2022 ANNUAL REPORT

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To the Trails of Purpose Board, Staff, Volunteers, Participants, and Supporters,

I could never properly convey how honored I am to be writing our 4th Year End Review. What started as a long shot dream in our backyard, has transformed into a full-time operation that is overflowing with demands for service. Our eight incredible Board of Directors have continued to steer us towards the most effective service strategies while our three gifted staff members have fought hard to always surpass the bar. We have continued in trend by raising more funds this year than last, and providing double the service hours of 2021. It is no doubt that the blessing of God and the passion of our entire team has been the cause of this momentum.

In quarter one of 2022, we continued our previous years programming of individual psychotherapy sessions, Saturday community group sessions, and weekly Substance Abuse groups contracted with Safe Harbor Behavioral Health Care Center. By quarter two, we were launching two new services: couples workshop, and sunset yoga. These services were both wildly popular with great feedback! We look forward to facilitating them again from Spring to Fall next year. 

In June of 2022 our board voted to hire our first full time salary employee, Megan Mccormack. While Megan had started working part time with us in August of 2021, it was necessary to hire her full time to decrease waitlist times. Also in July, we started offering “Open Farm” sessions to generate more awareness of our program. During this time over 100 new people visited the farm. Throughout the remainder of the summer we continued our conversations of how to best service the community alongside some of our partners, USSOCOM Warrior Care Coalition, the United Way, to name a few. We continue to receive referrals from the Veteran Crisis Line, VA Hampton Medical Center, Warrior Care Coalition, NSW Group 2 providers, VHP, Mission United, Portsmouth Medical Center, local command talk bosses, and of course word of mouth. 

In Fall of 2022 we moved all our services to the Chesapeake location full time as the executive team at LZ Grace moved to the mountains. We maintain a great relationship with their team and look forward to collaborating in the future at their new facility. 

We were proud to launch the Reactivation Program in Fall of 2022. This 12 week program serviced 8 individuals through a curriculum that is a group setting and focused on combating isolation, depression and anxiety. We yet again received wonderful feedback on the program and look forward to offering it again in the Spring. 

Lastly to conclude this years updates, we were thrilled to be asked to partner with the WARR program in Portsmouth Naval Medical Hospital. In this TBI focused program, TOP provides twice a week group therapy to the current WARR program cohort. We will continue to offer these services year round. In November, TOP was called upon to assist a local command in the after math of mental health crisis. This immediate increase in demand led TOP to contracting an additional LPC to tend to our waitlist. This series of tragedies led me to a difficult season of advocacy to the press on behalf of the sailors mental health needs. This was a real moment of learning and stretching for the organization and myself- personally.

In November of this year we were seeing an average of 75 participants every week with 6 days of operation. Our current wait list for services sits at 15-20 people at any given time. The demand seems to continue to grow each year despite us stretching our capacity and increasing our professional team. 

Thank you to our entirely volunteer based Board of Directors. Thank you to our incredible and sacrificial staff members. Thank you to our dedicated volunteer team. 

I feel overwhelmed at the need. I feel pain for the hurt that is happening. I feel enraged by the lack of resources provided within our Dept of Veterans Affairs and DOD. 

But mostly I feel hope, that people continue to reach out. I feel pride that we do not quit. I feel motivated to make a large scale impact and policy change. I won’t stop until it happens, I can promise you that. 

All my gratitude,

Kayla