Since 2010, Lone Survivor Foundation has been helping our nation’s wounded veterans and service members make a new start in life. Veteran Energy is proud to have this group as an Affinity Partner.
This week, we caught up with LSF representative Kelly C. to get an inside look at the organization and what it’s got planned for the near future.
How does Lone Survivor Foundation use the money it gets from supporters such as Veteran Energy?
First, I’d like to say Lone Survivor Foundation is very grateful for the support of Veteran Energy. We provide all of our services to veterans and their families at no cost to them. And all of our funding comes from private donors and generous organizations like yours. We couldn’t do it without you.
It costs us about $3,000 to send one veteran to a retreat, so your contributions go a long way in helping the veteran community. Currently, about 77% of funds donated go directly to our program services. Our current fundraising costs are at about 16% because we are raising money for additional retreat centers. And 7% of funds go to administration.
Last year, you had more than 300 veterans attend retreats. Will it be the same this year?
Our growth has been phenomenal thanks to the success of our program and the support of the community. We’ve come a long way since 2011 when we held just four retreats. In 2017, we conducted 38 retreats, which is the most we’ve done in one year. We’re scaling back just a little in 2018 in preparation for the addition of a second retreat facility and another period of significant growth.
LSF currently owns a retreat facility in Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula in Texas. And now we’re looking for property so we can build a second facility near Fayetteville, North Carolina. We’re really looking forward to the opportunity to reach even more veterans in the near future.
How have veterans responded to LSF’s efforts?
We’ve had tremendous feedback from our retreat participants. Almost all of the growth we’ve seen has come from veterans referring others to our program. Here’s a recent snippet from one of our program’s participants:
LSF was the most amazing post Army experience in my life. This staff is a solid 10/10 and their love and care for everyone is the best. Come in here with an open mind and have no fear. Be ready to make your own outcomes. The choice is yours to make….
What’s the biggest challenge LSF faces?
Even with all of the growth we’ve experienced, we still have more veterans to reach. Our retreats book up quickly, and we need to keep expanding to keep up with a growing waiting list. But we’re up to the task, and thanks to organizations like Veteran Energy we know we can continue reaching more of the veteran community.
To find out more about attending an LSF retreat, click here. To make a donation or find out more about opportunities to give back, click here.
