After another record-breaking year for The Run to Home Base—where we honored Veteran and Service Member First Responders—our commitment to the first responder community hasn’t slowed.

The first week of August marked National Night Out Week, and our Veteran Outreach team traveled to eight communities across Massachusetts to connect with families and first responders. We shared information about Home Base’s services for Veterans, Service Members, and their families, as well as the wellness opportunities we offer to give back to the non-veteran first responder community in appreciation for their continued support in our mission to end veteran suicide.

These wellness opportunities include quarterly community events through Home Base’s Adventure Series and Resiliency Programs tailored specifically for first responders. In addition, our Training Institute offers free educational resources—including CME-accredited courses—designed to help first responders better understand the military population and the symptoms associated with PTSD. This knowledge equips them to respond more effectively when supporting the military-connected community.

In partnership with the Red Sox Foundation, we also distributed 500 back-to-school backpacks to at-need students from kindergarten through sixth grade throughout the state of Massachusetts —helping ensure they were ready for a strong start to the school year.

Each year on September 11th, our nation pauses to honor the lives lost during the tragic attacks 24 years ago. In partnership with Project 351—an initiative that began with the Mass Military Heroes Fund—Home Base continues this tradition of remembrance through service at the 9/11 Service Project. On the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Dorchester, MA, 400 community members joined us to assemble 1,000 care packages for local Veterans and Service Members deployed abroad. With the dedication of 60 volunteers, the packages were completed in just two hours—a powerful act of unity and gratitude that both honored the memory of 9/11 and supported those still serving today.