Inspiring Conversations with Carol Labranche of AboutFace-USA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carol Labranche

Hi Carol, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Joe LaBranche, one of 17 children from Detroit, returned from the jungles of Vietnam in 1967 as a Combat Marine. No parade, no thank you for your service, no name for the post-traumatic stress he was experiencing. There were protests, riots, and domestic unrest in his hometown at that time. He struggled with mental health issues, and no one dared to talk about it. Life went on without the veteran comradery that we now know is a valuable tool for coping with the psychological aftereffects of wars. It wasn’t until forty years later, in 2008, that Joe joined a veteran organization, VFW Post 9143 Cumming, GA, and felt the camaradery and being a part of something big, again. Around that time, Joe was seeking help for service related (Agent Orange) heart disease and finally sought help for his mental wellness concerns. He discovered that therapies and medications work! Even in 2010, there was no open discussions about PTSD, and few mental health service providers. He decided to get involved with changing all that – a “Veteran helping Veterans” idea. In 2013, Joe and his wife, Carol, started a nonprofit, AboutFace-USA, to encourage and empower veterans AND their families to turn their lives around for the better. Now, Carol, who stood by his side since 1975 (now for 50 years), explains that as a family member, learning about mental health, and mental illness is essential. Understanding that mental health symptoms show up as behavioral problems is a start. Learning about triggers, coping skills, and self-care are also very important.
Today, AboutFace-USA offers veterans and their family members a safe environment for seeking help. We have a Veteran Resource and Community Center in the City of Cumming, Georgia. Not only do we offer transitioning guidance and resources, but we also work with veterans and their families using our own programs like peer support groups, financial literacy coaching, a homeless veterans program, and our flagship program, Project GROW (Gardening Recreation/Recovery Outreach and Wellness). The Center is where anyone can come for free coffee, free WIFI, and most importantly, we have an indoor aeroponic farm. We offer farm workshops, train veterans and others on how to grow, maintain and harvest healthy produce for our community. Veterans can learn about this type of small business and how to give back to the community.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course, there were struggles along the way living with mental health and behavioral issues. Regarding AboutFace-USA, the fear of admitting that we were indeed coping with mental health issues like PTSD and Depression was an adjustment. To help others, we did presentations about mental health and substance use. Also, there were physical illnesses like heart failure and heart attacks. Joe was always a big dreamer, but suddenly, and for years, he had limitations that he couldn’t ignore. After getting back on track, after a triple bypass and therapy, came hope of building a veterans village. A few years later, that dream was squelched by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are thankful to be alive and able to help other veterans with our new Veteran Resource and Community Center, our AboutFace Farm (indoor aeroponic farm), and our whole-health wellness programs.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
AboutFace-USA is a veteran-led charitable nonprofit and has a proven track record of successfully implementing mental health programs for veterans and their family members. We opened our Veteran Resource and Community Center in 2024. The Center is open to the entire community. It has a social area, business area, and an innovative indoor aeroponic farm. The community is fascinated with the indoor farm, with it’s bright lights and beautiful green produce growing vertically and without dirt. Workshops are offered to everyone. Classes are taught on how to grow produce using aeroponic towers, the future and food scarcity, and how local produce is nutrient rich and very healthy for us. For veterans who struggle with seeing much hope for their future, the farm brings them into a futuristic setting, mindset, and thought process. Teaching farm/business management encourages veterans to see themselves as capable and productive.

Veteran suicides and homelessness rates are higher than the general population, so we raise awareness and fight stigma through presentations and events. While our main focus is on mental wellness, whole health wellness is our overall theme. We all can do better and treat each other better. We want to remind people that there is time and effort involved in behavioral changes and we give our veterans a safe place to practice those behavioral health activities to better themselves.

Our brand indicates a trusted community of veterans, family members and civilians – a mixture of give and take activities in a wholesome, safe environment.

Our organization employs and contracts experts in their fields, ensuring we have the necessary expertise to deliver effective programming. Our team participates in ongoing and up-to-date training focused on trauma-informed care, equipping staff with the skills to support veterans experiencing the impacts of transitions and unexpected life-altering events–critical factors that can significantly affect mental wellness and increase vulnerability to homelessness. Our unique, innovative programs encourages positive personal growth in a safe, trusted environment crucial for veterans seeking stability.

We are not a membership organization, we collaborate with local veteran and non-veteran organizations to make an impactful change in local veterans’ lives. In lieu of membership, we suggest a monthly donation of $5 or more at www.aboutface-usa.org/donate to help with our sustainability.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
We offer veterans free transportation to health care appointments. They register with AboutFace-USA and get an ID and dispatcher’s phone number to set up appointments for pick-ups and returns.

We are bringing in new program ideas and seeking community involvement through volunteer positions. For example, “IT Tuesday” will be a weekly group and one-on-one training day – basic 101 and 201 classes on phone and computer use. We also have online “Movement, Mindfulness, and Meditation” Energy Classes. While we may refer mental health and substance use disorders out to professionals, we do offer individual in-person and phone peer counseling, and in-person group peer counseling, too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aboutface-usa.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aboutfaceusa
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/24hrveteransassistance
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aboutfaceusa/posts/?feedView=all
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AboutFace-USA
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/aboutfaceusa