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Why support this campaign? We want to continue to change lives through our stress management and wilderness survival based curriculum.
What do we need? A piece of land to continue our passion on. One we can preserve and teach from.
Why do we need you? Though we have had great impact (as you will see below), we are a small company. We have been given until November of 2017 to bring the funds in. We need your help in a few ways to make this happen. Please continue reading to learn about us, our cause, and how you can be a part of it...
Who will benefit? We intend to use the land for stress management, outdoor education, and nature therapy for as many people as possible. But securing this land through GoFundMe will allow us to offer free programming to the homeless, recovery, and veteran populations we work with at least annually. We will also work with local schools and education centers for free as often as possible.
Our story:
It all started when Jake - a former police officer and Ranger - was running the Manchester Homeless Service Center in Manchester, NH. He, his brother Eddie (a pediatrician who studies and treats ADD/ADHD and learning disabilities), and their best friend Vinnie (a clinical mental health professional and local youth group leader) were brainstorming ideas to help deal with the current stress and anxiety related health crisis in our country.
Because both Jake and Ed had vast outdoor and survival experience we kept landing on the same idea: Create a curriculum that takes all the concepts you need to survive in a wilderness emergency - for they are all scientifically proven and anecdotally easy to convey - cross it over to everyday life skills, stress management, & proper prioritization, then deliver it to everyone in a format that is understandable, has real world application, and can truly create healthy community.
We began our outdoor / nature adventure by offering Saturday hikes to elementary aged youth. It was a huge success, mainly because it was about more than just survival skills, it was about processing everyday life. From there we moved to classes at local homeschool co-ops, Teen Adventure Groups (TAG), free community Full Moon Hikes and other events, self awareness and defense training, survival courses, self care talks, a Garden of Giving, addiction recovery outdoor experiences, several volunteer endeavors, and taking over the operations of a cold weather homeless shelter in the state's capitol (Concord). Because of our hard work and giving nature we won the Spirit of NH Business Volunteer Champion Award the past two years.
Jake and Teia receiving a 2nd consecutive volunteer award
The programming we run has a profound impact on several key areas of human development that is lost - or at least feels "dumbed down" - in many other learning environments. These areas include:
Self-knowledge
Self-worth
Tenacity
Team building
The ability to go beyond self-imposed limitations
Acceptance of responsibility
Self-reliance
Physical fitness
Creativity
Leadership
Studies are proving that nature, experiential education, and the wilderness survival mindset have deep and lasting positive effects on participants. Now more and more science is showing that people learn better in an outdoor, natural setting. We want to foster this.
Youth hike at Massabesic Recreational Trail
TAG hike at Three Ponds Trail
Much of what the Thrive Outdoors team has done has been at low cost or free to participants and the community. But the results have been overwhelmingly positive, and people's lives are clearly being changed for the better. Here is what some program and class recipients are saying:
"I wanted to let you know your work with the Teens in TAG and Thrive is having a profound impact and positively changing lives. I am so grateful for your impact on my family."
~ Ann, Teen Adventure Group parent
"Thrive is absolutely amazing!!! I can't wait to bring my family to New Hampshire so they can get the awesome experience that Thrive has given to me. To them you aren't just another person they take on adventures. They make you feel like a united family. They make sure no matter what you are doing no person will be left behind, they stay with you and guide you through anything that comes your way. They truly are an inspiration and can't wait to see 'them' all again."
~ Amy, multiple program recipient
"My 15 year old son has been involved since the early spring of 2015. Each week, Thrive Outdoors works with the young adults to team-build, encourage the importance of volunteerism, learn how to effectively communicate, gain trust and develop leadership skills. Personally, I have witnessed, through my son, the selfless acts Thrive Outdoors has given to reach our kids, so they too will one day, 'pass it forward'. The Thrive Outdoors instructor is passionate, competent, dependable and trustworthy. Not only does my son value him and Thrive Outdoors, my husband and I do as well."
~ Holly, Teen Adventure Group parent
Plant identification with TAG at Odiorne Point
As you can see, our ideals, passion, experience, and understanding of stress management is catching on. We want to create a space where it can live. Forever.
Here is where this campaign begins:
Since the beginning of Thrive Outdoors, a search for the right place to set our outdoor roots was one of our main goals. Now, after honing our curriculum and programming, seeing how we change lives, and eventually bringing on a fourth partner - Geralynn, a teacher and long time friend of Jake with a knack for building incredible teaching moments - we have found what we were looking for: a large area of complete wilderness, surrounded by conservation and nature preserve land, a marsh and a pond. We want to turn this into a destination for anyone who is looking to get away, desires to connect with nature, needs to reconnect with themselves, hopes to learn how to manage their stress, and wants to find out what it takes to be a true real-world leader.
