Legacy Place Society (not for profit registered charity) is an essential and committed confidential service empathetically supporting the individuals and families of First Responders, Veterans, and Military Personnel by means of immediate critical support during times of crisis and proactive wellness initiatives. We save lives. We bring families and our first responder and military community together.
Legacy Place Society exists to build family resiliency and legacies to withstand the unique challenges faced by Law Enforcement, Peace Officers, Emergency Medical and Fire Fighter Services, 911 Dispatchers, Veterans and Military Personnel. The very nature of daily work within these professions can create emotional and physical havoc and the vicarious trauma, PTSD, operational or occupational stress injuries and the psychological and physiological demands of the profession can become major stressors on the individual and their family.
Often what is faced as a family as they try to understand and be supportive during recovery while maintaining family stability is a wide variety of challenges. Legacy Place Society does not replace employee assistance programs or professional medical counsel.
Lives of First Responders and Military Personnel have been lost to suicide, line of duty deaths, early end of life, addiction and much more.
What defines us is how our work is done as we act as a bridge of possibilities between the individual, their place of work and their families. Fortunately, the world and work places have started to acknowledge and respond to the needs around trauma and mental health. The trauma and mental health needs are unique in the first responder world simply due to what they see, smell, hear and psychologically absorb as part of their job. There continues to be a stigma for "Helpers to ask for Help", after all its the helpers who already know how to solve the problem and save lives. Legacy Place Society promotes a shared responsibility approach that encourages the individuals and their families to steer themselves through the everyday adversity, reframe the difficult realities of the profession and to encourage daily behaviors that are conducive to recharge and re-engage with themselves, their families and work place.
Currently our work is laid out in these three areas: - Confidential help phone line that facilitates the call to professional and peer directed resources
- Provision of 3 confidentially located home away from home during times of personal crisis or medical concern (to date our 3 Legacy Place Houses located in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer have supported over 52,000 nightly stays for our family during homelessness, emergency protection orders, evictions, marital breakups, respite and out of town medical support - note we are not a treatment center)
- Education partnerships that support wellness initiatives with relationships, parenting, suicide awareness/intervention and educating to live a thriving life both in and out of the uniform (conferences, workshops, family camps)
Help us secure the remaining funds in BUILDING A MEMORIAL AND DAY USE FACILITY FOR MOBILE EQUINE THERAPY, PEER SUPPORT, DEBRIEFINGS, COMMUNITY GARDEN AND PLANT A TREE IN HONOR OF A LINE OF DUTY DEATH, SUICIDE OR IN MEMORY OF A LOVED ONE WHO SERVED.Legacy Place recognizes the need to have a day use property that is not about crisis related situations. A private place with close proximity to Calgary that the individuals and families can come out to. To get out of the city and of technology devices, dig in the dirt, have a camp fire, experience a wide range of healthy approaches to doing community, meditation and run around. There are hundreds of public safety personnel who are on short term/long term disability due to the nature of the trauma's they've been exposed to. They will tend to isolate and distance themselves, thinking and feeling that they are weak due to the injury. They really need time to heal, connect and find purpose in so many ways.
Goal
Provide the individuals and families of law enforcement, medical/fire services, 911 dispatch, Veterans and Military Personnel a private day use of a year round holistic rural setting diverse with nature, activities and enjoyment. Another win would be to have the professionals who provide wellness supports to make use of this property.
Why….
Our Public Service and Military Personnel experience unique challenges associated to their profession. The sights, sounds and carnage can, if not addressed proactively or in the early stages of injury, can leave surmountable and debilitating physical and emotional injury and psychological illness. Emotional safety, privacy and quietness is paramount to this audience. The ability to have a private day use setting that includes a combination of unencumbered nature, wide range of activity, peer and professional support does much for reestablishing relationships within themselves, family and work colleagues. Psychological wellness, healing and rehabilitation is proven to be effective when outdoor activities in nature can be included. Getting away from the concrete city and traffic, in a cost effective, nurturing and safe environment specific to our Public Service and Military Personnel and their families is necessary in this fast paced and increasing less affordable society.
How will we do this?
Natural theme opportunities will include education/interpretive features with outdoor classroom spaces along with natural trails and pathways for snow shoeing, walking, sleigh rides, and biking. There will be numerous areas that include large rocks, planting of trees and flowers dedicated in memory of lost Veterans, Military Personnel and First Responders lost in the line of duty or other causes.
Passive/Social theme opportunities will include areas for picnic tables, gardens with fruit bushes and trees, vegetables and flowers, a green house and compost area.
There’s nothing like jumping on a mower or digging in the dirt, planting and pulling up potatoes and carrots!
There will also be areas for photography, meditation, mom’s/dad’s tots area, birdhouses and an Indigenous TiPi. Equine therapy, music, yoga and mediative areas will provide safe places for exploring and building curiosity with processing emotions and challenges.
Operational theme opportunities will include a building infostructure for office and meeting space for staff, meeting space for psychological and reintegration professionals, a music and art room, library, quiet meditation area, general meeting/teaching space for up to 100 persons. An accessory building such as a barn or appropriate building specific for peer activities for men and indoor surface area for floor hockey. A round up pen/shelter for small seasonal animals and mobile equine therapy would be included.
For safety, security and privacy reasons, we cannot just rent someone's property or by a typical acerage. Currently the struggle is securing a property that is zoned appropriately for a type 2 business model - (more than 2 employees). The charity would own the property, carry appropriate liability insurance and operate as governed by our volunteer board of directors. Donor dollars go back into supporting the charity - not a provide entity.
Do we know what we're doing? We sure do. Legacy Place Society had the opportunity to test a pilot project from June 2019 to November 2021 and had tremendous results with a 9 acre site about 5 minutes outside of Calgary. It was fantastic for those who came out for team building exercises, peer support sessions, single parents and their kids enjoying time together around the skating rink, toboggan hill, camp fires, picnics in the woods, chasing goats, planting a garden, learning how to ride a grass mower, split wood and so much more. Many first responders and veterans who were isolating came out in the fresh air and helped build a cabin, treehouse and put up fencing. Unfortunately this property was not going to meet the development that we were needing to expand into and also a bit too close to a couple of neighbors. It was a fantastic experience and a drive to bring it back to life in a more private setting.
Assets -
Legacy Place was able to fully pay off the property purchase and has secured $1.1 million in a T-Bill account designated to the next property. Legacy Place also fully owns the 3 Legacy Place Houses in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer (3 houses asset worth of about $1.5 million).
Where are we at - why are we asking for funding?Legacy Place is in the category of commercial designation. So our insurance and ability to borrow is higher. We historically have been able to secure approximately $500,000 each year in funding by means of fundraisers, grant writing and education partnerships. Grants can be fruitful but are not always approved and take many months of back and forth dialogue. Kids and cancer, sports, music, etc are not as difficult areas to talk about and fund raise for. Mental health and addiction funding tends to go to research and health facilities.
Many Canadians have benefited from the actions and service of our first responders - the police, fire fighters, paramedics, 911 dispatchers, front line health care and Canadian Armed Forces. They've saved lives thru resuscitation, intervention or selflessly giving their life in the line of duty. Post covid, local political demonstrations and now settings where the economy is hurting families even more, there is a huge risk of the public service agencies focusing on recruitment and retention issues as staffing is at all time difficulties.
We're looking for those interested people who would like to support this necessary and unique initiative. To join our donor wall of support and create this purpose filled initiative. To stand beside our men and women in uniform and say thank you.
We immediately have an opportunity to start on bare land or purchase a suitable setting that's on the market.
Please - let's talk! Thank you for your consideration.
https://legacyplacesociety.com