Since 2014, Home Base has collaborated with hundreds of police and fire departments, EMS services, and corrections officers to raise over $1.5 million through the Home Base No Shave campaign. In honor of September as Suicide Awareness Month and to enhance inclusivity, we are combining the efforts of No Shave and the Home Base Push Up Challenge presented by PTC into a month-long campaign called Save a Life September. This year, our communications and development departments, alongside the outreach team, are thrilled to introduce this revitalized campaign with new incentives and a fresh look to both the first-responder community and the general public.

Our outreach team kicked off the initiative with significant engagement at various National Night Out events across the state in early August. The Chicopee National Night Out, the largest in Massachusetts, saw our team raising awareness about our program and distributing backpacks with school supplies generously donated by the Red Sox Foundation and assembled at this year’s Run to Home Base. At Medford’s National Night Out, team members engaged with the city’s Mayor and Police Chief to discuss our impactful work. Additionally, our Veteran Outreach team set up exhibitor tables at National Night Outs in Springfield, Worcester, Mattapan, Amesbury, Lynnfield, Walpole, and Gardner, generating tremendous interest and support.

The Adventure Series offers Veterans, Service members, and their Families unique community experiences, often introducing them to new activities. We are excited to extend some of these opportunities to the first-responder community as well. In August, first-responder families joined us for a day of downhill mountain biking at Cranmore Mountain. We plan to host these events at least four times a year, featuring various activities designed for first responders and their families.

As Veterans Day approaches, the Outreach team is preparing for a busy period with numerous events scheduled across New England. Each year during the weeks surrounding November 11th, our team actively participates in upwards of 30 events. These events include speaking engagements at various K-12 schools and colleges to educate students and community members about the significance of Veterans Day, our nation’s commitment to veterans, and the impactful work of Home Base for our nation’s Veterans and their Families. Additionally, the team will collaborate to provide holiday meal items for Veterans throughout Boston, work with our partners at WCVB Channel 5 during the annual Helping Heroes Heal Televent, and participate in the Run for the Troops Road Race with all proceeds benefiting various Veterans organizations.

These events showcase the diverse and meaningful ways in which organizations and communities unite to honor and support our Veterans.