For the past several years, a small group of Canadian veterans has gathered online each Wednesday to learn practical skills for managing PTSD, combat stress, anxiety, chronic pain, sleep difficulties, and other service-related challenges. More than a yoga class, this weekly program has become an important source of support, hope, and community. Veterans participate from the comfort of their own homes, learning practical self-regulation skills they continue using long after each class ends. Unfortunately, funding for the program recently came to an end. Our goal is to raise $4,000 USD (approximately $5,700 CAD) to continue this free weekly program from September 2026 through June 2027, ensuring that participating veterans can continue attending at no cost to them.
Rather than telling you what this program means, I'd like you to hear it from some of the veterans themselves:
"The connection to community means that I eagerly anticipate each session and encourages my participation each week." — Connie
"It has helped me to quit drinking and feeling the medication doing their work in a better environment... Yoga has provided my physical and mental health with more clarity and sanity in my life." — Louis
"I owe a great deal of my healing to this program." — Stena Bergeron, retired Lieutenant-Colonel
One participant, Cristel, captured the heart of this program when she wrote: "It reminded me that I am still capable." Those six simple words say more than I ever could. Cristel went on to write: "It's heartbreaking that a program this inspiring, this motivating, and this vital is struggling to get funding." She also shared that the program inspired her to become a certified yoga teacher and helped her discover strengths she never believed she possessed.
When I learned that funding for this program was coming to an end, it broke my heart. For years, I have watched veterans show up for one another week after week, learning practical skills, supporting one another, and gradually rebuilding confidence in themselves and in what they are capable of. When the original funding ended, I wasn't ready to tell these veterans that the class they had come to rely on would simply disappear. I continued supporting the program for several months while searching for new funding, but that wasn't a long-term solution. These are real people with real needs, and this program has become an important part of their lives. As an occupational therapist, one of the greatest rewards is seeing someone rediscover confidence, hope, purpose, and a renewed sense of what they're capable of. To me, that's what healing is truly about. Every dollar donated through this campaign will go directly toward supporting the occupational therapists who lead the weekly veterans' classes. The administration of the program will continue on a volunteer basis.
Please help us keep this vital program alive for veterans who rely on it for support, hope, and community. Your generosity will make a real difference in the lives of those who have served.
Rather than telling you what this program means, I'd like you to hear it from some of the veterans themselves:
"The connection to community means that I eagerly anticipate each session and encourages my participation each week." — Connie
"It has helped me to quit drinking and feeling the medication doing their work in a better environment... Yoga has provided my physical and mental health with more clarity and sanity in my life." — Louis
"I owe a great deal of my healing to this program." — Stena Bergeron, retired Lieutenant-Colonel
One participant, Cristel, captured the heart of this program when she wrote: "It reminded me that I am still capable." Those six simple words say more than I ever could. Cristel went on to write: "It's heartbreaking that a program this inspiring, this motivating, and this vital is struggling to get funding." She also shared that the program inspired her to become a certified yoga teacher and helped her discover strengths she never believed she possessed.
When I learned that funding for this program was coming to an end, it broke my heart. For years, I have watched veterans show up for one another week after week, learning practical skills, supporting one another, and gradually rebuilding confidence in themselves and in what they are capable of. When the original funding ended, I wasn't ready to tell these veterans that the class they had come to rely on would simply disappear. I continued supporting the program for several months while searching for new funding, but that wasn't a long-term solution. These are real people with real needs, and this program has become an important part of their lives. As an occupational therapist, one of the greatest rewards is seeing someone rediscover confidence, hope, purpose, and a renewed sense of what they're capable of. To me, that's what healing is truly about. Every dollar donated through this campaign will go directly toward supporting the occupational therapists who lead the weekly veterans' classes. The administration of the program will continue on a volunteer basis.
Please help us keep this vital program alive for veterans who rely on it for support, hope, and community. Your generosity will make a real difference in the lives of those who have served.