Homeward Bound Adirondacks (HBA) has been hosting retreats since 2015. For the past two years, HBA has been leasing property so as to offer more frequent retreats; this lease will expire in September 2021.
With the help of charitable donors across the community, on June 1 HBA purchased 105 acres of wilderness land in the Adirondacks, on which they plan to build a retreat center to continue their mission of accommodating veterans in need. The organization is currently setting up a capital campaign to assist in completing the goals of the program. HBA will continue to operate at their current location in Onchiota, N.Y., at the Sgt. Carlton A. Clark Memorial Veteran’s Camp, until November of this year.
Donors for this impactful project include the American Legion Riders of Ganville Post 323, American Legion Post 1618, Saranac American Legion Auxiliary Unit 1618, the Clinton County American Legion including 10 interior posts, Lake Placid American Legion Post 326, and Leonardo Dishamn, retired Medical Corps colonel, USAR. Collectively, these groups graciously donated over $9,000.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Homeward Bound Adirondack retreat center will be held on July 10 from 12 pm-3 pm, at 12801 State Route 30, Malone.
Recently, HBA hosted a spring retreat in Onchiota that hosted eight local veterans at no cost to them. This valuable retreat offered events such as hiking, canoeing and mindfulness activities. Additionally, a retreat serving 20 veterans from the New York City Samaritan program was hosted June 4-6. These retreats are well-received by their participants, some veterans claiming that they were “life-changing experiences.”
In addition to the healing retreats, HBA continues to promote awareness of PTSD, suicide prevention and veterans courts. They provide free medical and mental health transportation, crisis outreach, and case management at the veteran’s drop-in center in Saranac Lake, N.Y. HBA is a 501(c) not-for-profit, and is proud that over 95% of the money donated goes directly to veteran programs and retreats. Overhead for these donations is less than 3%. HBA would like to thank you so much for your support in their vital work of mitigating the effects of combat on returning soldiers. If you would like to learn more about Homeward Bound Adirondacks and the veteran services they provide, visit www.HomewardBoundAdirondacks.org.
