Helping Veterans make the transition from military to civilian life.


Become A Mentor For Veterans!
In the military we are taught to be of ultimate service to our country and to our fellow brothers and sisters. Getting discharged doesn’t mean we should abandon that mission. Rather, we must redefine it and utilize our military training to better serve our community.
The ‘10 Challenges to Service’ are designed to help us continue our mission to serve and protect. “How?” you might ask. We do it by being the person we want our children to become one day, a person who leads by example. The more we can learn and take the time to work on ourselves, the more value we can add to the lives of those around us. Think of these challenges as a boot camp, laying the groundwork for us to redefine our mission and take charge of our lives. We are not victims. It’s up to us to create the change we want, not Uncle Sam!
As you tackle each challenge, you will communicate with one of our Mentors about your progress and learnings. Upon completion of the 10th challenge, you may become a Mentor for The Long Walk Home if you so desire. Mentoring is an excellent opportunity not only to impact fellow Veterans, but also to reinforce what you learned from your own experience taking the challenges.
Get notified for upcoming Events and Programs for Veterans.
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Upcoming Events
Anger and Stress Management
January 31, 2023
Anger and Stress Management Anger and Stress Management Jan 31st, 2023. 8:00pm - 9:30pm Many of us face high amounts of stress in our lives…
Community Potluck – The first Sunday of every month, February 5th, 2023.
February 05, 2023
Community Potluck – The first Sunday of every month, 4:00 PM Venice Gardens Community Center 409 Shamrock Blvd Venice, FL Community Potluck! Bring a dish,…
Hiking Bootcamp Challenge and Camp Out
February 10, 2023
Hiking/Camping Bootcamp Challenge Hiking/Camping Bootcamp Challenge. Feb 10th-12th, 2023 Myakka State Park Campground 13208 State Road 72 Sarasota, Florida 34241 The Long Walk Home’s first…
Bootcamp Group Zoom Challenges-Feb 21st, 28th, and Mar 7th, 2023
February 21, 2023
Bootcamp Group Zoom Challenges-Feb 21st, 28th, and Mar 7th Bootcamp Challenges Group Zoom Feb 21st, 28th, and Mar 7th, 2023 at 8:30 PM EDT or…
The Long Walk Home, A Book By Ron Zaleski

988 Hotline Launches
Those seeking support during a mental health or emotional crisis may dial 988 to connect to a nationwide support network beginning tomorrow.
The transition to a simplified three-digit number is meant to increase access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and will operate similar to 911.
The move was facilitated by almost $300M in federal funding to both expand telephone infrastructure & increase call center staff. Via the network, trained counselors at more than 180 centers will be available over phone, text, or chat—users may call on behalf of themselves or others. The current 10-digit number has received more than 20 million calls since it was launched in 2005.
Suicide was one of the three leading causes of death in the US for those between 10 and 24 years of age in 2020 and claimed nearly 46,000 lives that year (see data)—almost double the number of homicides.