In 2020, the Military Officer’s Association of Sarasota (MOAS) began a relationship with My Warrior's Place, located in Ruskin FL, which seeks to provide a safe refuge and bring about healing and hope to all veterans, military service members who have returned from the battlefield and military families (Gold, Blue and Silver Start) whose lives have been touched and forever changed due to a tragic event.
In 2021, MOAS applied for and was awarded a Community Outreach Grant from the MOAA Foundation, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), to fund an all-inclusive weekend retreat for eight military veterans from the Sarasota area. The eight veterans attending this weekend retreat were selected by a MOAS selection committee from a group of individuals nominated by other veterans, veteran’s families, friends, and co-workers. The weekend retreat, titled “Heroes R&R” will consist of group sessions emphasizing a holistic approach, and conducted by professional therapists who are themselves veterans, focusing on physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and family well-being.
Complementing these sessions will be evening campfires to create an atmosphere of comradeship and support, and half-day barbecuing classes from competitive grilling chefs, ultimately capped off by a barbeque competition between the attending veterans.
