Project Sanctuary Receives $500,000 from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation to Support Healing of Military Families.

June is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month and Project Sanctuary is helping military families, active-duty and veterans who are living with PTSD on a journey toward healing.  The nonprofit is pleased to announce a $500,000 multi-year general operating grant from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. This generous gift will allow Project Sanctuary to provide therapeutic retreats and personalized case management to at-risk military families nationwide and at the new Project Sanctuary Retreat Center in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

“The support of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation is a true gift of healing for at-risk military families,” notes Project Sanctuary CEO and Founder Heather Ehle Ray. “Together we will provide these families with the tools, resources and support they need to build stronger family connections and navigate the challenges they have experienced as a result of their service to our country.”

Since 2007, Project Sanctuary has focused on one mission: to transform, empower and heal military families. By providing education and support around relationship reconnection, communication/conflict resolution, financial habits and goals, and mental health/wellbeing in an immersive, therapeutic retreat environment, Project Sanctuary has built a national reputation for delivering the support military families need and deserve.

Offered in multiple locations across the United States, Project Sanctuary retreats are staffed by licensed counselors, certified recreational therapists, and culturally competent military veterans.  Many of the families Project Sanctuary serves are navigating life with mental health challenges including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

Bob Parsons, a Marine Corps Vietnam War Veteran, understands firsthand the struggles of  PTSD, and shares his experience in his New York Times bestselling book, Fire in the Hole!: The Untold Story of My Traumatic Life and Explosive Success.  “When you suffer from PTSD, it can interfere with relationships, work, and your everyday life,” said Bob Parsons, co-founder, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Our military families deserve to have someone by their side to help them rebuild and deal with these challenges. Project Sanctuary is making sure they don’t go at it alone.” 

Project Sanctuary understands the importance of involving the children and the spouse/caregiver in the process of navigating the impact of military service and moving forward together as a family.  From frequent Permanent Changes of Station to deployments and the visible and invisible injuries that come from service, when the family heals together, they thrive.

“The impacts of military service ripple far beyond the individual service member,” added Renee Parsons, co-founder, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Through their therapeutic retreats, Project Sanctuary provides not only the individual service member, but also their family, with the tools necessary to effectively communicate, address their mental health needs, and face life’s big decisions together. We’re proud to support these programs that offer military families much needed hope.”

Project Sanctuary purchased a retreat center in Pagosa Springs, Colorado in December 2023. The new location is a true sanctuary, nestled on 42 acres of land surrounded by the San Juan National Forest. The retreat center will be undergoing a transformation of its own to better accommodate its guests and make this a place of hope and healing for military families.