Help for Wounded Vets

For injured soldiers returning stateside from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the first sight they often see are the walls of an intensive care unit. With multiple tubes running from IV poles into their arms, with monitors beeping in the background, with unfamiliar noises and faces, their new surroundings are only the beginning of a new life, a new reality. So, where do they go from here?

With loss of limbs, vision or hearing, with imbedded shrapnel and burns to the flesh, with head trauma and more, the picture seems bleak and often a sense of hopelessness engulfs the human spirit. How then do they pick up the pieces and start over?

It would make us feel better to think that they all recover. We’d like to think that they all return home and pick up where they left off before they were deployed, but sometimes that’s just not the case.

In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.

Jose Narosky

About Hunts for Healing

Established in February 2009, Hunts for Healing is a small non-profit, completely volunteer organization, made up of veterans, and people from all walks of life, experiences and backgrounds. Our challenging outdoor activities, social interaction, home-cooked meals and care, provides the friendship, acceptance and encouragement our wounded warriors need.

Hunts For Healing recreates the small squad experience for our wounded veterans. Each event typically has six participants. Each Participant is assigned a volunteer mentor. Healing starts to take place as the group bonds and learns from each other. The outdoor activities Hunts for Healing provides aid in the physical, emotional, and spiritual healing, as well as providing social interaction that allows the soldiers to transition back into their daily lives.

As a measure of the success of the program, many of our participants find their Hunts for Healing experience life-changing. Some become volunteers and mentors for our program. Others start similar programs in their own communities.

The Hunts for Healing fund is largely supported by private donations.

Current Leadership

Officers

  • President: Pete Hatton
  • Vice President: Mark Wiernuz
  • Secretary: Terri LaRue
  • Treasurer: Pert Kane
  • Events Coordinator: Travis Rupert