Turning silence into strength

Your eyes are immediately drawn to the walls, where more than 260 painted handprints stand as powerful symbols of individual journeys, each one marking the beginning of a deeply personal path forward.

Beside them, raw and honest words reflect a desire for change, connection and a better future.

It’s emotionally moving, especially knowing each hand represents someone Dale has helped.

Standing in the room, it’s impossible not to wonder how many of those hands have since reached out to others after completing his Warrior Program, and just how many more there would be if every journey was recorded.

Running now for 30 years, the 13-week program brings men of all ages together to address their pasts and work on their futures, all within a safe environment supported by other men.

It’s a men’s group with a real difference, and participants are challenged, but leave with far more than they arrived with.

They leave with mates, improved mental health and a renewed sense of hope and direction.

Dale runs the program year in, year out, free of charge, while volunteering his time for one reason only.

“Counsellors, doctors and even psychologists suggest this program to their patients after realising they don’t need a session with them, what they actually need is to be around other men they can talk to,” Dale said.

“If this course saves one life, then I know I’m doing something right.”

With men’s suicide rates increasing every year for a range of reasons, many of Dale’s participants have lived through significant hardship, and today there is little he hasn’t heard.

“Childhood trauma, sexual abuse, absent fathers, everyone has a reason why they attend,” he said.

“The group is a supportive safe place, and through the sessions, the men learn to open up and be vulnerable, and we touch on the emotional impact of expressing love.”

Dale said growing up with brothers, they never used the words “I love you” until much later in life.

He added that when he eventually said it to one of his brothers, that brother immediately thought he was dying.

“Men often wait until they’re on their deathbed to say those words,” Dale said.

“Men need to know that it’s okay to tell the people you love them right now. Don’t wait, tell them every day, now.”

State Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe has known Dale Wright for many years.

He is well known for his photography skills, and she has welcomed his expertise into her life on many special occasions.

Over the years, she has also been welcomed into the group alongside other local people, given the opportunity to sit with the men and hear first-hand about their personal experiences.

Kim said it was an experience that was hard to put into words.

“It’s only when you are in that room that you understand what it is,” she said.

“It’s almost hard to put into words because there’s this vulnerability, there’s this openness, there’s this safe space that I very rarely see men show.

“I’ve got four brothers, and when I sat in that circle and got to experience what Dale does, it’s his connection, but it’s also this vulnerability that he’s able to bring out of those people in a very safe and comfortable way.”

In a world like people are experiencing today, Dale’s group serves as a reminder of how important support truly is.

And with a philosophy based on the idea that everyone has a story, and that it is crucial to respect and support each other’s experiences, it is no wonder Dale has made a lifetime of friends along the way, all while giving his time to the community.

It is almost like Dale is the trunk of the community tree and the men are all the branches.

Sometimes leaves fall off, but they find their way back, all while remembering where they belong.

“The world is forever changing, but face-to-face communication remains the key to connection,” Dale said.

“Connection is everything. When men feel safe enough to talk, they start to heal, and when they start to heal, it doesn’t just change them, it changes everyone around them.”

– KELLY LUCAS-CARMODY