Honorable Welcome Home offers veterans the welcome they should have received when they first returned from service. It is a welcome that lets them know that we are honored to receive them and to offer rejuvenation of spirit to those who carry the hidden burdens of war.
With the thoughtful guidance of our friends at the American Legion and VFW, as well as community-wide conversation, we decided to host our first Honorable Welcome Home in March of 2010. Since then, Honorable Welcome Home has hosted over 100 veterans, mostly from the Vietnam conflict, but also including veterans from WWII through the Iraq War.
What we have learned is that many veterans, especially combat veterans, have disqualified themselves from enjoying life because of the horrors in which they participated in battle. They come to Chelan, having for years carried the emotional and spiritual wounds of war, and find a community willing and able to accompany them on a journey to wholeness.
Veterans who have been through HWH return to Chelan to tell us how transforming their time with us has been. Men and women who thought they would never be received or welcomed find themselves open once more to the possibility of enjoying their lives. The experience has been profoundly liberating for many of our now dear friends.
The outline of HWH is simple. We welcome veterans (and their spouse) to Chelan, offering housing, meals and activities of the veteran’s own choosing (like horseback riding, massages, fishing trips, skydiving, winery visits, helicopter tours, and more). We accompany them, talk with them and enjoy meals together. We gradually hear and hold many difficult stories and gently support veterans in their struggle to come to peace with their past. Through such hospitality, healing begins.
The next Honorable Welcome Home is Weds thru Sat, March 18-21st. If you or someone you know might be interested in attending, please call Shannon Byquist-Freels at 670-4193.
