The Ripple Effect

Heroes on the Water is the featured organization this month.

The Center for BrainHealth is dedicated to improving the lives of America's brave fighting men and women. This commitment includes preparing our service members to be the absolute best they can be - before, during, and after deployment. It takes years to make civilians battle-ready, and BrainHealth research is designed to minimize the time it takes to successfully reintegrate veterans into civilian life.

Click here to read more...

Help our Veterans Win the Battle

There are thousands of men and women, our military heroes, who need our help. Many veterans don't live with hope. They suffer from despair, frustration, and isolation. Heroes on the Water offers them a hand up.

Encouragement. Fellowship. Success.

As you commit your money to win the battle for our veterans . . . . . imagine them, paddling their kayaks, catching a fish, saying, "Thank you for your help."

Volunteer Teams

Kayak fishing outings are carried out by the HOW local chapters and teams of volunteers committed to giving back to those who have given so much for us.

Heroes on the Water
101-C North Greenville Ave. #55
Allen, Texas 75002
jim@heroesonthewater.org
214-295-4541

Heroes on the Water is a 501(c)(3)

public charity that relies totally on contributions from individuals,
corporations and foundations.

Realizing the hero's ability to be in control of the kayak despite injuries, and the thrill of catching fish, impacts the entire family and encourages dreams and plans for a future.

A Lifeline for a Lifetime

We don't always hear or know what Heroes on the Water does for people.

A recent call from a returning vet that went fishing with HOW in Houston while he was going through a program with Project Victory at the TIRR at Herman Memorial tells it all. (TIRR is where Congresswomen Giffords went through rehabilitation.)

Mark faces TBI and other challenges and was calling for information about kayaks for himself and his 6 and 11 year old kids. He told me how relaxing kayak fishing was and how it helped him work through some issues. He continually repeated it was something he could do far into the future and get his kids into. He also mentioned loud noises were a trigger for him and yak fishing gave him the calmness he needed. Wonderful to hear, every time we hear it!

What's exciting, is that Mark now lives in North Carolina and can connect with another local HOW chapter.

One of my long term goals is be able to connect the folks that come to us with our band of brothers...that next level of support. When they leave a short term program like Project Victory or are medically discharged from active duty, we can point them to HOW Chapters and/or kayak fisherman at home that can show them the local waters and they can join the local kayak fishing hooligans!

It is great to know that HOW is making a difference in one person's life, for the rest of his life...and most likely the lives of his family too.

How many others did we have a deep impact on and never hear about?

Become a valued member of the Heroes on the Water team. Please give today. Every minute is priceless. Thank you!

Jim Dolan

Heroes on the Water

President

Encouraging Leadership
Meet Matt

Leadership can emerge from the most unsuspecting events. Matt is a living example.

Earlier this year, Matt spent a day on the water kayak 22 inch Bass

fishing with a former Marine and HOW guide named Kaleb. They caught a few fish, but it was Matt that got hooked . . . . hooked on a good thing. He discovered something that he could, in his words, "dive into and embrace".

That experience was a big shot in the arm to Matt. He shared his HOW story with 400 Wounded Warriors during a town hall meeting and offered to assist in future HOW outings. Matt became the primary small group outing coordinator. On average, Matt hosted 1-3 outings, benefiting 3-8 Soldiers and their families, every week.

Over time, Matt gradually assumed more and more responsibility; and his leadership skills started to resurface. Soon dozens of wounded veterans were on the water, experiencing healing and hope, because of his efforts. "Matt has made an incredible impact on our chapter, and he has single handedly gotten more Soldiers out of the barracks and on the water than anyone I know", states Michelle Little, Ft. Bragg/Cape Fear Chapter coordinator.

Ft Bragg/Cape Fear

Why? What motivated Matt? He says, "I really enjoy kayak fishing and want to share it with the guys that are always isolated in the barracks. Just getting outside and on the water is very relaxing and helps greatly with the mental and physical rehabilitation we need." He should know. He is a living example. A leader.

Paddle. Fish. Heal.