Disabled Veterans To Beekeepers (DVTB)
Donation protected
Hello. My name is Donald Schafer. I'm a disabled Veteran. I am the owner of Schafer Farms. I joined the military as a young man because I love my country and my fellow man. I was raised in the tradition of honor, courage, and commitment. Military service has always been my family's legacy. Defending this country during the Global War on Terrorism has been my honor. I am proud to have done it. My shoulder was injured during my service, and without warning, I could no longer do the only job I've ever known. When I came home, like many disabled Veterans, I struggled to make the transition.
I felt lost, like my life's purpose was gone. My physical limitations made me feel inadequate as a man and as a husband. Where I once had my brothers and sisters in arms to fall back on and turn to for support, they were not here anymore. I had to fight the last battle, the battle for my mental health at home alone. I had my wife, but she had no way of truly understanding the feeling of depression. This has caused emotional issues such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Perhaps the most difficult feeling, isolation. I began to have some dark thoughts like life was not worth living anymore. What I was going through was an all too familiar tale that does not end well for most veterans. When one loses their connections to people who make them feel understood along with their life's purpose. They lose the feeling that they are making a difference. This displacement is why in 2018, the veteran suicide jumped up to an astonishing 30.6 suicides per 100,000 veterans. To this, I say we can do better.
A couple years ago. I started working with bees. This activity brought me peace. I felt like I was a part of something again. They really are very similar to the military. Each bee has a job, and they are all part of a well-oiled machine. It helped me to feel like I was part of that team. I finally felt like I had a place again because the bees gave me a purpose. I needed them just as much as they needed me. My ultimate goal is to share this peace with my fellow veterans. I want to create beehive starter kits, and this is my way of rebuilding the bee population and finding purpose again. Bees are close to extinction. Without bees, we lose so much. They pollinate fruits and vegetables and many other plants, which remove carbon dioxide from the air and create oxygen. If the bees die, we die too. Please help me help veterans find peace and balance out the ecosystem. Let's all become a well-oiled machine and continue to prosper. This year with the donation of 5 dollars or more, I will include a 3d printed Honey Bee Keychain. Thank you.
I felt lost, like my life's purpose was gone. My physical limitations made me feel inadequate as a man and as a husband. Where I once had my brothers and sisters in arms to fall back on and turn to for support, they were not here anymore. I had to fight the last battle, the battle for my mental health at home alone. I had my wife, but she had no way of truly understanding the feeling of depression. This has caused emotional issues such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Perhaps the most difficult feeling, isolation. I began to have some dark thoughts like life was not worth living anymore. What I was going through was an all too familiar tale that does not end well for most veterans. When one loses their connections to people who make them feel understood along with their life's purpose. They lose the feeling that they are making a difference. This displacement is why in 2018, the veteran suicide jumped up to an astonishing 30.6 suicides per 100,000 veterans. To this, I say we can do better.
A couple years ago. I started working with bees. This activity brought me peace. I felt like I was a part of something again. They really are very similar to the military. Each bee has a job, and they are all part of a well-oiled machine. It helped me to feel like I was part of that team. I finally felt like I had a place again because the bees gave me a purpose. I needed them just as much as they needed me. My ultimate goal is to share this peace with my fellow veterans. I want to create beehive starter kits, and this is my way of rebuilding the bee population and finding purpose again. Bees are close to extinction. Without bees, we lose so much. They pollinate fruits and vegetables and many other plants, which remove carbon dioxide from the air and create oxygen. If the bees die, we die too. Please help me help veterans find peace and balance out the ecosystem. Let's all become a well-oiled machine and continue to prosper. This year with the donation of 5 dollars or more, I will include a 3d printed Honey Bee Keychain. Thank you.
Organizer
Donald Schafer
Organizer
Foster City, MI
