“Every time I see one of our country’s service people I thank them and I thank all their family members for supporting them during their time away in service and for all that extra support they need when they are transitioning back into civilian life. On a personal level, I know that it can be a difficult transition, and I am thankful for my wife and now my children for always supporting me and reminding me that we are all connected to each other and to the earth.” Sam is married with three beautiful kids and employed by OLHSA, but he draws strength from his experience as a marine and from having been raised by a parent that was a Vietnam Veteran.
Growing up with a veteran parent that suffered with PTSD from the stress of war was sometimes difficult and left his mother raising three children alone. Although, with the help of his family, Sam’s father was eventually able to recover and have a happier family life. Sam finds comfort in knowing that the military is now putting more effort into helping service men and women cope with trauma and stress when they return home. Sam also raises his children with a focus on providing guidance from his life experiences, to share their emotions, and to be compassionate with everyone. Sam has explained to his children, “It’s ok for someone to be hurt or afraid, but dealing with the solution head-on is also vital, sometimes that involves the help of other people. I want my children to understand that people need other people and that we need to be understanding of other people’s life experiences also.”
When Sam’s children were young they were OLHSA Head Start students and his wife volunteered in her children’s classrooms. “They really connected us to so many services as Head Start parents, things I didn’t even think we would ever need, but at different points we did need that support and we were also able to pass that knowledge onto the people we know who needed assistance too.” While Sam was working as a personal trainer at a local gym, an OLHSA team member suggested he apply for a job at OLHSA. As he thought back about his past OLHSA encounters, he knew it would be a good fit for him where he could meet a few good people and give back. “Becoming an OLHSA team member was great. Everyone was always willing to provide answers to any questions I had and they have even encouraged me to continue growing in my career.”
OLHSA is proud to have Samuel Dowe, II as a team member and for all the hard work he’s done for the community and for the country.