At this time we have partnered with the YMCA in Venice FL and with Project Welcome Home Troops to start a program the fall of 2018. It will consist of:
In the past our ultimate goal had been to build a gym free for Veterans as it has been proven that exercise helps heal PTSD and TBI. Also having owned and run a gym for over 20 years, Ron knows the benefit first hand as well as you need more then just exercise to accelerate the healing. Leading up to that goal, TLWH had leased a building with plans to convert it into a gym, but in the mean time we used it as a homeless shelter. What we learned over the 2 years we had this building offering assistance and weekly programs was that it would be more effective to partner with existing gyms and add other components to the exercise which are breathing and meditation. This will enable us to reach more service connected people faster and more efficiently. There are many ways to help form a supportive community, this is the way we chose to offer support.
When TLWH was renting a building in Key Largo, January 2015-December 2016, our outreach had evolved along with the initial mission. Early on, everything was about creating awareness until we began holding workshops in early 2014. These workshops grew in attendance and volunteers. We began to open them to all of the community. A presence was felt in the local community and many were starting to stop by to see what we were doing and what we were about. Referrals from other local outreaches/charities here in South Florida such as our churches, food pantries, Florida Keys Outreach Coalition and the Advocate Program (Veterans organization) started flowing in. Initially we just did our best to take care of those that showed up on our doorsteps as we had developed a lot of connections through our weekly program. We added things we could do immediately such as providing food, a shower, toiletries, employment referrals and temporary shelter. We then expanded this to delivering donated baked goods and other foods to sites where those experiencing homelessness congregate on a regular basis.
We also help those that are disabled or do not have the means to get to the VA Hospital or running other errands that they can't do easily on their own. We have helped Veterans get services the community offers, benefits they are entitled to, employment, programs to get their life back, shelter, food and dignity. We have discovered that if the statistics of 30 to 40% of the homeless population are Veterans the other 60 to 70% are children of Veterans for they were brought up in a severely dysfunctional household.
We do our best to ensure that everybody we encounter has what they came seeking whether it's counseling, a bite to eat, a place to lay their head for a night or a shoulder to lean on. Rest assured they all left with the same thing, dignity.
- A weekly "mindfulness" group
- Every several months a 3 day workshop on breath work facilitated by Project Welcome Home Troops
- We plan to work out the kinks making this duplicatable so that we may spread this to other gyms as soon as possible.
- TLWH is currently subsidizing gym memberships for Veterans
- Working to get sponsorships for veterans participation in Mud Runs and other races along these lines.
- Creating comradery within our communities, showing we are all in this together and supporting one another.
- Providing financial aid to Vets who want private counseling and qualify for that aid
- Guidance in getting the benefits they are entitled to
In the past our ultimate goal had been to build a gym free for Veterans as it has been proven that exercise helps heal PTSD and TBI. Also having owned and run a gym for over 20 years, Ron knows the benefit first hand as well as you need more then just exercise to accelerate the healing. Leading up to that goal, TLWH had leased a building with plans to convert it into a gym, but in the mean time we used it as a homeless shelter. What we learned over the 2 years we had this building offering assistance and weekly programs was that it would be more effective to partner with existing gyms and add other components to the exercise which are breathing and meditation. This will enable us to reach more service connected people faster and more efficiently. There are many ways to help form a supportive community, this is the way we chose to offer support.
When TLWH was renting a building in Key Largo, January 2015-December 2016, our outreach had evolved along with the initial mission. Early on, everything was about creating awareness until we began holding workshops in early 2014. These workshops grew in attendance and volunteers. We began to open them to all of the community. A presence was felt in the local community and many were starting to stop by to see what we were doing and what we were about. Referrals from other local outreaches/charities here in South Florida such as our churches, food pantries, Florida Keys Outreach Coalition and the Advocate Program (Veterans organization) started flowing in. Initially we just did our best to take care of those that showed up on our doorsteps as we had developed a lot of connections through our weekly program. We added things we could do immediately such as providing food, a shower, toiletries, employment referrals and temporary shelter. We then expanded this to delivering donated baked goods and other foods to sites where those experiencing homelessness congregate on a regular basis.
We also help those that are disabled or do not have the means to get to the VA Hospital or running other errands that they can't do easily on their own. We have helped Veterans get services the community offers, benefits they are entitled to, employment, programs to get their life back, shelter, food and dignity. We have discovered that if the statistics of 30 to 40% of the homeless population are Veterans the other 60 to 70% are children of Veterans for they were brought up in a severely dysfunctional household.
We do our best to ensure that everybody we encounter has what they came seeking whether it's counseling, a bite to eat, a place to lay their head for a night or a shoulder to lean on. Rest assured they all left with the same thing, dignity.
