As the trees begin to adorn themselves with the golden hues of Fall, the weather starts to cool, and your coffee smells of pumpkin spice, remember to adorn yourself with the habit of self-care! Take the time to reintegrate yourself with healthy practices. What self-care practice can you take advantage of at the Big Red Barn Retreat this season, to encourage your wellness journey and put or keep you on the path to Posttraumatic Growth? | | |
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HELP THE BIG RED BARN RETREAT WIN A DEFENDER
We are excited to announce that we are a finalist to receive a Defender as part of the Veterans and Civil Servant Outreach Award category in the 2023 Defender Service Awards and we need your help!!
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Vote for Us!
Here is how you can help us win a defender for our Warrior PATHH Team:
- Vote - and then vote again - once per day, per person
- Ask your friends and family to vote, near and far (just need a valid email address)
- Share with all your contacts
- Share on Social Media
Voting will run from September 15th - October 4th and you can vote for our organization using the links below and email your vote (Beginning Friday, September 15th). You can vote once per day, per email. So please take a few moments every day to vote for The Big Red Barn Retreat.
The following links will be live beginning Friday at approximately 10:30 AM
If you would like to receive a daily reminder email or text, let us know and we will add you to the list (Only to be used during the voting season, please don't unsubscribe), email: ycritchfield@thebigredbarnretreat.org and she will add you to the list.
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Fall Jam Tickets on Sale Now!! | |
The Big Red Barn Retreat's 2023 Fall Jam at the Ballpark is the not-too-miss event of the year!
Fall Jam at the Ball Park is the Big Red Barn Retreat's largest fundraiser of the year. And we bring a star-studded performance to Segra Park to bring the community together for entertainment and a common goal to support Veterans and First Responders whose lives are changed through the programs offered at the BRBR. Through the support of our Sponsors, and supporters we continue to save lives and shift the narrative from Posttraumatic Stress (PTSD) to Posttraumatic Growth (PTG).
We are excited to announce our headliner, Chris Janson, a Grand Ole Opry Member and Multi-Platinum Songwriter and Country Music Artist. Chris Janson is part of country’s new breed. In touch with the lighter side of life with self-penned No. 1s “Fix A Drink,” “Good Vibes,” and the triple platinum “Buy Me A Boat,” as well as the more thoughtful truths of “Done,” “Things You Can’t Live Without,” and the CMA Song of the Year nominee, ACM Video of the Year, and two time grammy nominee hit “Drunk Girl.” Beyond his artistry are his live shows, where all that heart-on-the-four-wheeler songwriting meets the fans where they come to rock.
Don’t miss your chance to see this live legacy in the making, buy your tickets now!
Click Here to listen to Chris Janson on Spotify.
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Brooks Herring will also be joining us from Nashville to open for Fall Jam
Brooks Herring is a Warrior PATHH Alumni and Navy Veteran who learned how to turn his struggle into strength at the BRBR and is pursuing his dream of becoming a musician.
The Big Red Barn Retreat is excited to have him back for Fall Jam once again and you won't want to miss this up-and-coming country music artist and hear his story from struggle to strength.
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Buy your tickets to the 2023 Fall Jam in the Ballpark featuring multi-platinum Country Music Artist Chris Janson and support the BRBR Today! | |
Join us as we welcome some new team
members to the Big Red Barn Retreat
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Welcome Marty "The MOAK" Martinez as the BRBR's New Executive Director
We are excited to announce Marty Martinez as The Big Red Barn Retreat's new Executive Director. A distinguished 28-year United States Army combat veteran, Marty brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new role. As the CEO of Joint Task Force-214, a marketing company dedicated to assisting veterans and first responder-owned businesses, and the host of the widely acclaimed “Lounge With Legends Show,” which supports Veterans and First Responders in transitioning from battlefield to business, Marty is uniquely positioned to lead BRBR into its next chapter.
“I am honored and humbled to join the Big Red Barn Retreat as the Executive Director,” said Marty Martinez. “The mission of BRBR deeply resonates with me, and I am committed to furthering its impact on the lives of our courageous veterans and first responders. By leveraging my experience in the military, business, and podcasting, I look forward to working closely with the dedicated staff, volunteers, and partners to create meaningful programs that facilitate positive transformations.”
To connect with Marty, follow him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marty-martinez-jtf214/ or tune in to the “Lounge With Legends Show” on YouTube.
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We also Welcome Dan Navarro as our Newest Warrior PATHH Guide
We are excited to have Dan Navarro back at the Big Red Barn Retreat. Dan, a 22-year Army Veteran, attended Warrior PATHH in April of 2022 and has been spending the past year putting into practice the skills he learned and has embraced his own journey of Posttraumatic Growth. Dan said, "I realized during PATHH that I was holding myself back by not recognizing my own struggles. Warrior PATHH shattered the glass and helped me realize what I needed to work in order to heal." Dan said of the Labyrinth...
"I walked in alone, but we walked out a tribe!"
Dan is ready to help other veterans or first responders recognize their struggles and turn that Struggle into Strength. Dan also has his own YouTube Channel and you can follow him at https://www.youtube.com/@Azimuth2Campsite
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Do you have what it takes to be a Warrior PATHH Guide?
