Who IS the Heroes Outreach Program?
The Heroes Outreach Program was started in 2016 by John Morlock. John was a retired US Army soldier who served in a few combat zones. As a result, he acquired a fairly severe case of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.) One year after retiring, he attempted suicide. Surviving this, he spent the next 18 years trying to find a purpose for his survival. In 2016, hearing that 22 Veterans a day were committing suicide, he says, "It hit me like a lightning bolt. THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE HERE FOR!" You can learn more of John's story by clicking the "About our Founder" link below.
Our Vision
A country FREE of Veteran and First Responder suicides.
Our Mission
Recognizing isolation and loss of camaraderie as factors contributing to the tragedy of twenty military veterans committing suicide each day, Heroes Outreach Program (HOP) establishes local outreach gatherings in communities to provide awareness, education, and prevention resources.
How we will achieve our vision...
While we strive every day to support veterans and first responders in every way, our primary focus is on providing Gatherings in towns close to them. A Gathering is simply a location, usually a cafe or diner in their town, where veterans and first responders meet, once a week to share a meal. Through these Gatherings, our participants provide a sort of peer-support network that helps them through their daily lives. Simply by sharing a meal and talking with their fellow participants, the veteran or first responder finds comfort and relaxation they can not feel anywhere else. As we said, the program started in 2016. Since then we have had numerous participants tell us how we have helped them and some have even admitted that the program has saved their lives.
It is our intention, and goal, to have a Gathering every day within 20 miles of every veteran and first responder in the United States. If you would like to start a Gathering in your town, please contact us at administrator@heroesoutreachprogram.org .