One of my friends works with NADCP | Justice for Vets as Senior Director of Justice for Vets, a division of the National Association of Drug Care Professionals (NADCP) that advocates for Veterans rights, restoring lives and hope in our communities through Drug and Veterans Treatment Courts. She is an inspiration to me and many others who are lucky enough to know her. With a background as a social justice warrior, professional actress, activist and advocate she has a lot of depth, understanding, global communications expertise of communities in crisis, a 360 degree vantage point around every issue and a true spirit of inclusion to bring to her work. Many of her friends and coworkers are inspired by her.

Justice for Vets connects veterans in crisis with Veterans Treatment Courts that save lives, restore families and rebuild communities. The work they do across is the most successful justice innovation in American History.

Justice for Vets | NADCP honored Martin Sheen for his lifetime service to social justice. In his acceptance speech Mr. Sheen shared an Irish story of a man who arrives at the gates of heaven, and he asks to be let in and St. Peter says, “Of course. Show us your scars.” When the man says, “I have no scars.” St. Peter says, “What a pity. Was there nothing worth fighting for?”

One heart with courage is a majority. “Compassion is the most powerful medicine we have” and everyone who works with NADCP and all the communities they impact and work tirelessly for is medicine for the times we find ourselves in.  fighting for our Veterans and justice for all. Everyday in every way Justice for Vets fights for our Veterans in a system to transform and tackle complicated issues with the help of community. The care and work of NADCP is an example of what transformation looks like.

Justice for Vets connects veterans in crisis with Veterans Treatment Courts that save lives, restore families and rebuild communities. The system of support, treatment, mentorship, volunteerism, community integration of all  work they do across is the most successful justice innovation in American History.

In 2016 Congress passed a historic addiction bill in 2016, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) that also authorized funding or Veterans Treatment Courts and Drug Courts. As discussions on how to handle the critical opioid crisis unfold there are talks of a ‘CARA 2.0.’ While our nation suffers under a weight of addiction and how to solve it, NADCP | Justice for Vets quietly and with great courage has a solution that is working to reintegrate, rehabilitate our Vets. Every day they organize, train, advocate and implement solutions that work creating just, healing outcomes in the lives of Veterans across the country.

One thing heard in courtrooms across the country — Veterans Treatment Courts and Drug Courts work and they need our support. Let us all awake. Let us celebrate this momentous achievement and continue to work together, to support organizations that work, to change lives.

The work for all of us in the 21st Century is activation. We have limitless possibilities with the evolution of our consciousness, into the new spaces of the heart, while, and as, we transition from systems that have grown old and tired, to new systems that recognize all with a love of peace, not a love of guns, a love of nourishing each other, not destroying each other, with a love of educating, of connecting and ultimately bridging a new order for the ages. When Parkland students end their cries from the front lines of the war in our classrooms ‘we will outlive you and fix the systems you allowed to destroy our world.’ You have a choice. restoring and returning each citizen that all of us have ahead of us is to continue to support this important work in our communities and clean up what needs to be cleaned up, to be gentle with our old systems and at the same time increase our capacity to evolve new systems aligned in love to create restorative outcomes, to shift POV’s and find deeper ways to connect to our collective heart. Some efforts will succeed others will not, the tenor of which we fight, we hold space, we join in the conversation and we contribute to the whole will be the story. We hope the story is full of love and kindness and compassion and support for all that needs to be included and returned healed and whole. Remember the lessons of the heart and put love into action today and every day, like the wonderful folks at Justice for Vets.

If you want additional information on how to get involved check out their website.

The Justice for Vets challenge coin is a symbol of our shared responsibility to leave no veteran behind. Take the Challenge and tweet @justiceforvets with your support.

We took the challenge in our office. Show some love and tweet @justiceforvets with your support.

Melanie Lutz is a writer and Love activist living in Los Angeles, CA

@MobileMel on Twitter

@CrazyLemonLove on Instagram