Hunters Helping Soldiers: Bringing the outdoors to veterans everywhere

Dale Proud and Scott Campbell

I can't take credit for finding this charity - my husband Dave did all the work! Thanks, honey!

Scott Campbell looks like any other Delaware outdoorsman. I can easily imagine him fishing our state's many estuaries, or hunting rabbit in the local woods. But Scott isn't just another Delaware outdoorsman. In addition to his full-time job in Loss Prevention for K-Mart, Scott is the founder of Hunters Helping Soldiers (HHS), and his compassion for veterans is shaping a new movement across the nation from right here in Delaware.

A lifelong hunter from a long line of military men (he can trace his family back to the Spanish-American War), Scott was unhappy with the way veterans were living - and dying. The suicides and homelessness bothered him immensely. Knowing his own passion for the outdoors, he decided to raise money to pay for veterans to go on hunting trips at local outfitters. Hunters Helping Soldiers is dedicated to helping wounded soldiers and combat veterans to get involved in outdoor activities. Since January 2010, Scott has worked to reach out to veterans who need their help. Scott started out on Facebook, posting notices about local hunts with local outfitters. People in Delaware began donating hunting trips. Dale, a Smyrna resident (yay, Smyrna!), was one of them.



Vice President Jason Neilson



Dale Proud, now President of HHS, works two jobs as an insurance salesman and diesel mechanic. He is an avid waterfowler. He and his wife, who are on the Board of Directors, give more than 30 hours each per week to HHS. Dale said, "She literally has to pry my cell phone out of my hands for dinner."



Jason Neilson, Vice President (with whom I had a phone interview), has been involved since the beginning. Himself a wounded veteran, medically retired, Jason was an Army MP in Baghdad in 2005 when he was shot by a sniper in his right flank. The shot hit his femoral artery and he nearly bled out. The surrounding nerve tissue was damaged, causing paralysis. Jason has been rehabilitating, but joined HHS to give back to his fellow veterans. "At first, after my injury, you'd think I'd be happy to be alive; but I wanted to get better to serve with my family [his fellow soldiers]. I had guilty feelings. It finally took an organization to get me back out hunting and fishing." Jason says, "The thrills you get from hunting helps replace the feeling of being in battle." Once he got back on his feet and began to enjoy the outdoors, "That's when you start being thankful for being alive."

Since January 2010, HHS has coordinated trips for veterans all over the United States. Their goals are big, but they're making headway.

1. Take 200 veterans a year hunting/fishing
2. Hold veteran/family camping trips
3. Open new chapters all over the U.S.
4. Open lodges all over the U.S. for veterans
5. Hold several kids' camps
6. Build handicap-accessible blinds
7. Get as many vets involved as possible



SSG. Dave "DOC" Green

One veteran, SSG. Dave Green, had numerous brain tumors. His one wish was to hunt elk. Because he couldn't travel alone, HHS made arrangements to include Dave's mother in the trip. They raised funds to fly his mom from Oregon to Dave's home in Texas, then flew them both to Colorado. During their flight, Dale and Scott got word from the Colorado outfitter that they could no longer accommodate Dave. The HHS board "scrambled" to find a new outfitter before Dave and his mom landed. After they found an outfitter, they had to figure out transportation for Dave to the site. The owner left her day job, drove two hours to pick up Dave and his mother, and took him straight to the hunting outfit. That evening, Dave shot his elk. HHS even paid to have the animal dressed and tanned, and Dave spent the rest of the trip sightseeing in Colorado with his mother. "It was a $2,500 trip," Dale said. I get the feeling that to Dave, the trip was worth much more than that.



Ssg. Levandowski



HHS's board is also their all-volunteer staff. 100% of their contributions go directly to veterans' trips. "We haven't wanted to [retain] a paid staff yet," said Dale, "because we want all of our funds to go into these trips." There are 7 people on the board. One of them, another dedicated volunteer, works three part-time jobs. "Whenever we call him, he's at work," Dale laughs, but his admiration is obvious. Two board members are veterans who have also benefitted from the group's mission. The board has even bigger plans, including paying for trained hunting dogs for veterans, paying for camps for fallen soldiers, and even hosting waterfowl retrievals with dogs and teens. They've even found a local man who obtains donated boats, fixes them, and gives them to veterans.

Here's the really cool part: HHS chapters are popping up all over the U.S. With their careful cultivation, a new chapter has opened in Pittsburgh. Others (which can't be named here because they will be announced shortly) are opening in the coming weeks. By the end of the year, Scott and Dale expect there will be 15 to 18 chapters in place. If that doesn't make you want to jump up and down, there's something wrong with you.

What has this meant for them? Scott says this is "a way to give back to those who have already given us so much." Dale says HHS has represented a real change in his life - he sees his wife and kids getting involved. "It's brought us closer together... it's great giving back." Jason says this is a way for him to feel he is able to give back to his fellow soldiers. "This pushes you past the limits of what you think you can do. For me, it worked better than physical therapy, it was emotional and physical."


Sgt. David Guzman



So, what will my ten bucks pay for? "Ten bucks could buy a local veteran a fishing license he couldn't normally afford," said Scott, "That gives him the freedom to fish for a whole year." If others gave their ten bucks, Dale said, "Hunting season's coming up. 100% of those donations will be put right back into hunting trips for veterans."

Right now, HHS is seeking raffle items, corporate sponsors and partnerships, donations of hunting supplies, hunting outfitters (to donate hunts), and volunteers. They also produce a newsletter and are developing a magazine, so they're looking for articles from veterans and people who love the outdoors. They also need people to pass the word along because they're not able to reach veterans through the military or VA hospitals. Luckily, VFW posts are happy to cooperate to get the word out. On November 20th (my anniversary), Hunters Helping Soldiers will be hosting their second "November to Remember" fundraiser, which is their largest fundraising event. They can't party too late, because goose season opens the next day, and they'll be taking 50 people out on a hunt.

Although I don't hunt (and needed Scott and Dale to define some of the terms they used), I can't argue with the therapeutic value of being outdoors. HHS is making outdoor activities possible - and fun - for hundreds of veterans each year. The benefits, as Jason says, are immense. "Just get out there and do it. It won't be the same, but you can still do it."

The best way to donate to Hunters Helping Soldiers is to donate on their website http://www.huntershelpingsoldiers.org/ or mail a check to Hunters Helping Soldiers, 32 South Main Street, Smyrna DE 19977. "Like" them on Facebook and help them spread the word! They also have an online magazine called "The Outdoor Warrior." http://www.theoutdoorwarrior.us/

My ten bucks matters, and so does yours. My guess is we are helping to fund a nationwide movement.