freedoms families

my major is awesome. for one of my classes we needed to develop a program to help out the community in some way. my group and i collaborated with warren price the founder of Freedoms Families.

warren's story is pretty amazing. he was a marine in Iraq and got injured, after coming home he developed PTSD post traumatic stress disorder, causing his life to spiral. he was on the brink of divorce, his family was breaking and he was in such a deep depression he attempted suicide. things were terrible and one day his friend invited him to go on a fishing trip, on this trip warren reconnected with the world, having that peaceful time to sit and ponder, he found beauty in the world and became a changed man.

we call this type of experience therapeutic recreation. where you use recreational activities to help heal, regardless of what one needs to heal from, it really works.

well this life altering experience inspired warren to develop freedoms families. it consists of a week-long retreat to park city for injured veterans and their families. it is a time for these veterans (all diagnosed with PTSD) to reconnect with their families and stay together.

so after hearing warrens story i was very interested in becoming involved.

here is a little promotional video we made to get people to know about the organization. this family is proof that this retreat helps families stay together.




the retreat consisted of horseback riding, volleyball clinics, team building activities and much more. our group was in charge of the thursday activities. we had a barbeque dinner, games, a concert and dance. it was a blast. it was inspiring to see these families that were on the brink of falling apart, bonding, laughing and enjoying each other. we caught husbands and wifes holding hands and sneaking kisses. it was amazing to see the progress and the impact that simply spending time together can do.

families are everything and making the goal of keeping the family together is of utmost importance.

i will share some pictures of the night soon. it was amazing. if you are interested in learning more about the organization and getting involved visit http://freedomsfamilies.org/.

these men have risked their lives for our freedom, and they constantly go unnoticed. the effects of this sacrifice, if not treated can destroy lives and families. these men deserve the best and freedoms families helps them to find the joy and love that will help them adjust back to life after experiencing things we will all never have to.