Raíces Ancestrales Representatives Meet Ukrainian Forces in Odesa to Share Resilience and Veteran-Care Practices

Raíces Ancestrales shared resilience and trauma-recovery practices with Ukrainian forces during meetings focused on veteran care and mental health.

ODESA, ODESA OBLAST, UKRAINE, October 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Following meetings in Poland led by Raíces Ancestrales co-founders Luis Guadamuz and Samantha Cushing, representatives continued the organization’s work in Ukraine, meeting with military leaders, cadets, and rehabilitation professionals at the 39th Brigade Recruitment and Care Center and the Odesa Naval Academy. The purpose was to exchange approaches to veteran care, mental health, and resilience within a nation still at war.

The meetings centered on how Ukraine’s armed forces are adapting to the psychological and physical toll of prolonged war while building sustainable systems for veteran reintegration. Representatives introduced the Raíces Ancestrales framework, emphasizing balance, mindfulness, and cultural identity as foundations for long-term recovery.

At the Naval Academy, Ukrainian cadets and officers discussed practical approaches to mental readiness and the importance of storytelling as therapy. “Writing is a very good thing for anybody who’s been in a stressful, sometimes traumatic experience because it helps you sort your own thoughts,” said Luis Guadamuz when being debriefed about the meeting. “It allows you to see your own journey clearly, without judgment, and gives you something to build from.”

Guadamuz added that Raíces Ancestrales’ methods could help Ukraine’s emerging NCO corps develop cognitive resilience as a combat skill: “We teach these methods because they make people more effective in the field, not because they’re labeled as therapy. It’s about maintaining control and focus under pressure.”

At the 39th Brigade Recruitment and Care Center, Raices representatives met with leadership and volunteers supporting soldiers and their families. The Center’s Care Service model offers immediate aid, family counseling, children’s programs, and long-term recovery support. Discussions included drone warfare, traumatic brain injury, and maintaining purpose for wounded soldiers.

Following the visit, Samantha Cushing reflected on the significance of these exchanges: “What we’re seeing in Ukraine is resilience lived out daily. These men and women are rebuilding systems and lives at the same time. It’s a reminder that healing is both individual and collective.”

Guadamuz added, “Raíces Ancestrales exists to reconnect people to what grounds them—their culture, their families, and their sense of purpose. The soldiers and veterans we met embody that connection under the most difficult circumstances. Our work is to stand beside them, to share ways of finding peace amid the storm.”

The meetings in Odesa reinforced that Raíces Ancestrales’ principles, grounded in mindfulness, community, and cultural continuity, offer a meaningful complement to Ukraine’s evolving models of veteran care and trauma recovery.

About Raíces Ancestrales
Raíces Ancestrales is a cultural and family-healing initiative founded by Samantha Cushing and Luis Guadamuz. Its mission is to restore balance through practices that connect body, mind, and heritage. Drawing on indigenous wisdom, mindfulness, and modern therapeutic principles, the organization works to strengthen resilience in communities affected by trauma and displacement.

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