About Our Heroes' Dreams
Our Heroes’ Dreams is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization helping veterans, first responders, peace officers, and Gold Star Families during their times of need. Our focus is helping our warrior get off the couch, back into their family unit and help them find a way to get into their new mission in life.
Our Core Values
H
Honor
E
Empower
R
Respect
O
Opportunities
E
Excellence
S
Service
Our Heroes Dreams operates a four-phase program that helps get our warriors (Vets, First Responders, and Peace Officers) off the couch and back into a new mission. Many are trapped in their mind, trying to figure out a new mission in life or what life has in store for them next.
Our formula consists of 4 phases:
Homefront Battlefield Bootcamp, the deadliest battlefield our warriors will face. This is a five-day experience where the counselors have sat where the current warriors are sitting. This phase includes activities like SCUBA, fishing, adaptive sports, team building, wood working and a plethora of other programs that help you get off the couch. The best part though is sitting around the fire and enjoying a nice meal while learning and sharing life’s experiences together and learning ways that we can overcome the darkness that our military and first responders go through.
The band aid phase. Here we’ll help identify what the struggles are in life and what is holding our warriors back from being a warrior once again in their next mission. We help apply band aids from partner programs around the nation like car, home, relationship, financial, PTS, MST, credit, and other types of counseling, or band aids that are needed.
We bring out the family for our family retreat. Here we help identify trigger points and help learn ways to work on trigger points. We do phase one all over again, but with the family. In the end, we want all of our families to be working as a unit again.
This is our Special Ops Phase. Now that the band aids are applied and the warrior and their family are thriving again, we help the warrior find a new mission, and then help write a business plan for their new life mission. This business plan goes further than their current mission. It is a business plan for their life and includes how to deal with life after public service and how to be a family member again. In almost all forms of public service you go through boot camp. In boot camp they tear down your identity and create a warrior in you. Nobody teaches you how to shut that warrior light switch off and how to be a civilian, which often prevents someone from being an active member in their family unit again.
Lastly, if accepted, we try to introduce the one thing that truly heals all wounds, and that is Christ’s caring and nurturing love for them. This is done through a simple morning and evening devotion comprised of biblical stories of Godly men and women who have gone through and overcome some of the same struggles our warriors do. For those that choose the path that God has created for them, the recidivism rate is near zero.
Leadership Team
Justin Bond
CEO/Founder of Our Heroes’ Dreams
Board President
Jason Day served in the United States Army as a 13 Bravo, Heavy Artillery cannon crewmember. After Boot Camp, and OSUT at Ft Sill OK, he was stationed at Ft. Carson, Colorado where he was part of the 3rd Battalion Field Artillery Regiment. He was deployed along with his unit to Kuwait in 2002 for a six-month deployment as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Jason Day received an Honorable Medical Discharge.
He went back to college receiving his A.A. and B.A. in business management and has a few units left to complete his master’s program. Day used the discipline from the military and his civilian education to start a small agriculture business which he runs today. Day has three children, two daughters ages seven and 18 and a son who is 5 years old. Day’s heart remains with the brothers and sisters he served with in the military which led him to begin volunteering his time to veteran organizations including the Veteran Hospitals, Homes for Our Troops, and Our Heroes’ Dreams. Day’s motto is there is nothing wrong with America that cannot be fixed with what’s right with America.
Thank You To Our Sponsors
The team at Our Heroes’ Dream would like to thank our sponsors that have helped us to continue in our mission and for helping to change the lives of so many in our communities.
Meet Our Heroes
A hero faces death for others, with no thought of personal gain or glory.
Jack Schwartz
POW WORLD WAR II VETERAN JACK SCHWARTZ Jack Schwartz, 102, was born in San Fransisco
Robert Geisler
KOREAN WAR VETERAN ROBERT GEISLER Robert Geisler was born in Hanford, CA on January 1,
Gene Ralston
VIETNAM VETERAN GENE RALSTON Gene Duain Ralston was born February 16, 1933. The fourth child
Frequently Asked QUestions
Below are our frequently asked questions. If you can’t find the answer to your question below, please feel free to contact us and one of our Veterans will be happy to assist you.
Our Heroes’ Dreams is currently serving former members of the United States Armed Forces who while on Active served under one of the following conditions:
- We do not discriminate against your type of discharge, rank, years served, generational status, combat or peace time service, physical/mental injuries, or lack thereof. All veterans are encouraged to apply.
- To attend our retreat, you must be clean from illegal drugs for the last 14 days, and you must consent to staying clean while attending our retreat or programs.
Our Heroes’ Dreams also serves current and former members of First Responders, Peace Officers, Contractors, and from time to time, Gold Star Family retreats
- Our Heroes’ Dreams feels that our nation’s heroes are not just those that defend our way of life abroad, but also those here on the Homefront. We all serve on the same team, just a different battlefield!
Our Heroes Dreams provides to those in need such things as counseling services, retreats, and several other programs. There is never any charge to our warriors, or their families when attending our events or going through our four-phase program.
Applications will be assessed, and selection of recipients is made by a panel of members known as the “Warrior Board”. Application approval is not guaranteed but every attempt will be made to accommodate every applicant. At times, we may refer you to other programs that may be better suited to assist you with a more tailored or specialty type care.
Please provide as much information as possible or that you feel comfortable giving, which may enhance your application’s chances of being selected as an Our Heroes’ Dreams recipient.
As part of the application process the applicant may be required to provide a copy of their DD214, or proof of your public service as a first responder or peace officer. Also, applicants may be required to show additional paperwork pertaining to mental and or physical disabilities if needed for certain activities.
For applicants requesting financial assistance, you may be asked to provide financial information such as income and bank statements. Please note, we do not give out grants or help with distressed financial situations at this time except for extreme emergencies and this is reserved for those families attending our program currently.
For your application to receive consideration it is vital that you maintain current contact information with us. Please contact us with any changes in your information.
Our Heroes’ Dreams makes every attempt to connect veterans, first responders, and peace officers with available help offered through 3rd party organizations. Our Heroes’ Dreams has no control over the selection process of 3rd party organizations. Our Heroes’ Dreams furthermore holds no responsibility for 3rd party organizations selection process and or services. No personal or private information is shared with 3rd party organizations except through the application process to help get the warrior approved for external help.
The time frame for selecting qualified applicants will vary depending on availability of resources and number of applicants. Our Heroes’ Dreams will make every attempt to contact all qualified applicants within 30 days. We will do our best to be much quicker at this but it is not always possible.
Volunteer:
- Volunteers are always needed to help fulfill our mission to our nation’s heroes. Your time and skills are needed and crucial to our success. If you would like to volunteer at a specific event or would like to be notified of future volunteer possibilities, contact our dispatch team at info@ourheroesdreams.org
Monetary Donations:
- Monetary donations allow us to continue the mission, whether its sending a family to one of our retreats, providing counseling or budget training, or even helping to get a Veteran through the local VA facility. Our Heroes’ Dreams is a 501(c)3 organization and accepts all monetary donations.
- Sending a check: Mail to: Our Heroes’ Dreams, PO Box 252, Hanford, CA 93230
- Credit Card: You can make a donation through our online portal on either our website or Facebook page.
- Giving Direct: If you would like to give your donation in person, please contact 1-844-OHD-VETS to be connected with someone who can assist you, or email info@ourheroesdreams.org and one of our volunteers will reach out to you shortly!