Many U.S. veterans deal with emotional and coping issues - PTSD, alcohol and drug abuse, family stress, work issues, homelessness and more. Veterans many times find it difficult to communicate their feelings. They feel their voices go unheard and that people don’t understand them.

Film producer Dennis Passaggio, community activist Kandi Reyes and the late film director, Ted Post, all experienced these issues within their families. Coming from entertainment and community engagement backgrounds, they founded the Veterans National Entertainment Workshop (VNEW), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, to help veterans deal with these issues through performance, music, and song.