CHALLENGE AMERICA

AFTER COMPLETING A VERY SUCCESSFUL PILOT MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM WITH THE VA, WE RECEIVED A 1 YEAR CONTRACT (WITH THE VA) TO CONDUCT 13 RETREATS IN 8 DIFFERENT RURAL AREAS, BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2023. EACH RETREAT ENROLLS 10 VETERANS WITH PTSD AND/OR MST. THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH GUITAR CENTER FOUNDATION, CHALLENGE AMERICA PROVIDES EACH PARTICIPANT WITH A FREE GUITAR, ACCESSORIES AND MATERIALS. ALL RETREAT CONTENT IS DESIGNED FROM A TRAUMA-INFORMED MUSIC THERAPY APPROACH. VETERANS CONNECT THROUGH A GROUP FORMAT WITH THE CA MUSIC THERAPIST AND A 1:1 FORMAT WITH A CA PROFESSIONAL SONGWRITER. VETERANS CO-WRITE A SONG OF THEIR CHOICE, WHICH IS THEN PERFORMED BY THE SONGWRITER (OR THE VETERAN) DURING A VIRTUAL CONCERT THAT FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE INVITED TO ATTEND. OVER THE COURSE OF 24 WEEKS, EACH VETERAN PARTICIPANT WILL RECEIVE 32 HOURS OF VIRTUAL REAL-TIME SESSIONS. WE HAVE ALSO HAD GREAT SUCCESS IN GROWING OUR 2 ONLINE VETERAN PLATFORMS: MILITARY SISTERHOOD INITIATIVE (MSI) AND CHALLENGE AMERICA VETERANS ART COMMUNITY (CAVARTS). MSI HAS OVER 5,000 MEMBERS AND CAVARTS HAS CLOSE TO 6,000 MEMBERS. THESE COMMUNITIES PROVIDE A SAFE PLACE FOR VETERANS TO SHARE INFORMATION, BE CREATIVE AND COLLABORATE ON GOALS AND CONCERNS. IN ADDITION TO THESE PROGRAMS, LAST SEPTEMBER WE LED 5 VETERANS AND MANY VOLUNTEERS UP MT. ELBERT (THE HIGHEST 14ER SUMMIT OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS) FOR OUR CHALLENGE AMERICA MT. ELBERT CHALLENGE. THIS WAS AN AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR OUR 5 VETERANS WHO SUFFER FROM CRPS, PTSD AND/OR MST, JUST TO NAME A FEW. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF WHAT CHALLENGE AMERICA HAS ACCOMPLISHED THIS PAST YEAR AND WE ARE WORKING HARD TO CONTINUE THIS AMAZING WORK FOR OUR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES.