Serving the Underserved

SERVING THE UNDERSERVED VICTORIA THOMPSON’S STORY OF ADVOCACY FOR FEMALE VETERANS POST-INCARCERATION

As a veteran herself, Victoria Thompson '11 is no stranger to the harmful ways military personnel often fall victim to stigma as they attempt to reenter civilian life upon retirement. Due to the preconceived notions many hold about mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and other common obstacles for service members, it is often harder for members of this demographic to find employment or stability post-service. To make matters worse, there is a distinct lack of resources available for another subset of this community – female veterans who once experienced incarceration for nonviolent crimes.

Victoria recognized the additional set of roadblocks these women face, being members of several minority groups simultaneously. This ultimately prompted her to dedicate much of her personal and professional life to providing services for them by starting the nonprofit organization, We Steel Rise. According to Victoria, the stereotype that anybody who was once imprisoned is inherently bad or immoral is not only inaccurate, but harmful to those who once happened to make poor decisions in response to circumstances outside their control.

“I started We Steel Rise because the criminal justice system needed and continues to need significant reform,” she says. “It’s a vicious cycle – these women leave the service, and due to a severe lack of programming available to help them reintegrate compared to that of male veterans, they end up feeling they have nowhere else to turn. They resort to petty crimes such as theft of medications or hygiene products as a means for survival, and then we punish them for adapting to the system’s failure.” Victoria asserts that this philanthropy work is deeply rewarding, and that it provides a much-needed shift in perspective for all volunteers and affiliates.

“Everyone has a story – once you hear what these women have been through, you see them beyond the label of criminal and view them as human, as people who were pushed into this lifestyle.”

The primary goal of We Steel Rise is to provide these women with the tools necessary to succeed in these new chapters of their lives. Victoria begins the process by taking each participant out to eat at one of her favorite local restaurants, the White Chocolate Grill.

“It’s dual-purpose,” she claims. “We use this time to sit down and discuss their goals for the future, and how we can work together to achieve them. It also gives these women a realistic goal to keep in mind. Many of them haven’t had the opportunity to eat at an upscale restaurant in quite some time, if ever. I tell them that with a little help, they will soon be able to afford luxuries like this on their own. Talking about home ownership or saving for retirement is often too daunting for them to picture in the short-term, so I find this motivates and inspires them to work toward a more immediately attainable goal. We’re all about celebrating the baby steps, because with time, they add up to become full on leaps.” “Of course there are guidelines we follow,” says Victoria. “Across the board, there are certain things these ladies need to be successful, but we also try to add additional support based on individual circumstances. If someone has never managed a budget before, that’s something we’ll spend a little extra time on.”

When participants first enter the program, they are given a week to acclimate to their new surroundings in a supportive environment. According to Victoria, this gives them the chance to prepare for the work ahead and develop bonds of trust with volunteers. Then, they are given access to financial wellness courses and taught meditation and de-escalation exercises to help deal with moments of stress. From this point forward, the curriculum becomes more individualized and specific needs are addressed in full. Throughout the entirety of the process, these women are provided with continual mental health and counseling services. At the program’s conclusion, participants leave with a step-by-step plan for their short and long-term goals, as well as the contact information of volunteers, wellness programs, healthcare and housing professionals and other assets in place to provide further support.

“The organization has produced 24 success stories since its founding in 2018,” says Victoria. “Though we had to temporarily shut our doors in light of the pandemic, I’m still so proud of what my team and I have collectively accomplished. Many of the women we’ve helped didn’t even consider themselves real veterans before enrolling. Regardless of whether they saw combat or how many years they served, veterans are heroes, and they all deserve this level of support. That’s the most important part of my job, I think – helping our friends believe in and advocate for themselves as much as we do.”

Victoria’s activism doesn’t end with the nonprofit. She is a member of the National Council for Criminal Justice Reform and uses her seat at this table to fight for the equitable treatment of former nonviolent offenders, such as drawing attention to the need for credit score forgiveness programs. She is also a cofounder of the truck dispatching company, VP Thompson Trucking and Logistics and makes a point to hire predominantly former criminal offenders and veterans. She is also in the midst of running for a seat on the Arizona State Senate, so she can continue speaking for these disadvantaged groups on a broader scale.

Victoria attributes much of her passion for this work to the knowledge she gained while studying at TU. “I felt very supported while I was a student,” she remembers. “My mentor at the time, Professor Tim Lewis, was especially encouraging. He helped to show me that there is much more to the criminal justice system and those affected by it than meets the eye. He taught me to be more compassionate toward the disadvantaged and that the system is imperfect, that it’s our job to enact change however possible. I believe that, in part, that’s why I decided to start doing charity and philanthropic work.”

Victoria welcomes all inquiries about her professional and charitable efforts and can be contacted at jfasue@yahoo.com.