he's like the real Lieutenant Dan.
((NATS))
((Bryan Anderson, Iraq War Veteran))
And let me tell you something about Lieutenant Dan.
((Courtesy: “Forrest Gump”, Paramount Pictures))
((MOVIE NATS))
Forrest.
I never thanked you for saving my life.
((NATS))
((Gary Sinise, Actor; Founder, Gary Sinise Foundation))
On the news every night, there were casualty reports from Vietnam and guys just a little bit older than I was were off at war, getting shot at, and then they were coming home to a nation that was torn apart, and there were protests on college campuses, and it was just a terrible time for the army, terrible time for our military. And I learned a lot, you know, in those 70s and 80s. And so, I started supporting local Vietnam Veterans’ groups in the 80s. Then the 90s came along and I got the audition to play a Vietnam veteran.
((MOVIE NATS))
((Gary Sinise, Actor; Founder, Gary Sinise Foundation))
And about four weeks after the movie came out, I got a call from the Disabled American Veterans. They are the largest, sort of, nonprofit advocacy group for wounded veterans that's out there. They have almost 2 million members, wounded veterans. They wanted to give me an award. I walked out on stage and the ballroom was filled with over 2000 wounded veterans, and they were cheering for Lieutenant Dan and the guy who played Lieutenant Dan.
((Courtesy: “Forrest Gump”, Paramount Pictures))
((MOVIE NATS))
He never actually said so, but I think he made his peace with God.
((NATS))
((Bryan Anderson, Iraq War Veteran))
From that point on, I stayed actively involved with the DAV, and then September 11 happened and I just dove in full force.
((NATS))
Alright, we are here live with Gary Sinise.
((Gary Sinise, Actor; Founder, Gary Sinise Foundation))
I just felt compelled to support our active duty service members responding to the attacks of September 11 to try to ensure that what happened to our Vietnam veterans wouldn't happen to them, that they would go off to war, responding to Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda and the attacks on our country, and then they would return and feel appreciated.
((Courtesy: Gary Sinise Foundation))
And we must do all we can to meet the critical needs of our defenders.
((NATS))
((Gary Sinise, Actor; Founder, Gary Sinise Foundation))
There’s a program we have at the Gary Sinise Foundation, called RISE - Restoring Independence, Supporting Empowerment. It is there to provide especially adapted the housing, adapted vehicles to our wounded.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Gary Sinise Foundation))
((Gary Sinise, Actor; Founder, Gary Sinise Foundation))
You volunteered to serve your country.
I've been involved in building over 70 some houses for badly wounded serviceman. All the origins of the programs are documented in Grateful American and where they came from.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Gary Sinise Foundation))
((Gary Sinise, Actor; Founder, Gary Sinise Foundation))
There's so much in the book. It really is a journey from self to service, and it's not, I don't mean selfish or anything like that by that. I just mean, in the early days, my career that's documented in the book, I had a singular focus on my acting, my directing, and my theatre company, and I thought I would write a book about how I got to the service work and trace those steps, and the importance of the veterans and my family, and the seeds that were planted along the way, to get us to what has become the Gary Sinise Foundation.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Gary Sinise Foundation))
Let's welcome Gary Sinise and the Lieutenant Dan band.
((NATS))
((Bryan Anderson, Iraq War Veteran))
He's a humble guy too. He’d probably respond that we can never do enough. I'm just trying to do my little part. I got the sense that he felt a little guilty that he never served and that he took the path that he did. But I tried to tell him, look, we all serve in our own ways and we do the best we can, and you're more of a patriot than some of the guys that I've served with, and so, I want him to know that just because he didn't serve doesn't mean he's not serving or isn't like probably one of the best biggest patriots in our country.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Gary Sinise Foundation))
((Gary Sinise, Actor; Founder, Gary Sinise Foundation))
No beans??
No.
Lieutenant Dan’s beans.
((Gary Sinise, Actor; Founder, Gary Sinise Foundation))
I want to just do my bit to make sure that they are not forgotten. And you know, unfortunately, we still have people that are serving in harm's way. They're still in the war zones. They’re still getting hurt. We were still losing them. It's a dangerous world out there. They deploy to places that we don't even know about and they end up getting hurt or the their families end up losing them. I don't want to forget that. Veterans are my family. I have great respect for veterans. I didn't serve myself but I'm a beneficiary of what our defenders do for us on a daily basis. So, I want to support them in any way I can.
