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Surf Dog Helps Combat Vets With PTSD Mentor Kids With Special Needs!
Surf Dog Ricochet’s Waves of Empowerment is a collaborative, all-inclusive mentorship and comradeship program made up of military and civilian volunteers. It focuses on the human-canine bond while creating unique surfing and empowerment building activities that unite kids with special needs, people with disabilities, wounded warriors and military with PTSD.
Through this unique model, the Waves of Empowerment is determined to reduce these staggering statistics and improve the lives of our physically and emotionally wounded war heroes. To that end, They provide opportunities that enable vets to continue their life of service, and find new purpose by engaging in community service while mentoring and inspiring future generations.
Waves of Empowerment embraces diversity and inclusion of all kids, regardless of their ability. They create an environment that promotes respect and appreciation of each other’s differences and individuality. In addition to participating, they encourage kids to volunteer in whatever capacity they’re comfortable with. Waves of Empowerment finds that being of service to another individual gives veterans and civilians a sense of responsibility and self-worth.
Waves of Empowerment is committed to enriching the well-being of veterans and civilians of all abilities and backgrounds by fostering relationships while utilizing canine counter-parts in a diverse, non-judgmental, all-inclusive environment.
Waves of Empowerment provides empowerment opportunities for:
Military & civilian volunteers, active duty service members, veterans, kids with autism, kids with special needs & disabilities, people with physical Challenges, kids with emotional challenges, kids of all abilities who volunteer, kids with military parents, siblings, kids of volunteers, canine-counterparts, and anyone else who wants to be empowered!
From The Battleground To The Playground
We’re all warriors fighting some kind of battle that links us together through the challenges we face. We come together as equals in a safe, caring environment where empowerment is nurtured through surfing, recreation and play. Isolation and social anxiety are replaced with inter-connection and trusting friendships… all built in a playground of transformation!
There are several facets to the program which include:
Buddy-up Mentors
Buddy-up Mentors can be military or civilian, adults or children, able-bodied or disabled. They are matched one-on-one with new participants for a day of surfing and/or land based activities.
StandUP With a Warrior
Empowers military service members as they continue their life of service and find new purpose by helping kids with special needs through stand up paddle boarding (SUP) and other activities
Playing With Purpose
Empowers diverse populations who are brought together with the common goal of empowering each other. Play is facilitated by our therapy dogs, service dogs and emotional support dogs.
Give Kids a Voice
Empowers kids who feel they don’t have a voice due to emotional challenges like being bullied, having a childhood illness, undergoing a custody battle, etc. We create an atmosphere where their input is valued and regarded as they are given ownership of specific tasks.
Operation Socialization
Empowers veterans with PTSD as they socialize puppies training to be therapy, emotional support or service dogs. The pups become more comfortable in social situations, as do the veterans.
Paws-on Healing
Empowers everyone who comes in contact with Ricochet! She is like a mirror to those she interacts with, reflecting back their feelings. She’s intuitive, empathic and able to detect and alert to triggers, anxiety, pain or other emotions. She provides comfort on a soul-to-soul level.
If you are an active duty service member or veteran that would like to volunteer, or if you have a disability, PTSD or a child with special needs that would like to surf with Ricochet, please send an email to pawinspired@aol.com.
In addition to their veteran and disabled volunteers, Waves of Empowerment is always looking for water men and women, photographers, videographers, cheerleaders and friends! Just send them an email if you’d like to volunteer in any capacity.
For additional information and to follow Ricochet on social media, click the links below:
SurfDogRicochet.com
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