Family advocacy program to help you find answers

By Elaine Nevins, Victim Advocate

Today we are introducing something new for military families. The Family Advocacy Program, in collaboration with the Victim Advocate Program, will use space in the Northwest Guardian to offer members of the Puget Sound military community an opportunity to overcome some of life’s problems with a new program: “Ask an Advocate.”

The mission of “Ask an Advocate” is to invite military families, spouses, young people, and single military service members to submit letters about their relationship questions. These can be anything that is creating a personal dilemma, a family problem, or is a significant concern to you or your family. As socially constructed human beings we need to be in relationships with one another for many different reasons. Those relationships might have been formed through our own choices, or they might have resulted from pure chance. But they are all important to our lives. It is our nature to want those relationships to be positive.

We often talk or read about building relationships — how to relate to a parent or spouse, to a child, a dating partner, or co-workers. We think a better this or that will do the trick to improve our relationships. It all stems from our desire that our relationships will improve.

Our pop culture continually sends messages about how to relate to each other, whether they are in forms we like or not. The messages from pop culture are very powerful. They are expressed in our music, television, films, magazines and books. Those messages have effects we might never suspect. It can all be very confusing.

As people we need to feel OK about asking for help in clearing up the questions that arise. It is a healthy person who reaches out for help, knowledge or another point of view when considering relationship issues or questions.

It is in this spirit that we invite you to write to us with your questions or concerns. The Family Advocacy Program and Victim Advocate Program want all families to experience a healthy family to live and grow in and be able to get the assistance that is needed or questions answered that will help get the family there.

“Ask an Advocate" will be a monthly feature in the Northwest Guardian. You can ask about anything. The advocates will answer your questions.

You can help yourself, and others in the community with the same issues, by reaching out for help.

Send your questions to the Family Advocacy and Victim Advocate Program at:

“Ask An Advocate,” care of the Northwest Guardian, Public Affairs Office, MS-14a, Fort Lewis, WA 98433. Or e-mail them to nwgeditor@nwguardian.com.

You must include a name and contact information in your letter or e-mail, but your privacy and anonymity will be respected in the printed responses.

So, if you have problems, fears, or just questions, look for help; ask an advocate. And look for your answers every month, right here in the Northwest Guardian.

For more information about Ask an Advocate, call 967-6858