((NATS))
((Gary Sinise, Actor; Founder, Gary Sinise Foundation))
So, that's why I'm here just to make sure that you know that. Okay!!
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
Still Rebuilding
((SOT))
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((Banner: The Long Recovery))
((PKG)) BURNELL COTLON
((Map: New Orleans, Louisiana))
((ANIMATION / GFX/CAPTIONS))
September 5, 2005
Hurricane Katrina
made landfall
Impacting the region
Environmentally
Socially
Economically
1833 lives lost
$125 Billion in damages
((Banner: Lower Ninth))
((Reporter: Elena Wolf))
((Camera: Artyom Kokhan))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((Banner: New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward was especially hard hit by Hurricane Katrina.))
((NATS))
((Bystander 1))
Yeah, right down the street here, there was a house flipped on its side, where you can actually see the foundation of the house. That’s how bad it was.
((Bystander 2))
This area was a total disaster. I never want to go through it again. Never, ever.
((NATS))
((Burnell Cotlon, Resident, Lower Ninth Ward))
The levee had broke. This lap here and this lap here, it was gone, and water just came, ‘whoo’ and it wiped down the whole community, all the Lower Ninth Ward. Water just kept coming and coming, and it was very bad.
((NATS))
((Burnell Cotlon, Resident, Lower Ninth Ward))
Before Hurricane Katrina, we had 17-thousand people here in the Lower Ninth Ward. After Hurricane Katrina, with the last census that was taken, we have a little bit over 6-thousand. So, not even half came back, and the stores say they’re not coming back because there’s no people. They have to make money.
((Banner: In 2014, Cotlon opened the first post-Katrina grocery store in the Lower Ninth Ward.))
((NATS))
((Burnell Cotlon, Resident, Lower Ninth Ward))
I was in here sweeping, and I get a tap on my shoulder. I turn around. It was Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Facebook. He said he read an article about me in the Washington Post that touched his heart, and he said he wanted to come and meet me because he said he didn’t think this was real.
((NATS))
((Burnell Cotlon, Resident, Lower Ninth Ward))
When I bought this building here, when I first bought it, it was, yeah, think about all this was underwater. It was horrible here. So, this was the grocery store window at first. I had to save up my money for like, about two years, from selling groceries out of this window. Even still today, even though Katrina happened in 2005, this is the only business since 2005. There’s nowhere else to go but here.
((NATS))
((Burnell Cotlon, Resident, Lower Ninth Ward))
Katrina taught me a lot of lessons. One: don’t take nothing for granted. Don’t take anything for granted. When I left for Katrina, I had two pairs of pants and three tee shirts. That’s it, nothing else. So, I value everything. I don’t take nothing for granted at all.
((NATS))
((Burnell Cotlon, Resident, Lower Ninth Ward))
I smile a lot because I’ve learned you have to enjoy life. Believe it or not, everything’s temporary, your car, this watch, this shirt, even life. So, you must enjoy life. You have to enjoy every moment. So, I’ve learned to enjoy sunny days. I’m alive. I can feel this. I can walk. I can talk. I can help people. So, I’m always happy.
((NATS))
((PKG)) NEW ORLEANS JAZZ
((Banner: The Big Hard))
((Reporter: Elena Wolf))
((Camera: Artyom Kokhan))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((Map: New Orleans, Louisiana))
((NATS))
((Craig Adams, Street Musician))
So, New Orleans was really the cheapest place to live before Katrina. It was easy to make a living down here, you know? That’s why they called it the ‘Big Easy’. But now, it’s the ‘Big Hard.’
((NATS))
((Greg Lambousy, Director, New Orleans Jazz Museum))
I think we’re lucky in that, you know, many people thought that with Katrina that the city, it was dead, and it shouldn’t be rebuilt. The city’s been through so many hurricanes and other devastating events and rebuilt. It’s a resilient city and really the music right now here is, I think, stronger than it’s maybe ever been.
