Texoma is home to many veterans, including some of the most well-known military heroes, like Dwight D. Eisenhower and B. C. Thomas. Often, when these veterans come home from their service, they can go through hardships and feel like they struggle to fit in or carry memories and trauma from their military experiences. This can include getting back into the workforce and learning to integrate into civilian life again, where they often face intense psychological, social, and physical challenges and many times do not know where to turn for help or assistance. Fortunately, a network of assistance is available to our local veterans through Texoma’s Veteran Peer Networking Center. Also affectionately known as The Walker House by the local veteran community, the facility offers and hosts many helpful programs and services and covers Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson counties.
The Walker House, which opened in 2019, offers peer support, suicide prevention training, referrals, and mentors for Veterans Court. Sharon Luse, the Texas Veterans Commission Certified Peer Services Coordinator, says the services The Walker House provides are so important for the veteran community. Luse, a U.S. Navy veteran, began volunteering with the Military Veteran Peer Network in 2017 and says that the challenges our veterans face daily can sometimes be overwhelming, and The Walker House tries to provide many of those important needs. “Our program is staffed by volunteers who spend many hours training to help those in need. We offer so many services. We try hard to reach our local veterans so they can know these resources exist.” Peer volunteer M. J. Sumrall, who recently helped staff an information booth at this year’s VET FEST, expressed how important and valuable the services offered are for struggling veterans. “I was a veteran who sought help through the Military Veteran Peer Network for my own needs. The help I received got me to a point where now I can volunteer and help others as a peer, which is why I am here today.”
Many veterans return from military culture to civilian life and find themselves feeling isolated and, many times, find it difficult to relate to the community they live in. PTSD, depression, substance abuse, and alcohol abuse are some of the challenges our veterans face after returning home. Because of that, suicide prevention is one of the main focuses of the program.
Some of the programs available include dog handler training, Saturday brunches, family events like watch parties, movies, game nights, grief groups, parades, fishing groups, VET FEST, and holiday events for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They also specialize in assisting unhoused veterans and often act as a liaison to help connect veterans with the VA system, problem-solve finances, and utilize other community resources.
Luse says, “We want to help veterans with their journey to healing and success. We want to help keep our vets on track with achieving their goals and get them the help and resources they need and to connect them to programs they might be eligible for. Many of our volunteers have been on the same path and can relate to the veterans they are helping. We feel like we can reach them on their level and not feel like a stranger. We are fortunate that the Texoma area is so good about supporting us. But we can always use assistance with new volunteers and donations. In fact, our next Volunteer Interest Meeting will be November 17, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at The Walker House.”
The Walker House is located at 1100 W. Walker St., Denison, TX 75020. Contact Sharon Luse for more information at (903) 267-0166 or email her at sluse@texomacc.org.