Sedona AZ (November 27, 2015) – Verde Valley Libraries are collaborating to kick off the first in a series of community conversations with Let’s Talk in December. A screening of the Ric Burns film, Debt of Honor: Disabled Veterans in American History will be followed by a moderated public dialogue and Question & Answer period.
Join your librarians on Friday, December 4 at the Cottonwood Recreation Center from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. or on Monday, December 7 at Sedona Public Library at 10:00 a.m. or 6:00 p.m. to view the film, participate in the community discussion and sample the variety of resources available to veterans in the Verde Valley.
Each program starts with an informal Coffee with a Vet meet & greet and light snacks. Resource tables will include information about Yavapai College Veterans Education & Transition Services, Cottonwood Vetraplex, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Veterans Administration, the Veterans History Project and more. Veterans and family members will be able to learn about services available in the Verde Valley.
Debt of Honor examines the way in which the American government and society as a whole have regarded disabled veterans throughout history, beginning with the Revolutionary War and moving forward to include the current conflicts in the Middle East. Discussion following the film will be led by an Arizona Humanities scholar.
The kick-off Let’s Talk program is made possible by Arizona Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities in partnership with Verde Valley Libraries: Camp Verde Community Library, Cottonwood Library, Sedona Public Library and Yavapai College Verde Campus Library. Admission and participation is free, but donations of non-perishable food items to benefit local food banks are appreciated.
Let’s Talk is the brainchild of Verde Valley Librarians collaborating to bring a series of facilitated community discussions to regional topics of interest. Through community discussion, understanding may be reached and solutions initiated.
One of the resources that we discovered and would like to help publicize is a service provided by VFW Post 7400. At the Cottonwood post, a Service Officer is available to assist veterans and their survivors on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to noon. In Sedona, a Service Officer is available on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Community Development Building in the Sedona City Hall Complex. Veterans are helped in filing claims to obtain their rightful benefits from the federal and state governments.
We hope to see you at one of the three opportunities available to screen the film and join a discussion afterwards. The Cottonwood Area Transit (CAT) will allow veterans to ride to and from the event for free.
