Home Base Outreach Corner – Winter 2024
About the Veteran Outreach Team
Home Base’s Veteran Outreach Team is comprised of Veterans across the Armed Forces with a variety of backgrounds, eras of service and unique experiences. Veteran Outreach Coordinators (VOCs) help to connect Service Members, Veterans and their Families with the programming Home Base provides, offer peer support for those going through clinical care, and develop community partnerships and resources to extend a whole person approach to those that have served. Below are a few examples of community work our team has engaged in recently, as well as an outlook for our plans in 2024.
Local Outreach
During the month of November and December, the Veteran Outreach Team spoke to numerous middle and high schools in New England on what Veterans Day means. During those visits our VOCs engaged in talks about time in service, what it means to serve, how it has affected them, their families, and what Home Base does to help Service Members and their Families. Some of those high schools include: Medford High School, Millis High School, Cardinal Spellman, and Weymouth High School. VOCs continue to work with schools to promote mental health awareness and resiliency. This year the Outreach Team will be working with Department of Children and Families and their social workers to promote Resiliency Programs offered here at Home Base.
The Outreach Team has also fostered ties with Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) throughout the New England region over the past few months. These community roles are essential for addressing the needs in the Veteran population and raising awareness of mental health issues among our cohorts throughout Massachusetts. As the Outreach Team grows, we will continue to engage with VSOs to reach the Veteran community.
New Outreach Initiatives
We are excited to introduce new opportunities for Veterans and their Families to explore and express themselves through outdoor recreation. The Veteran Outreach team has been actively collaborating with different organizations to create unique Adventure Series. One such initiative is Rifles to Rods, which offers veterans the chance to engage in fly fishing. Another program, Soldiers on Singletrack, provides Veterans with the opportunity to experience the thrill of mountain biking.
Additionally, we are proud to announce our partnership with Tread Lightly! to establish a Veteran-based volunteer corps. This corps will work alongside the U.S. Forestry Service and other local organizations throughout the nation on various land stewardship tasks, ensuring the preservation and maintenance of our natural resources. We believe that these initiatives will not only provide Veterans with new avenues for self-expression but also foster a sense of camaraderie and purpose. Join us in supporting these endeavors and let us together create a brighter future for our Veterans and their Families.