KENTWOOD, Mich. — Joan Wallace is one of the busiest people in the big blue building at the corner of Eastern Avenue and 48th Street. She's always got something to do and someone to help. You can see her commitment to service as she answers the phone and takes care of whatever task the person on the other end is asking for.
But for Joan, this is nothing new. She served in the Army for 11 years, including tours of duty in Germany, Bosnia, and in Operation Desert Storm. That whole time, she was making sure the people around her had what they needed.
"I'm a quartermaster. And me being a quartermaster, my job was to issue out 'beans and bullets,'" she said.
In the Army issuing beans and bullets meant making sure troops had the proper supplies. But now as director of Shero's Corner, it means Joan is making sure her fellow veterans, especially women, have the resources they need to thrive in the civilian world. It's not always an easy thing for those who have served. It certainly wasn't for Joan.
"When I got out of the military, I had a hard time trying to understand the civilian world, not knowing that I have past trauma," she said.
"Michigan did not have a lot of access. You had to go around and find people and ask them about where do you go as a female veteran? Who can help you? And everybody kept saying go to the VA hospital. But that wasn't enough. I needed to know the resources."
Since she got out of the military in 1999, Joan had been dreaming of a one-stop resource center where veterans could get everything they needed. She found her opportunity decades later with an organization called Hero's Corner.
13 ON YOUR SIDE was at the first-ever meeting of Hero's Corner in 2022. Since then, the organization has been a place where veterans can enjoy camaraderie and fellowship in a safe and sober setting. All veterans are welcome, whether they served for just a day or many, many years.
Since that first meeting at Marge's Donut Den on 28th Street in Wyoming, Hero's Corner has moved twice. In August 2022, they moved into an office on 44th Street. Today, they're at the old Disabled American Veterans bingo hall on Eastern. Part of the new location is Shero's Corner, a women's-only sanctuary free from the triggers that female veterans may experience.
"As a female veteran, we go through trauma - MST (military sexual trauma), PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and domestic violence," Joan said.
"Some of the trauma we can't even be around males. We can't be around military males. Shero's Corner is a place where you walk in, and you don't have to see a military male. You don't have to see a male. You walk in and the doors shut behind you and you'll be able to be safe. Because of our trauma, we need to know that we are safe wherever we go."
Navy veteran Joyce Deans and Army veteran Jacque Shoen volunteer with Shero's Corner because it's important to them to be part of the support system for other female veterans.
"Sometimes just showing up is a good thing, and you may not have to do anything, but we are human beings on this earth, so we all need each other to be connected," Joyce said.
Jacque, who has gone through some traumatic experiences of her own, serves as a peer support.
"I know what it's like to struggle severely, right? And this is a really safe community. So if you just need a place just to be this is it," she said.
"This doesn't exist all over America, so this is a really special place."
If you'd like to support Shero's Corner, Joan says they're always looking for monetary donations and volunteers. Their phone number is 616-635-2768. You can also reach them through their website and their Facebook page.
On Saturday, March 23 the center will host a self-awareness program for women veterans, where they can meet vendors who can help them take care of themselves.
Do you have a deeply personal story with a call to action? That's what One Good Thing is all about! Email your story ideas to OneGoodThing@13OnYourSide.com.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Watch 13 ON YOUR SIDE for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV and on your phone.