Soldiers Freedom Outdoors looks to heal veterans at Camp Meridale
Apr. 23—Veterans and active duty service members suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or just needing a break to clear their heads have a new avenue to seek help as Soldiers Freedom Outdoors dedicated its new location Saturday at Camp Meridale.
Tasked with the mission to "heal the hidden wounds of war," Soldiers Freedom Outdoors is a Florida-based nonprofit organization providing outdoor retreats and activities for current and former military, said CEO and Founder Daniel DeMarco. First launched in 2011, he said, the organization has been helping current and former service members for 13 years.
"We kind of started this just to honor their service but also to help with post traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, but also there are some veterans who don't suffer from that but served, and we want to be able to say thank you to those as well," he said.
Veterans have a variety of activities to select from during their retreats including blacksmithing, horse riding, beekeeping, skeet shooting, fishing, kayaking and more. The activities, as well as the rest of the retreats, are provided at no cost to the veterans.
DeMarco said there is something special about getting veterans together with other veterans that helps them forge connections and begin to heal. It doesn't matter if they knew each other previously, served in the same branch of the military or even served in the same conflict. Every veteran has a story, and they share a common bond.
Outside of the retreats, which are just for veterans and active duty service members, the organization also hosts family days and events where spouses and children can take part in the days' activities as well, DeMarco said. The family days also serve to introduce veterans to the organization and make them aware of the resources that are available if they need them.
Soldiers Freedom Outdoors has been holding events for veterans in Mississippi for two years, DeMarco said but recently had the opportunity to purchase Camp Meridale as a permanent location in the Magnolia State.
"Our plan is to be able to do what we do in Florida. If you see what we do there, it's what we want to do here," he said. "We can't reach all the vets from Florida, and our goal is to have three more camps throughout the country."
Duplicating the programming at its Florida camp is not going to happen overnight, DeMarco said, and the organization needs the support of the community to help it fulfill its mission. After acquiring Camp Meridale and some of the surrounding land for a total of 170 acres, he said, there is no shortage of work, and the organization is always looking for volunteers.
Soldiers Freedom Outdoors is also a 501©3 and operates on donations. Since its founding in 2011, DeMarco said, no one involved in the organization has taken a paycheck, and all the money raised has gone to support veterans. Realistically, he said, the goal for the organization is to grow big enough that full time staff will be needed, but even then no one will be getting rich.
Along with the unveiling of Camp Meridale, the nonprofit has launched a new fundraising effort asking people to commit to donating $1 every month. That's not a lot for one person to give, DeMarco said, but it can make a big difference.
"There's over 16 million veterans in this country and a lot more patriots that aren't veterans," he said. "If we can get 500,000 or 1 million people donating $1 per month that's grassroots and they can be a part of something."
To learn more about Soldiers Freedom Outdoors, its services or how to get involved, visit soldiersfreedomoutdoors.org.
Contact Thomas Howard at thoward@themeridianstar.com
