BERKELEY – Soldiers fight together, but after the battle go their separate ways. That leads to loneliness as the veteran doesn’t have anyone around them who truly understands what they went through.
That’s why volunteer groups are trying to bridge that gap, and stop the reported 22 veteran suicides a day. And it’s why several veteran support nonprofits gathered for the Redondo Foundation’s ruck and fundraiser at Veterans Park.
Don Redondo, who started the 501(c)3, said he helps local vets who have PTSD or traumatic brain injury get away from their struggles for a little bit and bond with others who might be going through the same thing.
A group recently came back from Moab, Utah. In national parks like this, a veteran can unplug and de-stress.
“There’s no noise. They can really focus on themselves. They realize what’s really important,” he said.
Redondo brings his service dog and there’s a dog trained for PTSD that goes on the trip. The veterans get a chance to interact with the dog, and if they make a good connection, then they might be a candidate to get a service dog of their own.
“We think we can control everything,” he said, sharing the story of a fellow veteran who seemed like he had everything going right in his life until he ended it all.
“I lost more brothers to suicide than down range,” he said.
Redondo lives in Bayville and he mentioned how he tries to help veterans that live within Monmouth and Ocean counties. That way they have a support system that they can share – no one is too far away. They might be surprised to learn that someone right down the street from them is going through the same things.
To help, or to be helped, visit ProjectAWOL.org.
There was a ruck inspired by a military march, and there were activities throughout the day. The event had suffered through two postponements before finally, coincidentally being held the weekend before Veterans Day.
People doing the ruck brought their dogs with them, and there was a lot of companionship to be had. Several other nonprofits had booths set up to provide support and help.
American Warrior Outdoors provides a similar service, taking veterans out for “eco therapy” into nature. Whether its hunting or fishing or something similar, they “get off the couch and out of their heads” for the day, said co-founder Kevin Nolan.
“We need to let them know they are not alone,” he said.
For more information on that, visit AmericanWarriorOutdoors.org
The Military Working Dog Team Support Association is a national nonprofit, and it was represented at the event by Manchester’s Doug Romer.
The group supports military working dog teams serving in the armed forces, sending care packages to teams deployed in harm’s way. They also boost morale with stateside kennel visits, honor retired dogs for K9 Veterans Day, and educate the public about their mission.
Romer was selling biothane dog leashes, which they found more durable than leashes made of other materials, because the dogs that tend to put a lot of wear and tear on their equipment.
For information about their group, visit MWDTSA.org.
Anything Is Pawsible is a nonprofit out of Medford that aims to make service dogs affordable. Don Lamb and Miranda Chick-Lamb said that a dog could cost as much as $30,000, and few people have the money for something like that.
The dogs help with a variety of challenges, like PTSD, anxiety, depression, and autism. Each person is different and the dog is trained for that specific need.
For information on that, visit PawsibleNJ.org.
The CSM Robert Gallagher Charitable Foundation was established five years ago in honor of a Toms River veteran who died of natural causes just a year after retiring. He had a goal to help veterans and military families, which his family now follows in his name.
For information on them, visit CSMRGCF.org.
