Albert's Letter - a Nonprofit
Donation protected
WWW.ALBERTSLETTER.ORG
Greetings and Happy New Year to all:
Albert, my younger brother, a decorated, proud Marine for seven years, served in the First Gulf War in 1991. After that, he spent almost 19 years serving his community in El Paso, Texas, as a Police Officer and Sergeant. Half of Albert's life was dedicated to serving his country and community. Albert also suffered from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which, sadly, went untreated. In April of 2021, Albert passed away from complications from alcoholism, which he battled for decades. He died on his 53rd birthday.
Earlier this year, I discovered a letter written to me by him in February 2012, nearly ten years ago. I did not remember receiving that 7-page letter back then, nor do I remember my response. During Albert's darkest days, he foolishly committed a felony and was serving a 3-5 year prison sentence when he wrote the letter. Reading it this year and, perhaps, through a completely different lens, I'd describe Albert's letter as a "come-clean, tell-all" of sorts. In it, he writes of "having flashbacks from the military, the noise, the things I did and saw" while stationed in Kuwait. He also wrote about his life as a cop and how he dreaded "having to get called out to another fatality, suicide, natural death or homicide." He couldn't bear the thought of putting on his bullet-proof vest and was disappointed in himself for feeling "completely incompetent and growing cowardice." His letter was beautifully written, incredibly detailed, and also included what he did and how he dealt with those memories, alcohol being his number one defense. There was much pain, remorse, and regret in the letter's content.
There is much to his letter and his story; too much to share here. To honor his life of service and his memory, I am starting a nonprofit to help those in the Military (active, recently returned, retired), Law Enforcement, and First Responder communities who may be suffering from PTSD. To honor him and the letter which has become the catalyst to this effort, the Nonprofit is named ALBERT'S LETTER – A NONPROFIT.
At Albert's Letter, we believe everyone has a story. But not everyone is ready to tell their story.
The Albert's Letter Nonprofit Organization teaches story sharing and expressive writing as outlets for people who have had challenging or life-altering experiences. We strive to help those who have faced difficulties to learn to hold, understand, reframe, and use expressive writing to manage their stories in ways that lead to resilience and renewal
I humbly ask for your financial contributions to get this program off the ground.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for reading the story of Albert's Letter and for considering a cash gift. Our hope is that Albert's legacy may live on in the healing of those who served just like he did. If a cash gift is not possible, I ask for your good wishes and prayers as we set out with this new endeavor. My sincerest and humblest gratitude,
Oscar
Greetings and Happy New Year to all:
Albert, my younger brother, a decorated, proud Marine for seven years, served in the First Gulf War in 1991. After that, he spent almost 19 years serving his community in El Paso, Texas, as a Police Officer and Sergeant. Half of Albert's life was dedicated to serving his country and community. Albert also suffered from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which, sadly, went untreated. In April of 2021, Albert passed away from complications from alcoholism, which he battled for decades. He died on his 53rd birthday.
Earlier this year, I discovered a letter written to me by him in February 2012, nearly ten years ago. I did not remember receiving that 7-page letter back then, nor do I remember my response. During Albert's darkest days, he foolishly committed a felony and was serving a 3-5 year prison sentence when he wrote the letter. Reading it this year and, perhaps, through a completely different lens, I'd describe Albert's letter as a "come-clean, tell-all" of sorts. In it, he writes of "having flashbacks from the military, the noise, the things I did and saw" while stationed in Kuwait. He also wrote about his life as a cop and how he dreaded "having to get called out to another fatality, suicide, natural death or homicide." He couldn't bear the thought of putting on his bullet-proof vest and was disappointed in himself for feeling "completely incompetent and growing cowardice." His letter was beautifully written, incredibly detailed, and also included what he did and how he dealt with those memories, alcohol being his number one defense. There was much pain, remorse, and regret in the letter's content.
There is much to his letter and his story; too much to share here. To honor his life of service and his memory, I am starting a nonprofit to help those in the Military (active, recently returned, retired), Law Enforcement, and First Responder communities who may be suffering from PTSD. To honor him and the letter which has become the catalyst to this effort, the Nonprofit is named ALBERT'S LETTER – A NONPROFIT.
At Albert's Letter, we believe everyone has a story. But not everyone is ready to tell their story.
The Albert's Letter Nonprofit Organization teaches story sharing and expressive writing as outlets for people who have had challenging or life-altering experiences. We strive to help those who have faced difficulties to learn to hold, understand, reframe, and use expressive writing to manage their stories in ways that lead to resilience and renewal
I humbly ask for your financial contributions to get this program off the ground.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for reading the story of Albert's Letter and for considering a cash gift. Our hope is that Albert's legacy may live on in the healing of those who served just like he did. If a cash gift is not possible, I ask for your good wishes and prayers as we set out with this new endeavor. My sincerest and humblest gratitude,
Oscar
Organizer
Oscar Madrid
Organizer
Phoenix, AZ