A free writing workshop aims to provide a creative outlet for veterans.

The Craft of War Writing is a weekly program that focuses on war narratives and offers attendees the opportunity to read curated stories, interact with guest speakers and share pieces about their personal experiences.

Jeremy Warneke, a U.S. Army veteran who currently serves as district manager for Community Board 11 in the east Bronx, founded the program in 2015 after hosting a number of war reading series at a local library in the Bronx. His work has been published in the New York City Veterans Alliance, Homefront Progressives and Task & Purpose website.

Although Warneke expressed how therapeutic the program is for veterans, he stressed the importance of having the workshop open to the public as “war affects more than just military veterans.”

John LoSasso of Norwood is a former attendee turned instructor for the program. The Brooklyn-born retired English teacher has more than three decades of teaching experience under his belt. He expressed how crucial it is to create an environment for participants to be open and transparent about their experiences. “We’re very cautious about making this a safe space to hear and welcome everyone,” LoSasso said.

Yvette Edwards, 48, a crossing guard, attends the workshop from Manhattan. She said that although she’s not a veteran, hearing perspectives from other participants and stories from her uncle who served in the Korean War has exposed her to the ‘intense’ effects. “There’s more to it than meets the eye. You don’t just go on, it’s always embedded in you,” she said.

The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder estimates that 11 percent to 20 percent of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have PTSD. Among Vietnam War veterans, an estimated 30 percent will suffer from the disorder in their lifetime.

Statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor reported in 2014 that nearly one million veterans are scattered across New York State. Those included in the study involve those who served in World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Omar Columbus, who served in the Air Force for 12 years, said the program provides him with an outlet for the physical, emotional and spiritual effects of serving in the war. “It gives you a chance to deal with those issues in a creative way,” he said.

Warneke said that while the theme of each workshop is war, each session operates differently. However, the format for each workshop primarily includes reading an assortment of published pieces of work together. Next, participants discuss and review their personal stories, poems, etc. Some weeks even include a relevant lecturer to chat with the members.

Maria Paserman, a senior citizen who has attended workshops for about six months, said that although she’s not a veteran, she’s gained valuable insight from the speakers, exercises and roundtable discussions. “Just because I’m not a veteran doesn’t mean I don’t know anything about conflict. It speaks to a human experience,” she said.

Editor’s Note: The Craft of War Writing, in collaboration with Voices of War, host their sessions at The Morris Park Library on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.