Enriching Lives – Returning Military, Veterans and their Families
Contributions to this Project would provide support to Returning Military, Veterans and their Families.
Enriching Lives – One at a Time. We started The Fenwick Foundation because we wanted to provide opportunities for community integration ( and therapy complementation) through quality therapeutic outings and activities to low-income and vulnerable older adults, returning military, Veterans and their families, people with disabilities and family caregivers who cannot afford or access them. Our efforts are aimed to combat loneliness and isolation, as well as the effects of military sexual trauma, PTSD, Sensory rehabilitation, substance abuse, and psycho-social and mental health issues that many experience. Theater and musical performances, professional sports, educational museum visits, “out-to-eat” breakfasts, lunches and dinners, bowling, visits to the zoo, circus performances, attendances at conferences, riverboat tours, holiday festival of lights presentations, and much more. Opportunities that we all get excited about, that give us a chance to be with others in the community, to socialize, get exercise, to laugh and have fun and, at times, to look forward to getting back home! As with most of us, special outings and activities improve our wellbeing, make us happier, more able to handle the stresses of life and, a chance to “escape” the day-to-day. To some, what we do might seem like a “nice to have” but not essential given all the needs out there. To the contrary, we think they are essential and fundamental to health and wellbeing – just as it is for the rest of us.
Returning Military, Veterans and their Families. Our programs for our military and Veteran heroes are designed to provide these quality therapeutic outings and activities and to assist them with their recuperation, recovery and, for returning military, reentering civilian life. We work with U.S. military hospitals, Department of Veterans Affairs facilities and other programs that provide therapeutic, psychiatric, emotional and other services – including low-vision rehabilitation, substance abuse therapy, military sexual trauma therapy, mental health and/or mental or psycho-social therapy.
We plan, coordinate and provide our outings and activities to assist program managers with the treatments being provided by them – to encourage socialization, being with community, sharing a common goal (e.g., rooting for a baseball team, enjoying a concert together, sharing a meal with family and friends, etc.) and helping them to recover, to re-enter civilian life and to encourage good family relationships. Our programs support not only returning military and Veterans but also their families and caregivers – so very important for many for their recuperation and recovery.
We also offer economic support in the form of gift cards, fuel cards, grocery food cards, pharmacy cards for personal items, etc. These are designed to provide a “helping hand” to recipients and to further encourage their recuperation and reentry to civilian life.
Focus of Effort/Economies of Scale. We have learned through experience that providing therapeutic outings and activities for our target populations is not an easy task. Logistical as well as cost challenges must be addressed – wheelchair accessibility, ingress and egress points, parking, distance to seats, restrooms, water sources – or program participants can’t attend them. Instead of individuals and small groups working with vendors and venues, we process multiple opportunities and serve as the focus of effort. For example, we handle requests for dozens of tickets to the Washington Nationals and Monumental Sports games and work with Nationals and Monumental staff to process them and provided for ADA seating requirements - instead of individuals or small groups separately contacting and working with them.