Have you been through Warrior PATHH and want to see what being a PATHH Guide entails, come try out for a Warrior PATHH Guide position.
A Guide supports the delivery of Warrior PATHH or Struggle Well and is someone who has demonstrated their ability to transform struggle into strength and is still walking their path. At a minimum, you must have completed the Warrior PATHH 90-day or 5-Day Struggle Well course and have lived the PTG lifestyle for up to 6 months after completion of training.
Please express your interest in an upcoming Train the Trainer Course by sending an email to Info@thebigredbarnretreat.org and please put Train the Trainer in the Subject of the email.
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Need some Self Care?
Add Yoga or Tai Chi to your fall fitness calendar.
Physical activity is an important element of your journey to Posttraumatic Growth and overall wellness. At the Big Red Barn Retreat, we offer weekly Yoga and Tai Chi classes for veterans, active duty service members, first responders, and their immediate family members at no cost. Classes are held in the log cabin depot (which looks like a 3-bay garage) on the air-conditioned top floor at 830 Lorick Road, Blythewood, SC.
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Join us for the BRBR's Monthly
Form Up Friday
Form Up Fridays allows the participant to learn and apply skills through Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) and is based on the principles of posttraumatic growth. EAL is an experiential approach to learning that leverages the unique qualities of horses to enhance self-awareness, facilitate emotional regulation, and improve interpersonal relationships. The goal is to facilitate personal growth and develop life skills that enhance relationships in all areas of the participant’s life.
Veterans and first responders who participate in EAL programs like Form Up Fridays experience noticeable improvements in physical, mental, and emotional health. Use the buttons below to sign up for our upcoming Form Up Fridays class sessions on August 25th and September 22nd!
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Farm to Table with Chef Jason Dersch | |
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BBQ Workshop
We will be having a BBQ Workshop for our October Farm to Table class. This event will be held at the Pavilion and will be an outdoor event. space is limited so sign up today.
Veterans and First Responders are eligible to participate in this class. Spouses may also attend, as long as they fill out their own registration form and attend the class with the Veteran or First Responder. Farm to Table cooking classes fill up quickly, so please be advised that you may be asked to participate in a later course due to capacity.
| The Farm To Table program is supported through grant funding from Colonial Life. Thank you! | |
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FARM TO TABLE
Recipe of the Month
| Click Here to download recipe pdf | |
Fall Happenings in the Garden! | |
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Fall Gardening 101
a beginner gardening class
Most beginning gardeners only garden in the spring. What if I told you that fall and winter growers can produce even more bountiful harvests? Learn how to set up your garden, what to grow and where, how to manage pests and disease and care for your soil, and have your gardening questions answered! Gardening in the cooler months offers a fantastic opportunity to get outdoors and in the sunshine. Start gardening or get a refresher on your gardening skills.
Thursday, September 21st from 5:30-6:30PM
Please click the link below to sign up.
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Friday Morning's in the Garden
Beat the Heat on Friday Mornings with Hannah in the Garden. She would love your help from 8:30 to 9:00am Fridays in September! Assist Hannah as she prepares the garden for fall planting.
Feel free to bring your friends and family as well, garden volunteering is open to everyone! Please click the link below to sign up.
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Warrior PATHH Volunteers Needed
for September and October Classes
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Warrior PATHH is expanding! We are excited that we will be able to offer this transformative program to more veterans, and first responders, but with this expansion comes an increased need for kitchen and cabin reset volunteers.
Kitchen Volunteers: As a kitchen volunteer, you take part in preparing and serving meals at breakfast, lunch, or dinner for our Warrior PATHH participants during their seven-day initiation. By volunteering on a regular basis, you will be able to see the extraordinary changes that happen within our PATHH participants as they advance through the program and create positive transformations in their lives.
We always try our best to make sure everyone receives a volunteer opportunity, but we cannot promise you will be scheduled. Spots are first come, first serve. Please note, you are not guaranteed a volunteer spot until you have received a confirmation message from the BRBR.
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"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
-Ghandi
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Are you a veteran, active duty, or first responder who is struggling? Start your journey to Posttraumatic Growth at the Big Red Barn Retreat
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The Big Red Barn Retreat started hosting Struggle Well Trainings in 2022. The program is geared toward first responders and is supported by the agencies here in South Carolina. Participants prepare, practice, and implement an individualized plan for personal growth by transforming struggle into strength, enabling them to be of continued service to themselves, their family, their work, their community, and their country. Struggle Well is expanding throughout the Carolinas. If you need this
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Warrior PATHH, is a nationally recognized evidenced-based curriculum, based on principles of PTG or Posttraumatic Growth. The program is 90 days and begins at BRBR with a seven-day intensive residential stay, guided by a team of combat veterans or first responders who have themselves attended the program. Warrior PATHH allows our Warriors to learn how to struggle well in the aftermath of trauma, giving them the opportunity to become the best version of themselves and live the life they desire.
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Thank you for your support!
Support the Big Red Barn Retreat and your gift will support Veterans, Active Duty Military, and First Responders with transformative programs that promote Posttraumatic Growth!
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