COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving (WVE&T) was founded in September 2016 by Jenny Pacanowski, a veteran of the Iraq War, as a reintegration and empowerment program. Utilizing writing workshops, performances, and public speaking engagements, the organization strives to reconnect veterans with their mind, body, soul, and passion for life. Through creativity, compassion, and camaraderie in a nonjudgmental space, participants empower one another to ascend to the best version of themselves – and learn skills to thrive in daily life. Participants of WVE&T workshops and performances are encouraged to?share their stories of training, service, and reintegration, with each other and with civilians.

WVE&T and Touchstone met during the lead-up to Festival UnBound (2019), where they performed on Touchstone’s stage. Since then, Touchstone is proud to have become WVE&T’s new home base on the South Side. They’re in the building holding regular writing and performance workshops monthly on second Monday evenings and fourth Sunday afternoons; they also hold empowerment performances quarterly as a special event series throughout our season.

For more information, check out their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram