A Message from Our President

The word hearthstone, a stone forming a hearth, has been used as a synonym for home for centuries. In the past when fire ravaged a home often the only thing that remained was the hearthstone, upon which a family was left to rebuild. We drew upon this powerful imagery to inform our mission – training Veterans and First Responders in warrior-based wellness and self-regulation practices. By utilizing a system of peer-to-peer support we are able to guide our nation’s Heroes from a life of post-traumatic stress to a path of post-traumatic growth.

Through the fellowship of Heroes Hearthstone we connect with veterans in a variety of ways. In 2022, we hosted monthly campfire and coffees,  connecting dozens of Veterans and First Responders with each other and the Heroes mission.  Additionally, we hosted several successful fundraisers, including a 5K/10K “Ruck, Rain or Shine” and Heroes Hearthstone Old English Ale Release Party at the Back Mountain Brewing Company.

We believe when the words “welcome home” are truly understood felt and believed our purpose and mission have been fulfilled and our journey together has only just begun. The Heroes Hearthstone journey began as a dream and calling of our founders, Eric Pimm and Richard Blaine, that crystalized this past year.  In 2022 Heroes was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and raised over $25,000 in our first year alone.  These funds have already effected positive change and growth in our local Veteran and First Responder community.  We know that the best is yet to come! Our goal is build a Heroes Hearthstone facility, complete with handicap-accessible hiking trails, labyrinth, meditation, gardening and so much more. Our facility will allow us to provide services such as meditation, yoga, breathwork, grounding, and equine therapy. The Heroes Hearthstone programming will allow for opportunities to connect with ourselves and those we treasure.

We will achieve our goal because we must. As a nation and local community, we must do more to serve those who have sacrificed so much for us.  I encourage you to learn more about Heroes Hearthstone by visiting our website or participating in one of our events. 

I wish you and those you love a healthy and prosperous 2023.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Ference

President – Heroes Hearthstone  

A Year-End Review

2022 has been quite an adventure! Coming out of COVID-19 restrictions, meeting new Veterans and First Responders throughout our community, and working hard together to get our new non-profit off the ground has kept us very busy. Here is a recap of what Heroes Hearthstone has been up to this past year.  

Blessing Bag Project: Grown out of a need we found in our local community, Heroes Hearthstone began a homeless blessing bag project that provided over 120 bags filled with personal hygiene products along with hats, gloves, socks and scarves to our local homeless population. We have continued this project by teaming up with a local Lake-Lehman senior who chose Heroes Hearthstone as the benefactor of her Senior Project.  

Lending a Helping Hand: We are honored to work closely with the Boulder Crest Foundation and their Warrior PATHH program. Throughout the early months of 2022 Eric and Rick visited many local camps to help the Boulder Crest Foundation bring the Warrior PATHH program here to North Eastern Pennsylvania.  

Food Donations: Another program that arose from an unfilled need is our food donation project. This past year Heroes Hearthstone was able to collect and distribute over 20,000 lbs. of food to homeless Veteran shelters, food banks, and needy Veterans and First Responder families in our area.  

Visiting our Friends: Throughout the year Rick and Eric have traveled across North Eastern Pennsylvania visiting other Veteran Service Originations spreading the word about Heroes Hearthstone's mission and upcoming events.

Campfire & Coffee: One of our favorite events is our monthly Campfire & Coffee. This is an opportunity for Veterans and First Responders to connect, spend time with others who share similar life experiences, and grow our Veterans and First Responder community. We have been very fortunate to have met Len and Deb from The Bench Project who have allowed us use of their beautiful property for our campfires. Thank you, Len and Deb.  

Spreading the word: We have also taken a few opportunities to share our mission and story on a few local podcasts. Here are Eric & Rick with Frank Sepko from Gettin' to Know the 570 Podcast.

Beer Launch: Our twice yearly fundraiser at Back Mountain Brewing Company has been a booming success. Whether it was our Old English Ale or our Imperial Spruce IPA, when paired with “Wilbur’s” pulled pork BBQ, you couldn’t help but leave with a smile on your face. Basket raffles, music, family and fun are a mainstay of this event. A huge thank you to Clay and Charity, owners of Back Mountain Brewing Company for hosting these wonderful events.  

Student Patriots: Heroes Hearthstone was privileged to award our very first Student Patriot Award to Seth Karnes of Lake -Lehman High School. This award is given to the graduating Senior with the highest G.P.A who has also chosen to commit themselves to military service. This year for the class of 2023 we are expanding the Student Patriot award to Tunkhannock and Dallas high schools as well.  

Workshops: Heroes Hearthstone hosted several workshops over the summer months. This was an opportunity for us to share with our Veterans, First Responders and their families the benefits of utilizing self-regulation practices. Breathwork, meditation, gratitude journaling and more. We love teaching others how to practice wellness in their daily lives. 

Ruck Rain or Shine: Our First annual Ruck Rain or Shine event took place on November 5th, 2022. This event was another collaboration with Heroes Hearthstone and a Lake-Lehman Senior who (an Army reservist herself) worked tirelessly together to make this event a huge success. The Ruck was very well attended and provided a great opportunity to share our mission with the local community. Check out our photo gallery! We hope to see you all again at our 2023 Ruck Rain or Shine event!

Volunteer of the Quarter Spotlight

One of the greatest things this past year has shown us is how powerful we can be when people come together for a cause like ours. We couldn't do what we do without our amazing volunteers. We are proud to name Cierra Leonardo as our very first Volunteer of the Quarter. Thank you Cierra for your time and dedication! Working with you has been a real pleasure and we hope to continue to do so in the future.

To learn a little bit about Cierra and how she got involved with our organization, check out our interview with her below. If you are interested in volunteering your time and/or talents with us, click here.

Please tell us about yourself!

About me? Well, I was raised in the Back Mountain by the two most hard-working and patient parents a girl could ask for, alongside my two younger brothers.

After graduating from Dallas High School in 2009, I began working for my Dad in his Dry Cleaning business. I credit my Dad for my own personal work-ethic that I have today.

Fast forward to 2015, where I joined the Harveys Lake American Legion Post 967 as an Auxiliary Member. This is really where volunteering for a non-profit was introduced into my life.

Later that year, I was lucky enough to gain the title of "Mommy." I welcomed my healthy and happy daughter, Skylar Jane, into the world and gained a new purpose to life.

In February of 2016, I accepted a volunteer bartending position back at my Legion Home Post in Harveys Lake. While I had some bartender experience under my belt, I quickly learned that this job was not like the others. I have met Veterans that served in Vietnam all the way through to Veterans that served in Afghanistan and Iraq; some of them have become like family to me. I have a deep respect for our Nations Veterans and feel very fortunate that I have had the opportunity to meet so many of them and hear their stories.

And that brings us to today; I now live in Harveys Lake with my partner of four years, Greg, and my sassy 7-year-old. I am still bartending and am an active Auxiliary member of Post 967.

In November, I reached out to Eric to volunteer to help with Heroes Hearthstone's first annual Ruck Race, as well as a few weeks later at their annual Ale Release Party at Back Mountain Brewing Company.

Why did you get involved with Heroes Hearthstone?

What really drew me into volunteering for Heroes Hearthstone was in their Mission Statement: "Utilizing a system of peer-to-peer support."

I have a certain empathy for people that are or have struggled with their mental health; I have battled chronic depression and anxiety since I was 14 years old. While medication and talk therapy did help some, it wasn't until I found a support group of friends that have gone through similar things that I have, that I finally felt understood and validated.

So, although I cannot personally relate to what our Country's Veterans and First Responders have experienced, I can say that I know what it's like to struggle with your own mental health and traumas. Surrounding myself with other people that understand that has been a huge part of my treatment process, so if I can be that person for someone else, then it's all worth it.

What do you enjoy most about being a volunteer?

The Oxford Dictionary defines a volunteer as "a person who FREELY offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task." There is no physical gain from being a volunteer; the reward is the feeling you get knowing you chose to help others, simply because they need it and you're able to give it. Any time that I have volunteered for Heroes Hearthstone, I have left the event feeling good about myself and what was accomplished, and that has made volunteering worth it all.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

My answer to this question is going to be super generic, but in the colder months you can find me on my couch with a Dunkin' iced coffee bingeing the latest Netflix series. In the summer months I'm outside as much as I can be, whether it be sitting on my deck at Harveys Lake with a few friends or putting out my latest hanging basket of flowers.
 

I would like to thank Eric and Rick, as well as all the other members of Heroes Hearthstone, for giving me this award. I am very grateful for the opportunity to volunteer for them and am looking forward to seeing their future success. 

Book of the Month Program Launch

Starting in January, we will be launching a Book of the Month program. Each month we will feature a book that we believe can help Veterans, First Responders, and their families cope with the hardships of service and discover new ways to flourish. These books, of course, can help anyone, so don't be shy to join in! The title will be posted at the beginning of each month and we will follow up with a live discussion at the end of the month. You can find the Book of the Month program here on our website, and we will be announcing each month's title on Facebook as well.

Last Hour Fund Drive

While many of us spent Christmas morning around the tree with family and friends, countless numbers of our nation's heroes were busy at work putting their lives on the line for this nation and our community. With all that they sacrifice, we would like your help to be able to give back to them. That's why with the season of giving upon us, we are asking our amazing supporters to help us with one last thing before the new year. And that is, if you are able, to donate your last hour of pay for the year to Heroes Hearthstone.

By donating just 1 hour of pay this year, it will allow us to continue transforming the lives of these Heroes and their families through workshops, retreats, community gatherings, and peer to peer support groups. By clicking the link below, you can also create a recurring donation to donate your last hour's pay from each month, or each week. No amount is too small. And 100% of every dollar raised goes directly into our programming. No salaries. No administration costs.

We understand that words are fleeting and that a simple “thank you” doesn’t do justice to how deeply we appreciate your support. But thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter, and thank you for helping us help those who have already given so much.

From our family to yours, Happy New Year!               

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