Fort Drum FAP personnel are hosting several campaign events this month for Soldiers and their family members, designed to foster communication and relationship building as a way to combat domestic violence. (Photos by Mike Strasser, Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs)
Fort Drum FAP shares a recipe for building healthy relationships
Mike Strasser
Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs
FORT DRUM, NY (October 23, 2023) — Good food, like a healthy relationship, can nourish the soul.
Staff from Fort Drum’s Family Advocacy Program shared recipes for building strong military families during the “Cook With Your Companion” class Oct. 18 at the Enrichment Center.
“You can really get to know your spouse when you cook with them in the kitchen,” said Ali Larisa, Fort Drum FAP educator. “Spending quality time together cooking and sharing a meal that you both prepared – this directly contributes to building a healthy relationship.” »
During the two-hour class, Larisa explained step by step how to prepare homemade ravioli with creamy tomato sauce and apple, date and walnut pie in a jar for dessert. The couples shared the workload, sometimes improvising on the menu and figuring out how to correct mistakes along the way.
“It’s kind of like dating,” Larisa said. “We wanted it to be an experience that you don’t normally have.”
Participants were also introduced to the concept of love languages and how people receive and express love in a relationship. These include words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, and receiving gifts.
Nicole Wetzel, FAP educator, said her love language is acts of service. She said her family knew she felt loved when she helped around the house without being asked.
The class was part of the Domestic Violence Awareness Month campaign, which included a 5K run, a space exploration event, a mandala art class and an upcoming family painting event.
“The primary goal of our awareness campaign is to engage individuals, couples and families in activities aimed at building healthy relationships,” Wetzel said. “Events like Mindful Mandalas, Journey to the Stars, the Newlywed Game and Monster Paint are all ways for FAP to reach and educate a wide audience about healthy relationships. »
A variety of classes and workshops designed to develop communication and relationship building skills are offered to community members throughout the year.
These include Taking Control… Anger and stress management, healthy environments, and the building blocks of better communication. They also offer a four-week positive parenting series and host a support group for new parents.
To learn more about FAP programs or to register for a class, call (315) 772-5914. The FAP office is located inside the Soldier and Family Readiness Center, Bldg. 10250, the 4thth Armored Division Walk.
“Everyone can participate and identify with the goal of developing stronger bonds,” Wetzel said. “It’s something easy to talk about with your partner, or even with children of all ages. Encouraging and understanding the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors is one of the keys to helping people protect themselves.
Wetzel said people often tend to dissociate when topics of domestic violence are presented because they have a preconceived idea of what it looks like.
“They imagine the classic ideas and images from movies or headlines, and they don’t realize that domestic violence takes many forms,” she said.
Although most cases of domestic violence involve physical assault, it is only one type of violence. Others include sexual and emotional abuse, control, isolation, verbal abuse, and financial abuse (denying access to money or the ability to earn).
Members of the Fort Drum community can speak with a victim advocate by calling (315) 772-5605 during regular business hours. Appointments can be made by calling (315) 772-8934.
To report domestic violence at Fort Drum, call Military Police at (315) 772-5156. The Fort Drum Crisis Hotline can connect community members with a professional victim advocate, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (315) 955-4321.
Additionally, the New York State Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline is a free and confidential service available 24/7 by calling 1-800-942-6906 or sending a Text to (844) 997-2121. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available by calling 1-800-799-7233 or live chatting with an advocate at www.thehotline.org.
Did you know:
*In fiscal year 2022, there were 15,479 reported cases of domestic violence in the military.
*Domestic violence affects more than 80,000 New Yorkers each year.
*One in three women and on average one in four men report having experienced serious physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime.
For more information about Domestic Violence Awareness Month and to learn how to get involved, visit www.opdv.ny.gov/october-domestic-violence-awareness-month.
