An impressive thirtyplus service providers and vendors Saturday packed the grounds of the Osceola County Therapeutic Equestrian Center, and home of the McCormick Research Institute, which provides equine-assisted therapies for veterans and individuals with special needs.
The event was organized by the Veterans 1st Community Partners Coalition (V1CP), in recognition of September being Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. The fair was designed to support veterans and their families by providing access to a wide array of local resources and opportunities to learn about services and programs related to education, employment, and benefits. The event was heavily attended, and vehicle parking for the event had nearly reached capacity by midday.
While many exhibiting organizations were veteranbased, V1CP was able to attract entities that can provide treatment options for those in need of mental health and medical care, such as HCA Florida Hospital and Turning Point, and for food security, and housing, such as the Society of St. Vincent DePaul and Dolphy Cares.
“This coalition has really helped get all the organizations and service providers cooperating and complimenting each other to maximize the benefits they can bring to Osceola’s veterans,” said Carlton Davidson, Director of Operations & Veterans Engagement for the McCormick Research Institute, and the very busy person seemly at the center of Saturday’s event.
While exhibitors came from as far away as Orlando, including the federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Camaraderie Foundation, Seminole State College Veterans Services, and Orange County Veterans Services, Osceola’s veteran resource organizations were there in force.
Connecting the Dots for Veterans, which counsels veterans on obtaining VA benefits and helps organize documentation before entering the formal claims process, is based in Osceola County. The IGY6 (I Got Your 6) Foundation, which facilitates adventure therapy programs for veterans and first responders, is based in St. Cloud. IGY6 works closely with another St. Cloud-based therapy organization, Whisper 7 Six, that introduces veterans to therapy programs based on “action sports,” such as auto and boat racing.
St. Cloud traces its origins back to 1909 when retiring Union Civil War veterans chose the area as the site for a veteran’s colony and began to build homes in what is now the “state streets” section of the city. With organizations like the McCormick Research Institute, Connecting the Dots for Veterans, The IGY6 Foundation, and Whisper 7 Six, the spirit of veterans coming together to help their fellow veterans is certainly alive and well in St. Cloud today.
For more information about the McCormick Research Institute, see https://bit. ly/ 3ZAseqy.