((NATS))
((Greg Lambousy, Director, New Orleans Jazz Museum))
Our place here as a museum is to collect and preserve, but also to help be a platform for that evolving tradition to continue. You know, you had this Latin influence from Europe. You had the French, the Spanish, the mixing of all these things is the biggest component I think, but the African element is primary.
((NATS))
((BANNER: The New Orleans Jazz Museum has over 20,000 artifacts))
((Greg Lambousy, Director, New Orleans Jazz Museum))
This is one of the largest, if not the largest, in the world and related to New Orleans jazz. And you can see this wonderful drum right here that was Minor ‘Ram’ Hall’s drum when he was part of Kid Ory’s band.
((NATS))
((Greg Lambousy, Director, Orleans Jazz Museum))
So, this is the coronet that Louis Armstrong learned to play on, in large measure. He made these little notches in it too. He thought as a small child, that it would help him to get a better grip on the mouthpiece and you can see the notches on here right now.
((NATS))
Well, we’re going to do one more, and then we’re going to take a break.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up
((Banner))
?????
((SOT))
BREAK THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK D
((PKG)) PIA – SHAHROOZ SHEKARAUBI
((Banner: Connecting Through Art))
((Executive Producer: Marsha James))
((Camera: Kaveh Rezaei))
((Map: New Orleans, Louisiana))
((Courtesy: Shahrooz Shekaraubi))
((Shahrooz Shekaraubi, Founder & Director, Aftab Committee))
We immigrated here when I was a year old to Virginia and that was when things were kind of changing domestically in Iran. We decided to go back for a trip, my mother, myself, my brother and through that trip, I had an epiphany about who I was and what I wanted to do.
((NATS))
((Shahrooz Shekaraubi, Founder & Director, Aftab Committee))
My name is Shahrooz Shekaraubi and I am the founder and director of the Aftab Committee. We empower Iranian- American artists through facilitating different types of events, whether it's art exhibits, comedy shows, concerts, etc. but also as a means for it to be a bridge between these artists, their art, and the Iranian-American community with other communities here in the United States.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: The Aftab Committee))
((Shahrooz Shekaraubi, Founder & Director, Aftab Committee))
So, the name Aftab in the Persian language means sunlight and that was the vision behind the nonprofit organization, was like, just like sunlight, it doesn't really directly interfere with the growth of what it's helping them grow, but it's a source for positivity and growth.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: The Aftab Committee))
((Shahrooz Shekaraubi, Founder & Director, Aftab Committee))
The Aftab Committee supports all artists that are Iranian- American. So, it doesn't matter if they are comedians, musicians, visual artists. Everyone is doing something and what's been really interesting is that every day, I come across three or four new artists that I didn't know existed. Each artist is different, each artist is unique, so each time an artist comes to us for support, we sit down and have a long conversation with them to kind of try to figure out what they really want to achieve. And then often with the newly arrived artists that just moved here from Iran, the advice I give them is to try to really indulge themselves in American life as a means to better adapt to navigating their career here in the States.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: The Aftab Committee))
((Shahrooz Shekaraubi, Founder & Director, Aftab Committee))
A lot of our success is that actually the changing atmosphere and environment here, just within the United States. A lot of people are curious about the Iranian-American community and then art that maybe being created within the community. We had a collaboration with Prizm Art Fair and Prizm Art Fair is the largest African Diaspora Art Festival, located in Miami, Florida. They created a space for artists on behalf of Aftab to be present at events and so this is our opportunity for the Iranian-American community and the African-American community to kind of create to learn about each other's communities through art where, I think, is the best tool to bring people together.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: 2018 Prizm Art Fair))
((Shahrooz Shekaraubi, Founder & Director, Aftab Committee))
A lot of times these artists are not only sharing their own human experience, but they reflect to a certain extent, experiences of their own communities, whether it's the Iranian-American community or whatever other community you may be in. So, because it's genuine when people come to a space where data is being presented, there's an energy that helps people kind of connect.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: The Aftab Committee))
COMING NEXT WEEK ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Building Green
((SOT))
CLOSING ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
BREAK
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
SHOW ENDS