Our promise:
Within established safety protocols, this land will be open to schools, conservationists, educators, and veteran families - for free! Other than storage sheds and emergency shelters (yurts and Adirondack huts), there is no intention to build on the land. As much as possible Thrive Outdoors wants to keep the land just that, land. Trails, a fire ring, a small boardwalk, and maybe a ropes course are the grandest plans for this land. The flora and fauna will be encouraged to grace human visitors with their splendor for as long as nature will allow.
Proposed boardwalk
Your gift to this cause will go to one of 3 costs:
1- The land itself: We have settled with the sellers on $32,000. So before anything else we must meet this goal.
2- Access-road maintenance and repair: There is dirt access road - over a mile long - that is not even considered a road yet. It is impassible for half of the year as is and leads to a right of way that needs improvement as well. We estimate between $10,000 and $20,000 to make the road functional for our purposes and create a small dirt/stone parking area.
3- Equipment, incidentals, and surveys: Because we want to make sure we are not going to harm the land we intend to pay professionals to come out and create a conservation plan that works with our desired use. There is also a chance taxes and local fees could be assessed. We don't want to be caught off guard. Finally, we will need to purchase equipment, such as tools and ropes course materials, to work on the land. We estimate between $14,000 and $24,000 for everything we need.
Any amount will help us towards this land, but reaching our campaign goal will mean that we can jump right into offering all of our programming with no overhead costs, no headaches, and no interference. This will benefit everyone we work with.
Teen and Family trip, Catskills NY - Adirnondack hut and fire pit concept for our land
We understand there is a lot of estimating happening. So we promise that any money not spent directly on the three costs above will go towards offering free programming to teens, veterans, and individuals in recovery until it is gone.
We do not bring in a lot of money as a company because we want it spent on our recipients and other worthy causes. Three of the partners have made $0 since the creation of Thrive Outdoors. This includes all forms of payout. No bonuses, no partners pay, nothing. And the Managing Partner, Jake, has brought in to his household - from all forms of company income - less than $10,000.00 since the beginning. This is because we are serious about Thrive Outdoors being a socially conscious, community building, and people driven organization, not a company whose sole purpose is profit.
Jake and Ryan prepping a recovery group for a ropes course
With the networks we have formed and the therapeutic value we have added to our programming, Thrive Outdoors partners and associates know that the acquisition of this land is a huge step towards changing even more lives, sustainably and for the forseeable future.
Please note that we are not a non-profit. We function very much like a non-profit but we are a for-profit entity. We have a good reason for this and Jake would be happy to discuss it with anyone who wants to know. (Short version: we have a vision and goal for how Thrive Outdoors will change lives. In a non-profit we are forced to place that vision in the hands of a board. Though we love, respect, and support non-profits, this particular endeavour is too dear to us to place in others' hands.) That said, your money will be going to exactly what we said it would, and that's that.
We took a hiatus from the GoFundMe for a while because we just couldn't find the perfect spot. Now we have, and the drive is on in full! With your support we can make this dream a reality. Please consider helping in one of 3 ways:
1 - Give a monetary gift: Each dollar given is a step closer to this reality. AND you get to know that you are a part of something so much bigger than a piece of land or one company.
2 - Share this: The more people who know, the more likely we will get the gifts we need to push through. Please send this across platforms and to anyone you think might be interested in supporting.
3 - Contact us: Reach out and share ideas or thoughts you might have for the campaign, the land, our programming... anything at all. Get to know us.
Help us put this land that we know will improve lives, preserve nature, and give our programming a place to call "home" for years to come to use. Please help us make sure this land stays wild, natural, and great for teaching on. If we purchase it, this is guaranteed. You can contact us directly anytime with ideas, questions, or comments.
Below are ways to help share this campaign and support our cause, followed by an offer to you and yours.
Check out our website!
Check us out on Facebook!
Follow us on Twitter!
The land is open to certain people at all times for free (when safe and applicable). If you are a gift giver we want you to feel a connection to this dream too, so we offer this to you as well (again, when safe and applicable). Follow our progress on facebook and this campaign, and make plans with us to come out and see what we are doing. Let us host you for a walking tour, a fire pit chat, and / or a camp out. You are welcome, and we would love to have you (contingent upon the land purchase being finalized).
What happens if we don't reach our goal?
We will put whatever we raise towards the down payment and exhaust any feasible option to make this land our own. If we end up unable to purchase the land we will contact you to figure out what you want us to do with your gift portion. Including returning it to you (minus any fee the campaign organizer - Go Fund Me - takes out).
