Given that the purpose of this retreat is respite and decompression, having access to quiet time and nature with activities like fishing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and more is a primary focus for our guests. Other options as yoga, mindfulness, meditation, and breathing techniques, sitting by campfires, watching nearby wildlife such as eagles, loons, deer, fox and more will be available. Guests will be able to escape some of the pressures and stresses of work and everyday life and have time to relax and reflect. Peers are made available for support and camaraderie. Guests can stay in cabins with other first responders and peer supporters. Guests will be given time for conversation to share what they are experiencing and realize that they are not alone. 

We hope that the first responders will be able to rebuild self-esteem, know that they are valued and supported, feel encouraged to make a plan going forward that includes self-care and go home feeling recharged and headed toward a better quality of life; something they all deserve.

During our 2022 Fall Retreat, our group took an excursion to the breath taking Bond Falls in the upper peninsula of Michigan.  Listen and watch as our treasurer, Liz Bartholomew, takes a walk down the path towards this falls. Do you notice how the sound gets louder and louder?