4Patriots Employees Plant a Garden for Veterans Adventure Group

One of the reasons people decide to apply for a job at 4Patriots is because they’ve learned about the company’s culture.

Starting at the top with ownership, it’s made clear that giving back is in the company’s DNA.

That means financial and product donations to worthy charitable organizations. Especially those supporting America’s active duty troops and veterans, and their families. 

But it also means giving of our time. Employees regularly serve in their communities. Both in Nashville, Tennessee where the company headquarters is based, and across the country where remote employees reside.

Re-establishing a mission and camaraderie

One of the most recent acts of service performed by 4Patriots employees was planting a vegetable garden at The Compound.

Set in a rustic area about an hour outside Nashville, it’s owned by U.S. Army veteran Michael Paul. He uses it as a headquarters for Veterans Adventure Group, founded by Justin Matejcek in 2015.

When Americans serve in the armed forces, they are given a mission. They develop a sense of duty and purpose, and they benefit from a committed network of support.

Michael describes it as “camaraderie” and “fellowship with like-minded individuals.” He says, “When you’re in combat, you develop teamwork techniques and it becomes you.”

Adventure therapy paves the way 

But what happens when those soldiers return to civilian life? What if they no longer have a mission, a sense of duty, a purpose or a network of support?

Unfortunately, many U.S. veterans find themselves in that exact position. Some turn to alcohol or drugs to fill a void. An alarming number commit suicide.

“We try to help give them guidance to reprogram their minds,” said Michael, who has been confined to a wheelchair since 2002 after breaking his back in a parachute drop. “You can’t do what you used to do in the service, so you have to find the things you can do.

“We try to offer resources to facilitate that. Our focus is on organized groups of teams engaging in what we call ‘adventure therapy.’

“They miss having their brothers and sisters in arms around them, so we develop networks and levels of accountability. I develop retreats for them where they can get what they need. Those networks serve as a framework for building, training and equipping.”

Sowing what you reap 

4Patriots employees who visited The Compound recently took with them non-GMO, heirloom seeds from the company’s Victory Garden Seed Collection and the Flavor Harvest Herb Seed Kit. 

Those seeds will produce a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs for people visiting the site. Including tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, beets and lettuce. As well as a wide selection of herbs.

“4Patriots planted vegetables for us to enjoy all throughout the summer and harvesting in the fall,” Michael said. “Gardening is a great therapy, to see the fruits of your labor, and what you sow is what you reap.

“4Patriots sells a lot of products that we believe in because we’ve all been learning survival skills in the military and those things all transition over to just daily living. We’ll definitely be utilizing and thanking you for today’s efforts in planting all the seeds.” 

 

Wide variety of retreats

There are many and varied activities in which veterans can participate under the Veterans Adventure Group umbrella.

For the more active and healthy vets, they include extreme events such as mountain climbing, skydiving, rock climbing and kite surfing. For others, there is scuba diving, skiing, caving, hiking and nature excursions.

“The best therapy for me when I broke my back skydiving was getting back into activities that I still could do to help in my recovery,” Michael said. “We have a variety of retreats we can do out here.

“We can have a holistic retreat where people come out and do yoga and activities based around wellness, therapy, workouts. There are places to hike, bike, ATV riding, going out on the lake, kayaking.

“There’s no better therapy than veterans helping veterans. And that mindset of integrating veterans working together, it enables them to share resources, share ideas that are therapeutic and share what works for them.

“This has been a great therapeutic experience for myself and many others.” 

Donations always welcome 

Veterans Adventure Group is a nonprofit organization open to all veterans regardless of their diagnosis. Missions are selected based on activities that push participants past their perceived limits toward challenges requiring a team-oriented mindset. 

The organization equips the teams with the gear they need to safely and effectively achieve their missions. 

All donations to Veterans Adventure Group are used to purchase that gear and mission-essential services. Including transportation and permits when applicable.    

Those interested in making a financial or product donation to Veterans Adventure Group can visit VeteransAdventureGroup.org or find them on Facebook.

2 Victory Garden Seed Vaults for the price of one

You could have the same type of garden 4Patriots employees just planted at the Compound.

The best way to do that is with the Victory Garden Seed Vaults. Best of all, half of those seeds will be free. For a limited time, you can get two collections for the price of one.

That means between approximately 15,000 to 20,000 seeds from five popular varieties (tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, beets and zucchini). For one low price. And you can plant the seeds from your crops next year, so you never have to buy seeds again.

Here’s how to order…

Comments

  • Tony D Burnett - April 22, 2022

    Love it! Great Job You Guys! as a 100% Permant and Tottaly Disabled Veteran Myself i can say this is a great thing you are doing for my Fellow vets! lots of people like to say they the support and praise vets but very few actualy do something that proves ad i can say this kinda thing your doing porves it!
    As my old man use to tell me as a kid you can show me better than you can tell me! and you are showing!

Leave a comment

*Required Fields