What do we need? A piece of land to continue our passion on. One we can preserve and teach from.
Why do we need you? Though we have had great impact (as you will see below), we are a small company. We have been given until November of 2017 to bring the funds in. We need your help in a few ways to make this happen. Please continue reading to learn about us, our cause, and how you can be a part of it...
Who will benefit? We intend to use the land for stress management, outdoor education, and nature therapy for as many people as possible. But securing this land through GoFundMe will allow us to offer free programming to the homeless, recovery, and veteran populations we work with at least annually. We will also work with local schools and education centers for free as often as possible.
Our story:
It all started when Jake - a former police officer and Ranger - was running the Manchester Homeless Service Center in Manchester, NH. He, his brother Eddie (a pediatrician who studies and treats ADD/ADHD and learning disabilities), and their best friend Vinnie (a clinical mental health professional and local youth group leader) were brainstorming ideas to help deal with the current stress and anxiety related health crisis in our country.
Because both Jake and Ed had vast outdoor and survival experience we kept landing on the same idea: Create a curriculum that takes all the concepts you need to survive in a wilderness emergency - for they are all scientifically proven and anecdotally easy to convey - cross it over to everyday life skills, stress management, & proper prioritization, then deliver it to everyone in a format that is understandable, has real world application, and can truly create healthy community.
We began our outdoor / nature adventure by offering Saturday hikes to elementary aged youth. It was a huge success, mainly because it was about more than just survival skills, it was about processing everyday life. From there we moved to classes at local homeschool co-ops, Teen Adventure Groups (TAG), free community Full Moon Hikes and other events, self awareness and defense training, survival courses, self care talks, a Garden of Giving, addiction recovery outdoor experiences, several volunteer endeavors, and taking over the operations of a cold weather homeless shelter in the state's capitol (Concord). Because of our hard work and giving nature we won the Spirit of NH Business Volunteer Champion Award the past two years.
Jake and Teia receiving a 2nd consecutive volunteer awardThe programming we run has a profound impact on several key areas of human development that is lost - or at least feels "dumbed down" - in many other learning environments. These areas include:
Self-knowledge
Self-worth
Tenacity
Team building
The ability to go beyond self-imposed limitations
Acceptance of responsibility
Self-reliance
Physical fitness
Creativity
Leadership
Studies are proving that nature, experiential education, and the wilderness survival mindset have deep and lasting positive effects on participants. Now more and more science is showing that people learn better in an outdoor, natural setting. We want to foster this.
Youth hike at Massabesic Recreational TrailTAG hike at Three Ponds Trail Much of what the Thrive Outdoors team has done has been at low cost or free to participants and the community. But the results have been overwhelmingly positive, and people's lives are clearly being changed for the better. Here is what some program and class recipients are saying:
"I wanted to let you know your work with the Teens in TAG and Thrive is having a profound impact and positively changing lives. I am so grateful for your impact on my family."
~ Ann, Teen Adventure Group parent
"Thrive is absolutely amazing!!! I can't wait to bring my family to New Hampshire so they can get the awesome experience that Thrive has given to me. To them you aren't just another person they take on adventures. They make you feel like a united family. They make sure no matter what you are doing no person will be left behind, they stay with you and guide you through anything that comes your way. They truly are an inspiration and can't wait to see 'them' all again."
~ Amy, multiple program recipient
"My 15 year old son has been involved since the early spring of 2015. Each week, Thrive Outdoors works with the young adults to team-build, encourage the importance of volunteerism, learn how to effectively communicate, gain trust and develop leadership skills. Personally, I have witnessed, through my son, the selfless acts Thrive Outdoors has given to reach our kids, so they too will one day, 'pass it forward'. The Thrive Outdoors instructor is passionate, competent, dependable and trustworthy. Not only does my son value him and Thrive Outdoors, my husband and I do as well."
~ Holly, Teen Adventure Group parent
Plant identification with TAG at Odiorne Point As you can see, our ideals, passion, experience, and understanding of stress management is catching on. We want to create a space where it can live. Forever.
Here is where this campaign begins:
Since the beginning of Thrive Outdoors, a search for the right place to set our outdoor roots was one of our main goals. Now, after honing our curriculum and programming, seeing how we change lives, and eventually bringing on a fourth partner - Geralynn, a teacher and long time friend of Jake with a knack for building incredible teaching moments - we have found what we were looking for: a large area of complete wilderness, surrounded by conservation and nature preserve land, a marsh and a pond. We want to turn this into a destination for anyone who is looking to get away, desires to connect with nature, needs to reconnect with themselves, hopes to learn how to manage their stress, and wants to find out what it takes to be a true real-world leader.
