One of Connecticut Veteran Grown’s recipients, Stephen Thompson, feeds a lamb on his Torrington-based Thy Neighbors Farm. Credit: Lisa Nichols, Bread & Beast Photography

Pets for Patriots, Inc. works with veterans to help with their companion pet wellness care, training, food, adopting out and other resources, including aiding with moving with pets or foster care for deployments or hardship situations. In addition, there are local organizations that raise funds and resources for those needing therapy dogs, including the Norwich-based Veterans Helping Veterans. Individual and corporate donations as well as funds raised at the golf tournament and other events enable the nonprofit to collaborate on bringing therapy dogs to veterans who need them.

When it comes to horses, the Gales Ferry-based Veterans Equine Therapeutic Services brings therapeutic healing to veterans with instructors and trained volunteers working with them in horse-related activities. The nonprofit’s co-founder, executive director and lead instructor, Thor Torgersen, has seen how the veterans form bonds with the horses that transcend the reaches of traditional therapies.

“There’s a quiet wisdom in the horses’ presence—a way they teach us life lessons that no other form of therapy can replicate,” explains Torgersen. “Whether it’s through the meditative practice of archery, the grounding experience of outdoor skills, or the sense of community found in sharing a meal, each of these elements helps veterans reconnect with themselves and discover a better path forward.”

Bringing in the therapeutic benefits of art is behind a state effort to utilize it as a trauma healing tool with multiple two[1]month workshops for veterans and their adult/young adult family members. The Art of Wellbeing for Veterans and Their Families is a collaborative effort in Bridgeport between Mental Health Connecticut and Homes for the Brave, and partially funded by Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network. The 8-week, trauma-informed workshops include drawing, writing, movement, drumming and more.

As community members, is it not our civic duty to help those who have defended us and served this country? Whether you donate, volunteer and/or spread the word about these and other local, regional and national organizations, your support can literally help save lives in Connecticut. To our veterans and active duty military members, thank you for your service.

Ariana Rawls Fine is the publisher of Natural Awakenings Central-Eastern Connecticut.