This February, The Long Walk Home (TLWH) treated over 20 Veterans and family members to a free tour and lunch at Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary in Sarasota, FL. Big Cat Habitat provides a safe and caring home for dozens of exotic animals such as lions, monkeys, tigers, lemurs, and bears. They even have a liger (yes, they’re real)! TLWH is incredibly grateful to Big Cat Habitat for hosting our group of Veterans and providing everyone with an educational and entertaining experience. To stay up to date with TLWH’s upcoming local events, visit our events page.
The event also included a 30 minute body language seminar on body language by Kenny DeCamp, a U.S. Army Veteran. The seminar highlighted the tremendous impact that posture and body movement can have in our day-to-day interactions. DeCamp also hosts a weekly radio show, “Role Call”, where he discusses topics related to the military and our country’s service members. You can listen to “Role Call” on the Veterans Broadcast Network (VBN).
TLWH is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Venice, FL that helps Veterans and their families transition to civilian life. The organization was founded by Ron Zaleski, a Marine Veteran, in response the the disproportionate Veteran suicide rate (currently 22 a day). TLWH holds these events to engage the local Veteran community and extend services to those who may need it. TLWH offers a Mentorship Program, a series of personal challenges designed to help individuals grow and find a new mission in life. The Mentorship Program can be taken online or in-person, and anyone who completes the challenges is eligible to become a Mentor and potentially make a difference in someone else’s life.
On March 5th and 6th, TLWH will also be hosting its second ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) workshop. ASIST is taught by trained military chaplains and is a proven method (based on 30 peer-reviewed studies) to educate participants on reducing suicidality and developing intervention skills. If you live in the area and would like to secure a spot, register here.
