Riding Shotgun With Charlie #255 Valentina Richardson Green Naturally Armed

Sometimes, someone takes everything by storm and comes out of nowhere. I think this happened with Valentina, but I found out she was paying dues quickly. We've been following each other on the socials for a while and I know she's been working and doing classes at Gun For Hire range in New Jersey. We got a chance to meet at the Sig Academy in Epping, N.H. for a GOA National Women's Range Day event.

The following weekend she was in the home state of Massachusetts speaking at the Gun Owners Action League event. We had a chance to talk more there and we filmed a show the following morning. We drove to the Old North Bridge in Concord, MA, where the "shot heard round the world" was fired.

Valentina is pretty new to firearms, the 2A community, and advocacy. She grew up in Newark, N.J. Her father was in the military and was a police officer. With firearms in the house, she was taught that she wasn't supposed to touch them. That was the policy. End of story. There was never a push to get out and teach her or take her shooting.

She has a job in social services, training and employment. She got married and started a family. As she was working her way up, she had to deal with lots of stress. Her friends decided that she needed a way to relieve some of the career stress. For her birthday, they took her to a shooting range, saying she looks like she would be good at shooting. As soon as she fired her first shot, she wanted more! She could feel the weight and stress of work leave her body with every round she fired.

Like many folks, when she gets into something, she really gets into something. She was on a quest for information and training. It took eight months to get a firearm identification card so she could possess firearms. Being in New Jersey, she also had to apply for and get a permit to purchase. Quickly, she bought a handgun, then a shotgun, then another handgun. When she bought her first gun, there was a woman at the store, which she thought was normal.

She was going about twice a month to go shooting and practice. While at Gun For Hire, she noticed how clean and neat the place was, how friendly everyone was. One day, the owner, Anthony Colando, started talking with her. Seeing how excited she was and how often she was coming in, he offered her a job. "This is where I need to be", she realized and took the job as a range safety officer.

Not seeing a lot of folks she could identify with, she wanted to do more and take a bigger role with firearms. First was becoming a range safety officer, then an instructor for NRA Basic Pistol and Refuse To Be A Victim.

In August 2024, Valentina felt like she wasn't doing enough. With women being the largest growing demographic in the firearm community, she decided to start a group that would help and guide women on their journey. The goal of Naturally Armed is to encourage, educate, and empower others. Offering group lessons and teaching people about being armed is what the organization does, but she also offers one on one lessons, teaching people about safety first, then gaining confidence in their skills.

At her courses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Naturally Armed offers lots of items for people to take home. She's got handouts, color pages for young children, and even some stuffed bears. This means her group also offers courses for younger people, too. She's also got a line of branded clothes items at a printify shop.

It was great to get to know Valentina. The possibilities for her and her organization are endless and she wants to take it to the limit. You should follow her on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. There's a good chance she will be coming to your area in the future.

Favorite quotes: "I needed a way to find a way to manage the stresses." "I want to do my part, be the change I want to see in the world." "The fact that I want to do this is reason enough that I should do it." "Naturally Armed: It's not just about firearms. It's about knowledge. It's about resources. It's the overall wholeness of a person."

Naturally Armed Facebook page facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564430469978

Naturally Armed IG instagram.com/naturallyarmed75

Naturally Armed YouTube channel youtube.com/@naturallyarmed

Naturally Armed Printify Shop naturallyarmed-shop.printify.me

Second Amendment Foundation https://secure.anedot.com/saf/donate?sc=RidingShotgun

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms https://www.ccrkba.org/

Please support the Riding Shotgun With Charlie supporters.

US Law Shield Legal Defense for Self Defense. Use "RSWC" as the discount code and get 2 months for free! https://www.uslawshield.com

Patriot Mobile Use this link and get one month for free! https://patriotmobile.com/partners/rswc

Or listen on:

iTunes/Apple podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riding-shotgun-with-charlie/id1275691565