After a summer that was complete with outings for veterans, service members, military families, military spouses, and military couples, Heroes In Transition (HIT) is preparing for more of the same in the coming weeks.
“We have a full schedule geared towards providing those we serve with the support they need and deserve, especially with the underlying uncertainty posed by the pandemic and the impact it’s had over the past year,” HIT Executive Director Nicole Spencer said. “Our upcoming programs will offer healing, help build resiliency, strengthen relationships, and create a real sense of community.”
HIT’s programs will start on Saturday, September 11, with Reboot, a five-session course that will conclude on Saturday, October 2. Reboot is intended to give female service members, veterans, and spouses access to skills and strategies that build resiliency, cultivate mindfulness, and foster well-being.
This is now the second time HIT has organized Reboot which is led by Dr. Marie Bartram of Sandwich. “It really is an opportunity for us to provide support to a population that is the fastest growing within the veteran community,” Dr. Bartram said. “Over the course of five separate sessions, we help them address the challenges they’re facing as a result of military service and allow them to come together with others who understand and share similar difficulties.”
Along with Reboot, HIT will be holding its Veteran Equine Warrior Program which will take place from Friday, September 17 through Sunday, September 19 at Camp Lyndon. During the weekend, veterans will care for, ride, and bond with horses at Alliance Equestrian Center in Sandwich. The goal of the program is to give veterans a chance to step away from the stressors of life and experience the healing, non-judgmental nature of horses.
Now in its second year, the equine program allows the group to continue their healing beyond the weekend-long retreat during shorter half-day sessions at Alliance Equestrian Center which will be held every quarter.
HIT will also be holding its annual Fall Couples Retreat on Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17 at the Red Jacket Resort & Spa in Yarmouth. The retreat helps military couples improve their communication, enhance their intimacy, and strengthen their relationship.
“Since 2017, these retreats have offered a safe space for military couples to open their hearts to healing, forgiveness, and love,” said Kristen Alexander of Sandwich, who organizes the retreats with her husband John, an Army veteran. “We’ve seen people grow as individuals and as couples as a result of these retreats. For many, the retreat has been lifechanging and has not only saved, but strengthened marriages.”
Anyone interested in participating in HIT’s upcoming programs should email contact@heroesintransition.org.
The programs are free to all participants and made possible through the generosity of HIT’s Community Partners Cape Cod 5 Foundation and Cape Cod Retractable, Inc. of Pocasset as well as the Yawkey Foundation, the Woods Hole Foundation, and the Behrens Fund at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.
