Outdoors with Veterans

Local nonprofit group organizes trips for our nation’s bravest.

By: Mark Berger

ose who either have served our country or are currently enlisted can participate in a unique adventure designed by fellow veterans to promote camaraderie and create new memories.

e nonpro t endeavor Outdoors With Veterans began a year ago to facilitate such trips for veterans looking for something di erent. ose who register for these excursions, can either go y shing, deer, pheasant or bird hunting, and participate in other activities for one or twoday excursions. ey are funded by contributions from fundraisers and events held throughout the year.

e concept was composed by the trio of Joe St. Lawrence, Reggie Guglienett, and Sean Grundy, who saw an opportunity to help as many veterans as they could, by getting out and exploring nature.

“Perhaps the biggest bene t we’ve seen since this began is the veterans opening up to other veterans,” said St. Lawrence. “ ey can be pretty quiet at rst, but once they start to open up, then they start sharing stories about what they’ve seen, what they are feeling, and how they deal with some of those issues. ey get to feel more comfortable talking with people who have shared the same experiences as they have. It also provides them with a chance to work things out with like-minded people who may have gone through the same things they have.”

e trips are primarily based in Rhode Island, but they took several veterans up to Maine for a deer hunting trip. ese experiences o en have three to four veterans who attend. Depending on the trip, the group may stop for supplies ( shing poles and bait for y shing, for example) or teach the travelers some basic skills before embarking. e group would like to expand and include more trips to Pennsylvania and throughout the East Coast. All of the trips the group o ers are liked equally by the veterans. ere isn’t one trip that’s more popular than the rest.

Many of the veterans they serve are from the area. However, the use of social media has expanded their reach considerably. St. Lawrence noted veterans reaching out as far away as Kentucky, asking about their organization and some of the events and services they provide. People will inquire about the trips and how

they can help, as well.

While social media forums such as Facebook and Instagram have been helpful in spreading the word, other platforms have shared their story.

Outdoors With Veterans partnered with Founder and Chief Executive O cer Karen Dalton of Dare to Dream Ranch in Foster, to identify potential candidates. e Ranch helps veterans get back on their feet with therapy horses, y shing, woodworking, gardening, and other activities. ey are a working farm so homeless veterans can even work there in exchange for a place to stay.

St. Lawrence said that working with both Dalton and Randy Bagwell, who is the captain/owner of River Rebel Charters Sport shing, has been a wonderful experience.

“I met Karen four to ve years ago and she donated to some of our fundraisers.We discussed trying to help each other out and it has worked out well for both of us since then. Karen and Randy do a great job helping out veterans and getting them access to the services they need and deserve,” he said. e organization is looking for volunteers to aid in some of their upcoming events. ey do not employ anyone, but have a couple of dozen helpers for various causes. Also, they welcome any feedback regarding other veterans’ services and excursions.

More information may be obtained by visiting Outdoors With Veterans on Facebook and Instagram. Further details are available by emailing the group: