In the Services, whether it be the Military or Public Safety, we are taught to be of ultimate service to our country and fellow Americans. Leaving that service doesn’t mean we abandon that mission. At Retreat for Heroes, we just redefined that mission focused on our Brothers and Sisters. To utilize all our training and experience to help our community of Heroes and their families heal and mend the family unit from the devastating effects that our careers have had on us.

Since those that haven’t experienced what our Heroes have been through, they cannot comprehend what the effects Post Traumatic Stress have on the individual and even less can comprehend the devastating toll that it takes on the family unit. This can culminate in family discord, substance abuse, alienation from the family unit, divorce, domestic abuse, and in a lot of cases the couple just existing together trying to figure it all out on their own with extreme amounts of stress. Introducing them to peers in a Retreat setting can give them hope by having other families to talk to in similar situations and see other examples of how their families are working through the same issues.

Our mission is still to serve, but now we can do it in a way that can make our community of Heroes better suited to deal with the issues that we all deal with and be able to make a difference in their lives and the lives of their families by providing a safe place and services for them to come and heal.

Our Retreat is a program that will provide a safe and structured environment that will include wellness, peer counseling, outdoor sports, yoga, meditation, massage therapy, the arts, physical fitness, relaxation, and networking programs for our Heroes and their families. Over time as we build the organization, we will continue to add to our programs to include a Service Dog training program with a Kennel and handler housing program and other services.

Being a First Responder is an identity that’s abruptly stripped away when you leave service. As time and support from colleague’s fade, First Responders can be left with feelings of self-doubt, lack of self-worth and even depression.

First Responders report feeling “isolated and forgotten.” We provide a safe and Structured environment that allows everyone to talk openly and honestly about the personal struggles they face every day. Everyone works together to find solutions and ways to cope.

First Responders report being “nervous about getting out alone.” We encourage these Heroes to challenge themselves as they enjoy the new activities and experiences with their families or support systems. We push them to conquer their fears and continue living their lives. We are successfully getting these Heroes out of their homes and back into living their lives to the fullest.

Retreat for Heroes will provide numerous events and retreats each year. We will provide these family friendly events so that the entire family can escape the daily grind of their struggles and connect with other Heroes and families who are in similar circumstances. We will host as many Heroes and families as we can per event and per year so that they can create a long-term support network with one another.

If Heroes or families come to our events broken or struggling, they will leave the event with a renewed sense of strength; empowered to conquer new challenges. They will leave with a solid support network and most importantly they leave as a family.

When our Heroes leave from the retreat, they will have a contact support team through our Sentry Program that will stay in contact with the Heroes and their families. As the Heroes and their families progress through and become Alumni, they will have the opportunity to join the Sentry Team. This ensures that each Hero and their family have the opportunity to remain connected to the organization as long as they decide they want to be. This is how we ensure that Retreat for Heroes becomes a legacy, not just an opportunity.

The camp concepts are designed to provide for a modern and a more primitive retreat experience. Retreat for Heroes will tailor retreats utilizing a variety of experiences determined by pre-retreat surveys and other marketing research. Both the main camp and the tent camp are circular and surround a fire ring. That is very intentional as is the reason that the staff housing is separate. We want staff to interact after the program day, however, we want the Heroes and their families to continue to bond and interact as peers to continue that support and networking around the fire ring where we all can agree we can get a lot of peace and relaxation.

The main camp option is the modern camp approach. It will be designed using modern cabins or housing options as zoning laws allow. This option will have the modern comforts of home and will be Americans with Disabilities Act compliant. We anticipate this being the most popular option.

The tent camp has surveyed to be a popular option as a family getaway option to get back to nature and as a popular relaxation option.

The primitive camp will be made up of survival shelters made of resources that the Heroes find there. They will build their shelters during the event.

The survival course will be stations laid out throughout the area where the Heroes will learn and demonstrate different survival skills in a 2-3 day retreat. As we have surveyed this concept, we have found that it has been a very popular option amongst the Special Operations Community as a concept that they would enjoy with their children.

Retreat for Heroes is projecting a partnership with a landowner to build a retreat on 100 acres of land on a river that goes to the Tampa Bay. We will have variety of activities on the grounds, not limited to but including nature hiking, Shooting sports, water sports, adventure activities and archery. With 100 acres, the possibilities are endless.

The activities are a multi-prong project that will provide many opportunities to optimize, enhance and add to the mission of Retreat for Heroes. Through the use of nature, adventure, Brotherhood, Yoga, exercise, outdoor sports, outdoor education, animal contact, camping, pairing physical/mental conditions, guided relaxation and other outdoor activities paired with the ability to be away from the everyday civilization. This will enhance and optimize our suicide prevention mission.

The activities that we can host at the Retreats will include, but won’t be limited to:

We are limited only by our imagination!

We reach out to the public any chance we get in public speaking opportunities. Most of our public speaking engagements are ones that we have been invited to speak. If you have an opportunity that you would like to invite us to speak at. Please email us at info@retreatforheroes.org

We reach out to the community through outreach such as festivals, one day events, meet and greets, personal appearances, fundraisers, and other miscellaneous events and services.

We will be starting a Membership support opportunity that will allow a supporter to become a member of our organization starting at $22.00 a month to signify our mission to end the 22 suicides a day, and other tier levels as well.

Our Sentry Program will allow us to enroll Heroes into a peer support program that will ensure that they are being contacted by one of our staff on a regular basis for support. Whether it be daily, weekly, monthly, or whatever the need may be until that support is no longer needed. Once a Hero is put into Alumni status, that Hero can become a Sentry and provide support to other Heroes that may need it.

With your continued support, we will continue to develop more programs to continue and further the mission of reducing the effects, of Post-Traumatic Stress on the family unit, assisting in preserving the mental health of our Heroes, and preventing suicide in the Hero Community.