Veteran & Civil Servant Outreach Award – Presented by Hearts & Science

The mission for Calgary Veterans Service Society is to provide food, sundries and clothing, mental health support and financial aid to Canada's military and frontline emergency personnel. They provide these services through two food banks, a wellness retreat, and two offices that supply peer support and access to counseling services. Most of their clients are either homeless, or on the verge of becoming homeless, and their services are often the difference between living on the streets or being able to stay in their family homes. 

Heroes Homestead (HH) provides integrated family support to the military and veteran community, using applied cultural adjustment theory to build compassion and understanding within the family to aid the veteran in their transition home, successfully reducing the suicide rate of the veteran community. Programs adapt to each individual and serve the entire family, from serving to civilian life, covering an expanse of topics including financial, relationships, communication, personality strengths, child development, career and skill development, housing and food support.

Honour House (HH) is a home away from home for members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans, Emergency Services Personnel & their families to stay for free while receiving treatment for serious illness & injury. Honour Ranch is a tranquil, 120-acre rural retreat where these heroes and their families discover cutting edge strategies in the treatment of operational stress injuries such as PTSD, empowering them to be better equipped to navigate the debilitating, emotional & physical stresses of selfless commitment to service. Honour House Society prides themselves on being there to look after the heroes who look after us. 

The Big Red Barn Retreat in Blythewood, SC provides a tranquil and calm space for combat veterans, active duty, first responders and families to relax, reconnect and rejuvenate through evidence-based wellness programs such as yoga, tai chi, equine therapy and various levels of Post Traumatic Growth Training. Guests gain clarity, metabolize stress and engage in meaningful experiences in a safe and supportive setting, improving their mental, physical, spiritual and financial wellness. Families and groups journey through their own process of changing their stories of post traumatic stress to one of posttraumatic growth.

Warriors Choice Foundation (WCF) provides combat veterans access to individually tailored service dogs and residential programs focused on healing the mind, body and spirituality within a retreat-like setting. Transitioning combat veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), mental illness, and catastrophic injuries  sometimes face difficulties getting the care they need and deserve, due to lack of resources, the stigmatization of mental health issues and the lack of psychosocial support and accessibility. Warriors Choice Foundation meets their needs to guide them along their path to wellness.