Back in March, KRIS 6 News told you about the Rockport Warriors United retreat opening its doors to veterans and active duty military.
Six months later, the Warriors United center is doing what it set out to do…helping veterans.
The numbers don’t lie; more than 20 veterans commit suicide daily. For many soldiers and veterans, it’s been a long road as they carry the weight of their unseen scars.
“My wife and I, about seven years ago, lost a friend of ours to PTSD; he took his own life. He didn’t have anything, no outlet, and we could never get him back,” said David Jones, co-founder of Rockport Warriors United.
“By giving them a place they can actually relate and talk to other veterans that are going through the same thing, actually gives them a new meaning or a new way to reflect back on their life and have meaning in their life,” 29-year Army veteran Adam Chacon.
This is one of the big reasons David Jones,who served eight years in the Navy, and his wife, Tracy, started the nonprofit organization to help improve and empower the lives of veterans and their families.
“It feels wonderful. It fills your soul, your heart to just help vets. When they come here on a Friday, and you see the concern of their face and the stress they have and by Saturday night, you see them grinning ear-to-ear, this is just a small way we can show our appreciation,” said Jones.
The Jones are determined to find ways to connect with those who need help. Everything is donated, and the retreats at are offered at no cost to veterans.
“We have the drive and the heart and the mission, but we just need help from the rest of the community to just keep this place going because we are helping a lot of veterans,” said Jones.
The retreats, which include fishing, hunting, kayaking, and other activities, are held one weekend a month at the center’s 8,000 square foot facility. Each retreat will feature a different activity.
“It’s whatever the vet wants to do, if he just wants to sit here and relax on the rockers we have and just have a weekend doing nothing, that is up to him,” said Jones.
“It is calmness, it’s peaceful, and it gives me time to gather my thoughts. It gives me an opportunity to help other vets. Helping other vets actually helps ourselves; it is the best medicine,” said Chacon.
The cost to keep the doors open and host up to 24 veterans costs more than $8,000 monthly. Donations and volunteers always are needed.
For more information, contact Rockport Warriors United at 361-737-2682 or rockportwarriorsunited@gmail.com.
