After 11 years of sweat, tears, and unaccountable rewarding moments, Piper Hill never realized how much starting and growing an organization could affect her life.
“There was one day that a child, maybe around seven or eight, sent me a letter that said, ‘thank you for giving me my daddy back’, it was then that I realized we’re putting an entire family back together with a service dog. So that’s the incredible part of this journey, and it’s one of my favorite parts,” Hill says.
As Healing4Heroes continues to grow, their needs for the future also expand. The biggest resource they lack? A home to call their own. Currently, Hill uses her basement as a makeshift office, which is bursting at the seams.
“It’s overflowing into the shop we have next to the office, it’s in every room of my house!” Hill says. Which also includes the few volunteers that have given up their garages as alternate offices for their training and dog materials.
Right now, Healing4Heroes relies heavily on churches, hotels, and public buildings as their venues to conduct training sessions. Hill and her team couldn’t be more grateful for the community of Atlanta opening up their doors, but the organization is ready to have a place of their own.
Another resource the nonprofit could greatly benefit from is some advertising within communities. Hill touched on how much bringing awareness and direction to their good cause could impact others who need it, “bring your paperwork, bring your dog, come have a cup of coffee, whatever, this is where we want you to come. I look around at our classes of 60, 70, 80 people, working together and helping each other. And I just keep reminding them, be positive.”
As the new year begins for Healing4Heroes, Hill says she wouldn’t be here to do this if it wasn’t for the veterans and community support that she has.
“Everybody has touched me in a certain way, so when they come through that door, I don’t think it’s by coincidence that someone told them about H4H. It wasn’t because a VA employee told them to come here, when they already don’t tell veterans the benefits of getting a service dog. I don’t think any of that. I think it was all by design. So when they walk through the door, I tell them welcome to my world”
And in Piper’s world, positivity and family are the most prevalent factors as to why veterans make it through those doors, “they’re part of a family, an even bigger family. One where they can reach out anytime they need,” Hill says.
For now, the future is bright for Healing4Heroes. The ever-expanding network of veteran volunteers, applicants, and rescue dogs points to the ongoing need for the type of service that the organization provides. Perhaps the most unique part of what Healing4Heroes does is take their operation on the road. The vast social network community allows members to remain in correspondence with one another, especially in times of need. Dog trainers are available to veterans within their local communities, not just the State of Georgia. And with a growing number of corporate sponsors, like Signal 88 Security and Apache, their outreach will only continue to expand.
If you are a veteran in need, or if you know of a veteran in need of assistance, Healing4Heroes urges you to please fill out an application. It’s desire to make a difference in the lives of those individuals who have sacrificed so much to make a difference in ours, that continues to fuel Piper and her team.
Healing4Heroes is a nonprofit organization, fully staffed by volunteers. Our veterans have many needs, but together we can accomplish great things. There are several ways you can get involved to make a significant impact. If you reside in the Georgia area or just have the passion to support those who have already supported us, click here to volunteer. Healing4Heroes is funded solely on the generosity of our corporate sponsors and donations from the general public. A donation allows for rescue animals to be trained, taken care of and provided to those in need. Just like Piper’s original vision, there is no veteran too lost to be found.