Program areas at Camp Shield
Camp Shield's SHE THRIVES Retreats provide Women Veterans with a multi-day retreat, held at an off-site facility. The retreats focus on our mission of empowering women Veterans through emotional strength, social unity, and physical perseverance. By allowing a Veteran's children to attend the retreat, we can provide programming specific to family healing and recovery. Our retreat model is easily updated and modified to provide the latest information and healing practices, including traditional therapies and holistic health approaches. We have a clinical psychologist in attendance to facilitate some of the workshops and to be there should one of the women or children in attendance need to talk with a licensed therapist. In 2022 we had two SHE THRIVES retreats. Each of those retreats had 20 women and 10 of their children in attendance.
Camp Shield's SHE THRIVES Mastermind Book Clubs provide Women Veterans the opportunity to explore 'personal development/post traumatic growth' focused books with their peers. These facilitated, in-depth conversations, are led by qualified facilitators. Participants are encouraged to give honest feedback, opinions, and to create actionable items that they may incorporate into their lives. In 2022 we had 2 book clubs that served 40 women veterans.
Camp Shield's SHE THRIVES Workshops provide Women Veterans with the knowledge, tools, and experiences to achieve and maintain emotional strength, social unity, and physical perseverance. These workshops are two to six-hour long learning sessions which can be completed within a single day or over several weeks. Camp Shield strives to build strategic partnerships with other organizations so we can offer SHE THRIVES Workshops on a larger scale. A few examples of these workshops may include: Who am I now?, Financial Fitness, and Mind-Body Wellness. Other workshops will cover leadership training, scuba diving, hiking, fishing/hunting, women's self-defense, and firearm education/certification. Workshops are currently offered monthly with a licensed therapist in attendance or on-call. Childcare is provided or reimbursed for, if needed. In 2022 we had 16 workshops.
Camp Shield's SHE THRIVES Peer Support Groups provide Women Veterans with an open, safe, and secure environment to connect with and earn from fellow Veterans, not only in their local community, but across the United States of America. These support groups meet regularly for one-hour sessions. The SHE THRIVES Peer Support Groups have developed a peer-to-peer support structure model that is replicable across the country. In 2022 we had 24 (twice monthly) 'Wonder Women Wednesday' virtual peer support groups. In 2022 we served 124 Women Veterans in our Peer Support Groups.
Other Services: In 2022 Camp Shield also collaborated with other organizations to help our veterans in many different ways. A few examples are: Rapid re-housing for homeless veterans, gas and grocery gift cards, providing Christmas trees/decorations, Christmas gifts, Christmas stockings for the children of women veterans, Holiday meals, vehicle repairs, educational courses, recreational adventures, and child care assistance. In 2022 we served a total of 248 Women Veterans and family members through these Other Services.