Fayetteville veteran uses woodworking skills to help PTSD patients

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A local veteran is using a unique method to help others living with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome: woodworking.

On Saturday, Army veteran Kurt Ballash hosted a major launch event called 'Artisan Outreach' at his new facility in Fayetteville.

The goal was to help veterans with PTSD learn the craft of woodworking. Ballash said working with wood helped him heal from the effects of combat and service, giving him a sense of purpose.

Ballash served multiple tours overseas and returned to woodworking to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He said turning wood into handcrafted furniture, cutting boards, and other works of art provides "a Zen-like calm that is not easily achieved after deployments and the rigor of military life."

He said through the Veterans Outreach at Ballas Woodworks, he hopes to "give back by teaching other service members, veterans, and their families the trade while providing a safe environment to heal."

Click here for more events from Ballash Woodworks.