Our promise:
Within established safety protocols, this land will be open to schools, conservationists, educators, and veteran families - for free! Other than storage sheds and emergency shelters (yurts and Adirondack huts), there is no intention to build on the land. As much as possible Thrive Outdoors wants to keep the land just that, land. Trails, a fire ring, a small boardwalk, and maybe a ropes course are the grandest plans for this land. The flora and fauna will be encouraged to grace human visitors with their splendor for as long as nature will allow.
Proposed boardwalkYour gift to this cause will go to one of 3 costs:
1- The land itself: We have settled with the sellers on $32,000. So before anything else we must meet this goal.
2- Access-road maintenance and repair: There is dirt access road - over a mile long - that is not even considered a road yet. It is impassible for half of the year as is and leads to a right of way that needs improvement as well. We estimate between $10,000 and $20,000 to make the road functional for our purposes and create a small dirt/stone parking area.
3- Equipment, incidentals, and surveys: Because we want to make sure we are not going to harm the land we intend to pay professionals to come out and create a conservation plan that works with our desired use. There is also a chance taxes and local fees could be assessed. We don't want to be caught off guard. Finally, we will need to purchase equipment, such as tools and ropes course materials, to work on the land. We estimate between $14,000 and $24,000 for everything we need.
Any amount will help us towards this land, but reaching our campaign goal will mean that we can jump right into offering all of our programming with no overhead costs, no headaches, and no interference. This will benefit everyone we work with.
Teen and Family trip, Catskills NY - Adirnondack hut and fire pit concept for our landWe understand there is a lot of estimating happening. So we promise that any money not spent directly on the three costs above will go towards offering free programming to teens, veterans, and individuals in recovery until it is gone.
We do not bring in a lot of money as a company because we want it spent on our recipients and other worthy causes. Three of the partners have made $0 since the creation of Thrive Outdoors. This includes all forms of payout. No bonuses, no partners pay, nothing. And the Managing Partner, Jake, has brought in to his household - from all forms of company income - less than $10,000.00 since the beginning. This is because we are serious about Thrive Outdoors being a socially conscious, community building, and people driven organization, not a company whose sole purpose is profit.
Jake and Ryan prepping a recovery group for a ropes courseWith the networks we have formed and the therapeutic value we have added to our programming, Thrive Outdoors partners and associates know that the acquisition of this land is a huge step towards changing even more lives, sustainably and for the forseeable future.
Please note that we are not a non-profit. We function very much like a non-profit but we are a for-profit entity. We have a good reason for this and Jake would be happy to discuss it with anyone who wants to know. (Short version: we have a vision and goal for how Thrive Outdoors will change lives. In a non-profit we are forced to place that vision in the hands of a board. Though we love, respect, and support non-profits, this particular endeavour is too dear to us to place in others' hands.) That said, your money will be going to exactly what we said it would, and that's that.
We took a hiatus from the GoFundMe for a while because we just couldn't find the perfect spot. Now we have, and the drive is on in full! With your support we can make this dream a reality. Please consider helping in one of 3 ways:
1 - Give a monetary gift: Each dollar given is a step closer to this reality. AND you get to know that you are a part of something so much bigger than a piece of land or one company.
2 - Share this: The more people who know, the more likely we will get the gifts we need to push through. Please send this across platforms and to anyone you think might be interested in supporting.
3 - Contact us: Reach out and share ideas or thoughts you might have for the campaign, the land, our programming... anything at all. Get to know us.
Help us put this land that we know will improve lives, preserve nature, and give our programming a place to call "home" for years to come to use. Please help us make sure this land stays wild, natural, and great for teaching on. If we purchase it, this is guaranteed. You can contact us directly anytime with ideas, questions, or comments.
Below are ways to help share this campaign and support our cause, followed by an offer to you and yours.
Check out our website!
Check us out on Facebook!
Follow us on Twitter!
The land is open to certain people at all times for free (when safe and applicable). If you are a gift giver we want you to feel a connection to this dream too, so we offer this to you as well (again, when safe and applicable). Follow our progress on facebook and this campaign, and make plans with us to come out and see what we are doing. Let us host you for a walking tour, a fire pit chat, and / or a camp out. You are welcome, and we would love to have you (contingent upon the land purchase being finalized).
What happens if we don't reach our goal?
We will put whatever we raise towards the down payment and exhaust any feasible option to make this land our own. If we end up unable to purchase the land we will contact you to figure out what you want us to do with your gift portion. Including returning it to you (minus any fee the campaign organizer - Go Fund Me - takes out).
Organizer
Jake King
Organizer
Manchester, NH
