This past summer three women drove from Chicago to attend a healing retreat for women veterans held on the shores of Lake George. Others came from Buffalo, New York City, elsewhere throughout the state, and one tried to fly in from Australia.
Thirteen years ago Creative Healing Connections held its first retreat for women living with cancer at Great Camp Sagamore. Eight women attended. This past April its August retreat for women veterans already had a waiting list. As a consequence a second women veterans’ retreat has been added for next summer and a new retreat for women spouses and partners of those who serve in the military is being planned in cooperation with Homeward Bound Adirondacks for next spring.
“There is no other program like it in the country,” said one disabled veteran named Octavia who was returning for her second time. Whether for veterans or women living with cancer and other chronic diseases, or for active duty pre-deployment soldiers, the retreats all create safe spaces for the participants to share their experiences, learn techniques to enhance their quality of life, offer participation in a wide array of arts activities designed to help people individually and or collectively share their experiences, and draw on the healing power of nature.
Creative Healing Connections (CHC) is an ACT success story. Initially Great Camp Sagamore was their fiscal agent, but as they grew ACT first took on that role and then shepherded them through the process of becoming their own 501(c)(3). They developed their by-laws, incorporation papers and established a board of directors. ACT has remained a coach and facilitator, and their go-to resource for non-profit management and fund-raising issues.
Yet CHC’s growing
popularity comes with great challenges. Their goal is to maintain an open door
policy so that any person who wishes to attend can afford to do so. Current
economic conditions have resulted in over half of their participants requesting
scholarships, up a third from previous years. As a consequence Creative Healing
Connections has to raise approximately 70% of their income to enable them to
serve the growing number of people who seek their services, the majority of
whom come from the North Country – especially
along the southern tier.
For those who wish to donate to Creative Healing Connections and help your Veterans, contact Executive Director, Martha Spear by email at marthaspear@gmail.com or call 518-390-3899. For more interesting stories and information about Creative Healing Connections visit their website at creativehealingconnections.org
