On March 26, 2016, Shepherd’s Men began a 1,400-mile run from Boston to Atlanta through 10 cities to benefit the SHARE Military Initiative at Atlanta’s Shepherd Center and raise awareness of the suicide epidemic plaguing veterans of the U.S. armed forces.
They made their way through Nashville Thursday, stopping for a bite to eat at The Palm restaurant on 5th Avenue, treat of country music star Charlie Daniels and his co-founded military non-profit The Journey Home Project, which also presented them with a $50,000 check donation.
Daniels and The Journey Home Project board of David Corlew, Mercedez Longever, Joe Longever and Ed Hardy, hope to put a little spring in their steps and get them closer to their $1 million fundraising goal to combat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other traumatic brain injuries among U.S. military members and veterans.
The Journey Home Project was founded in 2014 for the sole purpose of helping those organizations that do the most good in helping our veterans and military members in need,” said Corlew. “The Atlanta Shepherd Center is one of those worthy organizations, and what the Shepherd’s Men are doing is just so unbelievable and inspiring. They’re making an incredible sacrifice for those who sacrificed it all.”
Funds raised through Charlie Daniels’ 40th Anniversary Volunteer Jam at Bridgestone Arena on August 12, 2015 contributed to The Journey Home Project’s donation. The event was just one of the many ways the organization has raised funds in order to support veterans in the local community and beyond with hundreds of thousands of dollars to meet healthcare, education and employment needs.
In September 2015, the Project donated $50,000 to aid in the completion of a new state-of-the-art Veterans and Military Families Center at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) which encourages the success of student veterans as they transition out of uniform and into academics.
The Shepherd’s Men began their 2016 journey in Boston on March 26th and will end at Shepherd Center in Atlanta on April 3rd. Along the way, they make stops in Newport, RI; New York, NY; Gettysburg, PA; Lynchburg, VA; Knoxville, TN; Nashville, TN; Chattanooga, TN; and Athens, GA. In each city, they will meet with veterans’ groups, VFWs, police, firemen and other local organizations to honor those who have fought for our freedom and bring attention to the combat veterans of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who need treatment.
The Journey Home Project is making a difference in the lives of American patriots. For more information, visit www.thejourneyhomeproject.org.
