New York, NY — At Law Enforcement Today, we commit to highlighting nonprofit organizations that support our men and women in uniform, including veterans, first responders, and police officers.
For each nonprofit organization we research and interview, there comes an “origin story” from the founder explaining how and why they decided to start a nonprofit.
Over the years, as we have interviewed founders and heard their stories, we thought we had heard it all, and each one is heartfelt.
But we’ve recently come across a unique “origin story” that stands out – a domestic violence situation that could easily have led to murder.
And this is Lisa Regina’s story.
Lisa is a survivor of a domestic violence assault that could have taken her life. Thankfully, by the grace of God, she survived the assault, which began her journey into philanthropy.
The Founding of A Write to Heal Nonprofit Organization
Lisa was an actress in the New York City area, mostly known as the “acting coach to the stars.”
In the early 2000s, she worked closely with a mainstream actor who later became her fiancé. What started as a dream quickly turned into a nightmare just months before the wedding as Lisa and her fiancé were driving through Manhattan.
“On April 2nd, 2005, he assaulted me while driving in his vehicle, and then he slammed my face into the console and knocked me unconscious. He threw me from the vehicle on Houston Street in New York City,” Lisa told LET in an exclusive interview.
According to Lisa, that was the single most traumatizing event for her. After her physical recovery, she sought treatment to overcome the trauma and found it within her industry.
“I used what was part of me, which was performance, writing, filmmaking, to help myself heal. Writing was a big part of it because after I was released from the hospital, I would keep a notepad next to my bed, and I would pour out whatever I was feeling. Since my assault was highly publicized, that compounded the trauma because I couldn't leave my apartment. There were things that were being said [by the media] that were inaccurate, so it added to the emotional duress,” she said.
Lisa decided to escape the chaotic New York City paparazzi scene altogether and fled with her family to New Jersey, where she could pursue uninterrupted healing and recovery. Part of the healing journey involved group therapy with other victims of domestic violence. While there, she noticed women had difficulty expressing themselves and their pain.
“That's when I shared writing with them as a way to heal. I created a writing circle, and it was an alternate way for them to express what they were feeling. It was very therapeutic, very healing for them, and that was the birth of A Write to Heal,” Lisa said.
Thanks to Lisa, countless victims of domestic violence have achieved internal peace.
The Shift to Help Veterans
Several years after Lisa’s harrowing experience, she went back to teaching acting lessons. A friend approached her asking to help a veteran who was legally blind, an amputee, and had a service dog.
Lisa gladly accepted the opportunity and reached out to the veteran, Army Captain Leslie Nicole Smith.
“I told her, ‘I'm just grateful for your sacrifice and service, ’ and she said, ‘I have my credit card ready.’ I told her, ‘You don't pay, you paid the greatest price! You never pay,’ and she got very emotional over that.”
Leslie began the acting workshop with Lisa, and it wasn’t long before they connected on a deeper level.
“She was bold, she was brave, she was comfortable on camera. She inspired all my actors. We kept in touch, and our friendship just grew. We were able to bond over the trauma that we both experienced – our individual shared stories of trauma, very different, of course,” Lisa said.
“I realized when we started to talk about the PTSD and what we had been through and the characteristics of that and the anxieties and things that trigger us, I realized, ‘Wow, a civilian and veteran have just come together and bonded because of what we survived’,” she added.
Lisa later offered Leslie a role in a short series as a VA counselor, and Leslie graciously agreed. After the two linked up to film, Leslie expressed her gratitude.
“I wanted to honor her. She was so emotional, was so overwhelmed, she had tears in her eyes - she had this big beaming smile, and she hugged me and said, ‘I haven't felt this camaraderie since I served’,” an emotional Lisa said.
Leslie’s comment moved her.
She later started reaching out to other veterans for similar roles. And with each veteran she worked with, each expressed similar gratitude to her for the opportunity.
Lisa has since expanded her veteran advocacy with drones. Lisa decided to use her knowledge and experience as an avid drone operator to offer drone training to veterans as another outlet.
But she is far from over.
A Television Series in the Making
Lisa wants to leave a legacy by capturing veterans’ stories in a series called Heroic Episodes featuring Joe Mantegna, known for his role in Criminal Minds, as Executive Producer. With a team like Joe and Lisa, it is sure to be a TV hit!
“That's the legacy, that's the big vision for the past thirteen years. Since meeting Leslie, of course, interviewing veterans and adapting their stories to a TV series, and that's what I've been putting a lot of energy into,” Lisa said. “I thought, ‘How can I leave this legacy behind where I know veterans' stories will be honored and told - including our fallen soldiers?’”
And that’s how she will leave a legacy, with a television series called Heroic Episodes. She will retell the stories of veteran business owners, nonprofit founders, survivors, and those who overcame extreme adversity.
Not only will Lisa and Joe capture incredible veteran stories, but they will also do it by employing veterans and offering resources to them, first responders, and survivors of violence as part of the process.
And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is how you leave a legacy.
Learn more about Lisa Regina by going to www.lisaregina.com, learn about Heroic Episodes by visiting www.heroicepisodes.org, and her nonprofit organization by visiting www.awritetoheal.com/
Also, follow her Facebook group and FB profile page, Instagram, X, and YouTube channel.
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Writer Eddie Molina is a veteran and has over 25 years of combined LEO/military service. He owns and operates the LEO apparel and accessory company www.BuyHeroStuff.com
For each nonprofit organization we research and interview, there comes an “origin story” from the founder explaining how and why they decided to start a nonprofit.
