Welcome to LHF Veterans Initiative, Inc.

Those of us who have never experienced the horrors of war can only begin to know the impact on those who have fought those battles in our name. We need to ask the question, "how can someone who goes into combat come out on the other side the same as they were prior to the experience"? 

The answer is that they are not that same person. They are injured in ways that are not clearly visible like other wounds. To quote many a combat Veterans, "you never get your soul back". 

These Veterans carry a heavy burden the rest of their lives often leading to many forms of dysfunction. We owe them some help.  We will be doing weekend retreats for these Veterans in the Southern Adirondacks. The retreats will consist of outdoor activities such as kayaking, hiking or fishing and maybe a trip to the Adirondack Museum.  

Since the Spring of last year, we have been conducting Veterans retreats in the Southern Adirondacks in partnership with Homeward Bound Adirondacks, a great organization with a long history of providing the mental health side of these events.

The sites chosen for these events are lake side, private and serene venues that provide the perfect setting for relaxation and comradery. Outdoor events are hiking, fishing and kayaking for the warmer seasons and ice fishing and snowshoeing for the winter. All the activities give the vets a chance to bond and enjoy each other. Saturday night includes a group campfire for peer to peer discussion, an important element of the retreat providing at least some healing. By all measures the retreats have been a huge success. That coming from our most important critics, the vets themselves. We've heard some pretty powerful and positive comments from them that inspire us to continue with great enthusiasm. The relationship with HBA has been not only productive, but enjoyable and we look forward to working closely with them for a long time. 

Recently, HBA has received funding for the retreats (as well as other programs concerned with the mental health of veterans) so we will increasing the frequency with which we offer the retreats. As part of that some of retreats will be specific to Vietnam vets. The need for this comes from the differences of the experience and the need to alter the outdoor activities to fit their needs.  The first of these events will take place on May 19th-21st.  This grant, however, is a suicide prevention grant and only provides funding for veterans deemed to be at risk for suicide. We, however, wish to serve any veteran who suffers from the effects of having served in battle.  Because of this  gap in funding, we have a bigger need, more than ever, for additional donations to cover the cost of these retreats!  To donate, please call Greg to learn how! 

This mission will be conducted under the professional guidance of Homeward Bound Adirondacks. They have a great track record of conducting these missions under the leadership of a licensed clinical social worker with a private practice specializing in PTSD and Veterans.

For information about joining one of our retreats please contact Homeward Bound Adirondacks at the link below:

https://www.homewardboundadirondacks.org/?msclkid=c042c4e1c5b411ec9ffebd2c9e54ff35