Our Work
How We Started
Leilani Squire, Founder and CEO, understands the power of writing to heal wounds, particularly for those who have served in the military. She wanted to help wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan process their experiences through writing, preventing them from facing the same struggles as those who returned from the Vietnam War. In 2010, she began a weekly creative writing workshop for veterans at the VA West Los Angeles Domiciliary where she worked with veterans experiencing combat trauma, Military Sexual Trauma, homelessness, drug and alcohol addictions.
In 2010, Leilani founded Returning Soldiers Speak, a platform where active duty service members and veterans could share their stories through prose and poetry with the community. The first of seven events was held on November 7, 2010, at Beyond Baroque in Venice. After the event, a veteran who served in the 101st Airborne during the First Gulf War shared how the experience had positively changed his life.
From 2013 to 2017, Leilani facilitated a weekly writing workshop at Wellness Works in Glendale. The workshop participants took part in our events at Beyond Baroque and the American Legion in Pasadena.
In 2014, the anthology, Returning Soldiers Speak: An Anthology of Prose and Poetry by Soldiers and Veterans, was published by Bettie Young Books.
Our Work
In 2017, we officially became a 501(c)(3) public charity. We continued to grow, receiving two California Humanities for All Quick Grants: Veterans Write a Play and Veterans Write Their Poetic Myth. These grants funded a series of writing workshops that culminated in public readings. The play Grandfathered: Where War Lingers was chosen by EST/LA as part of its community outreach program from 2018 to 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of activities and programs due to the vulnerable nature of our demographic. After the pandemic, the Board reassessed how to continue serving veterans, recognizing that rebuilding the foundation of the organization would require time and effort. With funding from a private donor and matching funds from their workplace, we were able to resume programming. Two new Board members with expertise in theater and literary arts joined the organization.
In 2023, we collaborated with ArtsUP! LA to bring Across Time: Love and Humanity During War to Los Angeles. This original theatrical production was inspired by letters written during various wars, providing a poignant window into the experiences of those who served. The play ran from June 7 to June 16 at the Blue Door Theatre in Culver City and featured vignettes written by 10 veteran playwrights, 9 actors, and technical crew.
We offer field trips to the opera through the generosity of LA Opera’s Veterans Circle. This program allows a core group of twenty veterans and their families to enjoy camaraderie and to experience the arts together, attending five operas per season.
Writing workshops remain central to our mission, emphasizing the healing power of storytelling. We continue to offer a weekly online creative writing workshop for veterans, providing a space for participants to explore their experiences and transition back to civilian life through writing.
The organization is also developing a yearlong devised theater program, which will create and develop a new play using the devised theater process. Additionally, discussions are underway with a local theater company to establish a bi-weekly writing workshop for veterans, incorporating both the company and the veteran community.