Over the years, as we have interviewed founders and heard their stories, we thought we had heard it all, and each one is heartfelt.
- “I suffered from post-traumatic stress from years of police work, but I overcame it and now I want to help others.”
- Or “I want to help the law enforcement community by providing tactical vests since their department does not.”
- Or “We found relief with this hunting expedition, and we want to fund the trip for others.”
But we’ve recently come across a unique “origin story” that stands out – a domestic violence situation that could easily have led to murder.
And this is Lisa Regina’s story.
Lisa is a survivor of a domestic violence assault that could have taken her life. Thankfully, by the grace of God, she survived the assault, which began her journey into philanthropy.
The Founding of A Write to Heal Nonprofit Organization
Lisa was an actress in the New York City area, mostly known as the “acting coach to the stars.”
In the early 2000s, she worked closely with a mainstream actor who later became her fiancé. What started as a dream quickly turned into a nightmare just months before the wedding as Lisa and her fiancé were driving through Manhattan.
“On April 2nd, 2005, he assaulted me while driving in his vehicle, and then he slammed my face into the console and knocked me unconscious. He threw me from the vehicle on Houston Street in New York City,” Lisa told LET in an exclusive interview.
According to Lisa, that was the single most traumatizing event for her. After her physical recovery, she sought treatment to overcome the trauma and found it within her industry.
“I used what was part of me, which was performance, writing, filmmaking, to help myself heal. Writing was a big part of it because after I was released from the hospital, I would keep a notepad next to my bed, and I would pour out whatever I was feeling. Since my assault was highly publicized, that compounded the trauma because I couldn't leave my apartment. There were things that were being said [by the media] that were inaccurate, so it added to the emotional duress,” she said.
Lisa decided to escape the chaotic New York City paparazzi scene altogether and fled with her family to New Jersey, where she could pursue uninterrupted healing and recovery. Part of the healing journey involved group therapy with other victims of domestic violence. While there, she noticed women had difficulty expressing themselves and their pain.
“That's when I shared writing with them as a way to heal. I created a writing circle, and it was an alternate way for them to express what they were feeling. It was very therapeutic, very healing for them, and that was the birth of A Write to Heal,” Lisa said.
Thanks to Lisa, countless victims of domestic violence have achieved internal peace.
The Shift to Help Veterans
Several years after Lisa’s harrowing experience, she went back to teaching acting lessons. A friend approached her asking to help a veteran who was legally blind, an amputee, and had a service dog.
Lisa gladly accepted the opportunity and reached out to the veteran, Army Captain Leslie Nicole Smith.
“I told her, ‘I'm just grateful for your sacrifice and service, ’ and she said, ‘I have my credit card ready.’ I told her, ‘You don't pay, you paid the greatest price! You never pay,’ and she got very emotional over that.”
Leslie began the acting workshop with Lisa, and it wasn’t long before they connected on a deeper level.
“She was bold, she was brave, she was comfortable on camera. She inspired all my actors. We kept in touch, and our friendship just grew. We were able to bond over the trauma that we both experienced – our individual shared stories of trauma, very different, of course,” Lisa said.
“I realized when we started to talk about the PTSD and what we had been through and the characteristics of that and the anxieties and things that trigger us, I realized, ‘Wow, a civilian and veteran have just come together and bonded because of what we survived’,” she added.
Lisa later offered Leslie a role in a short series as a VA counselor, and Leslie graciously agreed. After the two linked up to film, Leslie expressed her gratitude.
“I wanted to honor her. She was so emotional, was so overwhelmed, she had tears in her eyes - she had this big beaming smile, and she hugged me and said, ‘I haven't felt this camaraderie since I served’,” an emotional Lisa said.
Leslie’s comment moved her.
She later started reaching out to other veterans for similar roles. And with each veteran she worked with, each expressed similar gratitude to her for the opportunity.
Lisa has since expanded her veteran advocacy with drones. Lisa decided to use her knowledge and experience as an avid drone operator to offer drone training to veterans as another outlet.
But she is far from over.
A Television Series in the Making
Lisa wants to leave a legacy by capturing veterans’ stories in a series called Heroic Episodes featuring Joe Mantegna, known for his role in Criminal Minds, as Executive Producer. With a team like Joe and Lisa, it is sure to be a TV hit!
“That's the legacy, that's the big vision for the past thirteen years. Since meeting Leslie, of course, interviewing veterans and adapting their stories to a TV series, and that's what I've been putting a lot of energy into,” Lisa said. “I thought, ‘How can I leave this legacy behind where I know veterans' stories will be honored and told - including our fallen soldiers?’”
And that’s how she will leave a legacy, with a television series called Heroic Episodes. She will retell the stories of veteran business owners, nonprofit founders, survivors, and those who overcame extreme adversity.
Not only will Lisa and Joe capture incredible veteran stories, but they will also do it by employing veterans and offering resources to them, first responders, and survivors of violence as part of the process.
And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is how you leave a legacy.
Learn more about Lisa Regina by going to www.lisaregina.com, learn about Heroic Episodes by visiting www.heroicepisodes.org, and her nonprofit organization by visiting www.awritetoheal.com/
Also, follow her Facebook group and FB profile page, Instagram, X, and YouTube channel.
---------------------
Writer Eddie Molina is a veteran and has over 25 years of combined LEO/military service. He owns and operates the LEO apparel and accessory company www.BuyHeroStuff.com
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The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
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