Swim With A Mission awards grants to Lakes Region veteran service organizations

MANCHESTER – Swim With A Mission recently distributed two grants to veteran service organizations in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. The total of $217,000 in funding will provide essential support to programs dedicated to improving the lives of veterans, active-duty service members, and their families. 

Camp Resilience

receives $185,000 grant 

The Patriot Resilient Leader Institute Camp Resilience is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2014 by a group of veterans and local citizens. Since 2014, Camp Resilience has welcomed hundreds of participants to rediscover their health and wellness. The organizational leadership consists of a diverse group of individuals with backgrounds in business, military, public safety, mental health, and nonprofit sectors.

Camp Resilience recognizes that those who have served their country and communities often need a helping hand to recover and maintain their mental and physical health. By running Camp Resilience retreats for service members, veterans, first responders, and their loved ones, Camp Resilience does its part to help those who have served bounce back in mind, body, and spirit.

Camp Resilience serves about 200 participants a year offering three and four-day retreats in the beautiful Lakes Region of New Hampshire, which provide Veterans, and in some cases their spouses/caregivers and their families, with peer-to-peer counseling, life skills workshops, and outdoor activities.

Founding Chair and Board Member Emeritus of Camp Resilience Kurt Webber  said, “This funding has enabled us to nearly double the number of retreats we offer each year. Many veterans and first responders hesitate to seek help, so bringing them together in a retreat setting where they can engage in meaningful activities is incredibly impactful. The true power lies in the group dynamic—when Veterans and first responders connect with others who understand their struggles, they open up, realize they’re not alone, and begin to support one another. It’s a very powerful experience.” 

Lakes Region Veterans

Coalition receives $2,000 grant

The Lakes Region Veterans Coalition is comprised of local veterans and community leaders working to implement the Together With Veterans suicide prevention program. This program, funded by the VA Office of Rural Health, focuses on helping rural veterans connect with their communities and access vital mental health resources.

The Together With Veterans program is a five-phase process to support rural communities in developing a local action plan to prevent veteran suicide. The five phases guide the community through identifying veterans and other key partners; learning about suicide prevention and specific community strengths and needs; and developing and carrying out an effective local veteran suicide prevention action plan.

Vice President of LRVC Chris Peirce said, “In New Hampshire, Veterans make up 9% of the adult population. Understanding their unique culture and recognizing the signs of Veteran suicide is crucial, even though it’s a difficult topic. Encouraging people to ask the right questions and acknowledge the problem is key to reaching out and offering support.”

LRVC Treasurer Denis Querrard said, “Our goal is to provide the necessary resources and training, so Veterans are aware of the support available to them. We aim to break down the stigma that often keeps people from reaching out to someone in crisis. Many fear they might make things worse, but the truth is, your willingness to connect could be the lifeline that saves their life.”

For more information, visit swam.org.