At the September SCFF board meeting, we unanimously voted to collaborate with the Monterey chapter of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) program. The Monterey chapter began earlier this year and there already has been great cooperation between the two organizations. SCFF’s members have become key instructors for clinics and fish outs that PHWFF have conducted this summer and SCFF have six new members that have come through the relationship with PHWFF.
For 2025, SCFF will try and identify Veterans and Active Military members who could be well served by participating in PHWFF’s monthly programs. We will also let our club members know about volunteer opportunities to help Veterans during the year. The Monterey chapter of PHWFF will strongly encourage their participants to join the Santa Cruz club to take advantage of our clinics, speakers, and fish outs.
Background: Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, a leading national nonprofit in the area of therapeutic outdoor recreation, using the sport of flyfishing as an intervention. The restorative healing powers of nature and the outdoors are well-documented: for our Veteran and military participants, the Camaraderie, Connectedness, and community found in our programs, alongside the symbiotic relationship between veteran and volunteer, directly correlates to
increased sense of belonging, resilience, and post traumatic growth.
In 2025, Monterey chapter’s program will benefit 25-35 disabled veterans and active duty personnel who are in need of
healing from injuries and ailments sustained while serving our country. As of 2023, Monterey County has an estimated veteran population of approximately 7,700 individuals aged 18-64. Among these, a significant portion are disabled veterans. Specifically, around 6,800 disabled individuals aged 18-64 are active in the labor force, which includes veterans with service-connected disabilities. Some are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), hearing and sight degradation, and other service-caused injuries and ailments. Our veterans are at risk from the dramatic recent uptick in suicides in Monterey County and the country. Our program addresses this. Some of our disabled veterans have service animals to help them cope with life. Almost all of our disabled veterans are served by the local Veterans Affairs Clinic in Marina. PHWFF has a great working relationship with at least 5 recreational therapists on the VA Marina Clinic staff. These recreational therapists regularly point their disabled veterans to our organization due to the therapeutic and healing nature of our program. Some of these recreational therapists attend our classes with their disabled veteran patients. We have utilized the VA Clinic for meetings and classes in 2024.
Posted on October 30th, 2024