Organization to help military family, friends

Longboat Key residents Joyce Rubin and Sheila Weiser grew concerned as they read the news reports about soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan — many who had depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Rubin, a licensed social worker, and Weiser, a licensed mental-health counselor, worried not only about veterans but also for their family members.

“Our thinking was, ‘What would it be like to have a child coming back and refusing help — hiding under a bed, for instance, never eating?’” Weiser said. “Or, if a horn blows, they think it’s a shot.”

Approximately two years ago, Rubin, Weiser and approximately a dozen professionals, including therapists, counselors, attorneys and educators, joined together to form Professionals Assisting Military Families & Friends (PAMFF). The organization is still in its early stages, but members will eventually contribute their professional skills to provide services such as group and individual counseling, alcohol- and drug-abuse education, community outreach, referral services and teacher training to help educators identify at-risk students.

According to the group’s website, pamff.org, PAMFF’s vision is to “provide individualized and compassionate services by licensed professionals to military families and friends so that they can adapt their lives with optimism, hope and strength of heart.”

One core priority of the group is to be nonpolitical. Rubin and Weiser said that the group will not affiliate with military or veterans organizations to avoid any perception of being pro- or anti-war.

“We want to be neutral about the wars,” Rubin said.

The group received 501c3 status in August, and today, Rubin serves as its president; Weiser is vice president. All professionals involved with PAMFF will offer their services on a volunteer basis, but before the group can begin to assist families on a large scale, they need to raise money for expenses such as insurance, phone bills and, eventually, an office. The group is also seeking additional professionals, especially those with experience in publicity, grant writing and fundraising.

Rubin said that PAMFF’s goal is to help military family and friends, because they often don’t get assistance from other organizations.

“Veterans organizations work to help veterans,” Rubin said. “But there’s very little available for their families.”
 

Knit-ch market
Joyce Rubin, Sheila Weiser and other PAMFF members have always enjoyed knitting. And, now, they’ve stitched their skills together to raise money for PAMFF. A couple of months ago, Rubin spotted a bright scarf at Spinning Wheel, on Siesta Drive, and decided to make a similar scarf. Kathy Podolsky, assistant manager at Grand Bay, where Rubin lives, liked the scarf so much that Rubin gave it to her. Podolsky told Rubin about all the compliments she got — and a plan to sell the scarves to raise money unraveled. The group approached Exit Art owner Debbie Stanick for marketing advice, and she agreed to sell the scarves at Exit Art’s Chart House location at 201 Gulf of Mexico Drive. Scarves are $75, all of which is a donation to PAMFF.

AT A GLANCE
For more information on Professionals Assisting Military Family & Friends (PAMFF), call 224-1094, email [email protected] or visit its website, pamff.org

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].