helping HANDS
Becoming
Whole Again A search for purpose leads woman to start camp for military families
Top: Eagle Rock Camp plays a critical role in preserving military families. Left: The programs reconnect post-combat veterans and their families at therapeutic retreats.
BY » Jean Spangler PHOTOGRAPHY courtesy of » Eagle Rock Camp
A
s each of us adapt to a “new normal,” nonprofits are stepping up to help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The nonprofit world has always been an important part of the social fabric of our lives to help with affordable housing, food insecurity and mental health issues. And, there is one population that needs our attention and our help, now more than ever—our post-combat veterans and their families. Eagle Rock Camp seeks to serve that population. 26 LimitlessMagOnline.com | June 2020
Founded by Lynn Marilla in 2011, the program plays a critical role in preserving military families as they struggle with a range of issues such as marital difficulties, communication issues, financial stability, loss of connection between family and community. Children in military families also deal with feelings of fear and abandonment that result from parents who have returned with the adjustment issues that occur before, during and after deployment.
Reconnecting families
Based in Newton, Eagle Rock Camp reconnects families at therapeutic
retreats that build healthy, resilient families. Programs use evidence-based therapy models to develop a range of interactive workshops and therapeutic recreation to teach life skills that break the cycle of what’s going on at home, show families how to have fun again and most importantly, start them on a solid pathway of healing. All retreats are held in beautiful natural settings that help soothe and inspire families dealing with difficult issues. Currently, camps are held at church retreat locations and YMCA camps. “Our goal is to raise enough money to have one retreat site in a setting that allows families to heal in a place of nature,” says Marilla.
Finding her purpose
Marilla’s founding of Eagle Rock Camp came out of her own pain when she experienced a series of losses. Her husband died at age 38, leaving her to raise two teenaged boys. Then she became involved in caring for her aging parents as well as her brother who became quadriplegic after a tragic accident. A successful entrepreneur at the time, she became to realize the importance of having “purpose” in your life after the subsequent death of her brother and parents. “I knew I wanted to find a calling or purpose for my life,” she says. “I kept contemplating several options
