By Shannon Wright –
Sometimes, all it takes is a heartfelt conversation and someone willing to turn the words “can you help me with that” into action.
That is how the Webster Parish Veterans Safety Net began. For Gary Seegers, the mission is personal.
Seegers, a Navy veteran, was working in the oil field when he suffered a back injury that left him disabled.
“For several years I was just lost,” Seegers said. “You don’t know how to be disabled. Nobody knew how to help me.”
That began to change when his mother found a phone number for New Horizons, an organization that helps people with disabilities live independently.
After contacting the organization, a representative came to Seegers’ home. The man was a quadriplegic who was living a productive and fulfilling life. Meeting him changed Seegers’ entire perspective, and ultimately his life.
“After talking to him, I realized life wasn’t over! I just had to figure out how to do it,” Seegers said, “And they helped.”
As fate would have it, Seegers eventually went to work for the very organization that had helped him rebuild his life, New Horizons. Today, he helps others who are facing many of the same challenges he once experienced.
He describes the work as rewarding and fulfilling, but it has also opened the door to another important mission in Webster Parish.
While attending a resource fair in DeSoto Parish through his work with New Horizons, Seegers met Hilton Wells, who was there representing the Department of Veterans Affairs. The two struck up a heartfelt conversation and discovered a shared concern for local veterans, one that was very personal for Seegers.
Wells had been trying to establish a veteran suicide prevention group in Webster Parish but did not have a contact there. Through their conversation, Seegers became a connection that helped bring the right people together to turn the idea into reality.
“It took the right people in the right places and the right time,” Seegers said.
That same heart for helping others recently led to a special day on the water for local veterans and their families.
When veterans contact New Horizons, the organization’s executive director asks a question that goes beyond the usual intake paperwork: What are some things you used to do that you miss doing?
One answer came up again and again; fishing.
Recognizing an opportunity, the executive director reached out to Seegers and asked if he could make fishing happen for the veterans.
Although he had never organized anything like that before, Seegers was honored to take on the challenge.
The result was a memorable gathering at Jimmie Davis State Park, where approximately 20 veterans and their families, about 80 people in all, came together for a day of fellowship, fishing, food and fun.
Heroes on Water stepped up to help make the outing possible, while the park manager worked to ensure the veterans were well cared for. As a veteran herself, she understood the importance of making the day special for those who had served.
Several other community partners helped make the event a success. Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Minden supplied drinks, and New Horizons brought in a food truck to serve hamburgers and hot dogs. Heroes on Water traveled from Junction City to help create a meaningful experience for the veterans and their families.
For the Webster Parish Veterans Safety Net, the gathering was about much more than a day of fishing. It was an opportunity to bring people together, build relationships and remind veterans that they remain an important part of the community.
Organizers hope to make the event an annual tradition.
The Safety Net is also working to build connections throughout the year through its Coffee with Vets gatherings, held on the first Saturday of each month at Huffman Manor.
Veterans are welcome and encouraged to attend, whether they are looking for fellowship, support or simply a chance to sit down and talk with someone.
“We want to build trust, remind veterans that their service is valued and create a stronger, more caring community,” said John “Jack” Rodland, secretary of the Webster Parish Veterans Safety Net.
Rodland said their mission is rooted in the belief that no veteran should have to navigate life’s challenges alone.
“Ultimately, this coalition has the potential to save lives by making sure local veterans know they are not forgotten, that help is available, and that their community stands ready to support them,” Rodland said.
They hope to prevent veteran suicide, reduce isolation and connect veterans with the resources and support they need.
For those who have served, reaching out for help can sometimes feel difficult. The Webster Parish Veterans Safety Net wants local veterans to know that support is available, that their service matters, and that they matter.
Those interested in learning more about the Webster Parish Veteran’s Safety Net, seeking assistance or becoming involved can visit their website at www.WebsterParishVets.org or find them on Facebook.
If you or anyone you know needs assistance from New Horizons, they help the disabled from Avoyelles, Rapides and Vernon Parishes and all Parishes north of them, covering all of Central and North Louisiana.
Their services are free and extend beyond the veteran community to help all individuals with disabilities. Contact them at 318-671-8131.
