FW: Kids camp

 Ya' know,  every once in a while something comes along that is just perfect!!!

We are here on earth to do good unto others. What the others are here for, I have no idea.

Subject: Fw: Re: Kids camp

I am familiar with this group. They are a great bunch who really care about the kids.  We (Department of Missouri) have donated both funds and manpower to help them, and will continue to do so.

YIP

Everett Kelly

Commander

Department of Missouri, MOPH

Our mission is to help children (ages 11-17) of our Heroes to develop the coping skills of courage, confidence, and resiliency to overcome the fears and challenges of living with a Wounded Warrior, or rise above the loss of a parent or family member who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our Nation.

Regardless, reads like a great program ... 

VR

Ernesto

We need your help so we can help the kids     www.kidsofourheroes.org

Paul " Buck"  Deer    Vice -Chairman of the Board ..Purple Heart July 14 1970 Vietnam

ABOVE ARE PICTURES AT THE STATE CAPITOL ON THE HOUSE FLOOR .A STATE RESOLUTION WAS GIVEN..5/5/14

Kids of Our Heroes Adventure Camp

Keeping the promise to those kids whose parent made the

Ultimate Sacrifice or returned wounded from the Global War on Terrorism

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Here is a brief description of our Kids camp for military kids and the founders.

 

More than anything we are just looking to get the word out to military kids that there is a free camp for kids in Missouri, especially in the greater ST Louis Area where I personally attended several military funerals and left wanted to help these kids.

 

Kids of Our Heroes-Adventure Camp (KOOH-AC)

 

 

Kids of Our Heroes-Adventure Camp (KOOH-AC), Jenkins, Missouri. We started this endeavor in 2013 and plan to have three (3) camps during the summer months of 2014. Each camp is Free to kids and is a 6-day event for kids of fallen or severely wounded warriors from Iraq or Afghanistan.  Our goal in this endeavor is to provide opportunities for positive adventure engagements while learning coping skills necessary to help process the grief and find encouragement in a safe and supportive environment.  All campers are military kids between the ages of 11-17 who have either lost a parent in combat or have a severely wounded parent as a result of combat. This camp is open to all military kids from Active Duty, Guard or Reserve whose parent as a result of a combat injury was either severely wounded or KIA.

All camp staff are retired, wounded and/or disabled combat veterans except one civilian who is a license professional counselor (LPC). Additionally, the camp director is a wounded combat veteran, a provisional license professional counselor (PLPC) and currently a readjustment counselor therapist with the VA Vets Center. All KOOH-AC Board of Directors are veterans.

Our outdoor camp is designed around an adventured, paired with a counseling theme that is merged into the daily activities. Nightly campfire groups will reinforce the counseling theme and provide an array of coping techniques that campers can use to guide them through their awareness, struggles and ultimately towards comfort and relief. 

Our camp site is primitive with campers sleeping in tents on cots and utilizing an outdoor shower trailer. Meals will be cooked campfire style, breakfast and dinner meals with begin with respects rendered while raising or lowering The Flag of the United States of America, a prayer, then a sit-down meal will be shared in an open-air dining facility. The sleeping area is accessible by crossing a 100 ft. suspended foot bridge.

When we decided to do this endeavor, we had no idea our camp was going to be so unique, if not a "one-of-its-kind" camp. Where ours differentiate from other camps afforded to fallen or wounded warrior kids is that our camp is 6-day event, parent or guardian does not accompany the camper, and the camp's underpinning is counseling, whereby coping skills are incorporated into a daily thrilling adventure.   

As retired veterans still wanting to serve. The journey started with COL Retired Michele Hovland and her husband CW3 Retired Darrell Hovland with a piece of creek front land marked by God's beauty in the Ozarks and a decade old dream of having a kids' camp for at-risk kids. Since then far too many funerals were attended seeing too many children on the front row scared, lost and wondering what happens next. As their military family lost more soldiers or came home wounded their vision took shape and they decided to make a difference in these kid's lives. They had the land, passion and time.

Michele retired Aug. 2012 after 30 years in the military both on active duty and National Guard, and now is a certified counselor working with veterans and their families. Darrell retired with over 20 years, of which 16 years were in the Special Officers together they have 50 years military service and 5 combat tours.  Darrell is in the middle of a Construction Mgmt. pro-gram started building a staff cabin and preparing areas along the creek for use as a camp. Their formed a team of fellow veterans and counselors who wanted to share the vision, and so the kids' camp was no longer a dream but now a reality.

All of our Board Member are veterans with a passion to help these kids. The majority are combat veterans with their own wounds to heal. When there is no walking away from this battle, it is the power of the veterans group, that somehow only those who have walk the path can offer incredible assistance to those still on their journey. This camp will help kids who having started the journey after losing their parent or the child of a severely wounded warrior, we offer coping skills as they learn to walk through the storm of hurt, uncertainty and loneliness. Knowing that they are not alone as they all come from the same war torn community, by reaching out they do not have to walk the journey alone.

 

 

 

Michele Hovland, MS, PLPC

Readjustment Counseling Therpist

Fayetteville Vet Center, #727  

1416 N. College Ave

Fayetteville, Ar. 72703

Phone 479 582-7152

Fax 479 251-1823

Toll Free: 800-691-8387 x7152

Website: http://www.vetcenter.va.gov/

Email: Michele.hovland@va.gov

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Yours In Patriotism,

Ernesto P. Hernandez III

National Adjutant

Military Order of the Purple Heart

703-642-5360 X119

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