Veteran Couples Trip to Slough Creek

TROUT magazine article....

http://online.qmags.com/TU0915#pg17&mode2

The Veterans Service Partnership (VSP) is dedicated to the men and women, spouses and families of the US Armed Forces and is an initiative by Trout Unlimited to connect our members with recovering Vets and wounded warriors through fly fishing and cold water conservation.  

The greatest selling point for Trout Unlimited’s VSP work is our network of 150,000+ members that operate out of over 400 chapters across the country. Each chapter is a ready-made community of passionate conservationists and anglers. Each wounded warrior/vet participant in the VSP program receives a complimentary membership to TU and is automatically assigned to a TU chapter. For many served by TU’s VSP, they are quickly integrated into their chapter community which becomes a safe haven where vets and wounded warriors can serve and be served in return. Much of our focus in the next few years will be to build on this chapter support system. We will be providing chapter volunteer leaders with tools and resources to mentor and encourage veterans to participate with chapter activities outside of the one, specific veteran specific trip or event. We believe that chapters provide spaces where vets can once again serve, i.e. help with a stream clean-up or teach an eager young angler to tie flies. And in return, the veteran is provided with a ready-made community to support and serve him or her for many years.

For more information on the VSP and the free TU membership for veterans, please contact Alan Folger at afolger@tu.org or Western VSP Coordinator Dave Kumlien at DKumlien@tu.org