~Happy, Healthy New Year to All~

Paul House, Dee House and Daniel Aiken

Daniel Aiken, owner and president of Gateway Title, with six locations throughout Maine, recently presented Paul & Dee House with a check for House in the Woods Military & Family Retreat! Daniel has committed to donating $50.00 per real estate transaction. This check is for the transactions of November 2016. Gateway Title is awesome!!!  Thanks to all who work with Daniel as we know it takes a team effort to have a successful business.

 

 

To my regular visitors of my website and those who have visited House in the Woods Military & Family Retreat, Paul & Dee House and I would like to wish each of you a wonderful, happy, exciting, prosperous and healthy New Year.

This is our thank you to all who have given from the heart…and their pocket….to support House in the Woods. Grab a coffee, find a comfy chair as this is lengthy, but 2016 was so good to us that we simply wanted to share with you some of the events.

May you be blessed each day you begin your journey through this upcoming year.

House in the Woods wants to thank so many people and organizations who have held fundraisers, donated to support us, and worked to make the project of building a special place, become a reality, for our combat wounded, all veterans and active military as well as their families, who will have a place to hang their hat when attending one of our events.

We love your generosity, your uplifting admiration of our heroes and your remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Those of you who have stepped up to support our efforts to create a therapeutic, recreational, and educational retreat for our nation’s U.S. armed forces and their families….thank you! We are using outdoor wilderness activities in Maine and natural habitats to help participants share common challenges related to their service.

House in the Woods

Tom Colucci, Korey Fox and friends with jolly Old St. Nick!!

Fundraisers are being held for House in the Woods in places far from Lee, Maine!

 Tom Colucci, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s Relocation Director, and Korey Fox USAA’s (United Services Automobile Association) representative, who each are located in Denver, Colorado were collecting donations for House in the Woods!!

We (Coldwell Banker & USAA) decided to support House in the Woods because of their incredible support to the military community. After learning about their programs and the impact they’ve made in the lives of our veterans, we decided this was the perfect cause for us to partner with….Tom Colucci, Relocation Director, Coldwell Banker.

As a recipient of this newsletter, you too can help spread the word through your network of social and professional contacts. There are many who would like to help, but don’t know where to begin. Simply contact House in the Woods at their website http://houseinthewoods.org

This very large, beautiful gingerbread house was created by Jackie Powers and Bernadette Hashi of Maine to raise money by raffling it. The winner has donated it to House in the Woods!! This “architecture” is representative of the perfect place you would find in the wood of Maine. This is certainly too pretty to eat, but oh so tempting!!!

Gifts from the heart!

The owner of Neokraft Signs put this HUGE Banner of House in the Woods on the side of their building. We thank Phil, Patrick, Shawn and all at Neokraft for supporting House in the Woods!!

 

 

On November 30th Giving Tuesday was celebrated. We want to thank every one of you who posted during #YouAreMyHero campaign. Your heart-felt words generated a $1,000 gift to House in the Woods where we create a therapeutic and recreational retreat for our nations’ armed forces and their families. Thank you for joining Machias Savings Bank in Lincoln, ME to provide hope and healing for our veterans.

 

Growing Home Show, This 30 minute weekly program highlights U.S. Veterans who like to get their hands dirty, doing what they love ~ working with the land. Full 30 minute episodes, will Premiere on NBC, starting Sunday, January 8th, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. where you will see Paul & Dee House tell their story of the concept of House in the Woods!

Currently (and sadly) the show is only broadcast in Maine, but there have been so many requests from other states that Growing Home is working on getting it aired nationwide.

 

 

 

 

Bangor Grange #372 held a turkey dinner on November 12th with all the fixin’s and famous grange pies and a concert that followed. All proceeds went to House in the Woods. We all had a grand time and cannot thank the Grange enough for their continued support with local events!! You are the best folks!!!

 

 

 

There are so many generous people out there who love our veterans. Thank you all!!

~Two roads diverged in a wood and I.  I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.~ Robert Frost

 

U-Maine Black Bears Military Appreciation game against Bryant College on October 1st. Thank you so much for recognizing our military and remembering those we have lost.

Instill in them, when they are young men and women, to appreciate and respect what the Armed Forces truly means to the United States of America!….Brenda Everson~Shaw

 

Wells High School football team presented Luke House a check for House in the Woods on September 9th Friday Night Under the Lights!!!

 

 

 

 

Jill Buck from Go Green Radio and Tom Carney, National Sales Director at Fujitsu, talk about House in the Woods in a recent national/international broadcast that is heard in 140 countries worldwide. Fast-forward to the commercial around 45 minutes and they start talking afterwards. Go Green Talk Radio with Tom Carney

Let’s Ride!!!

Deanna House, Mother of Sgt. Joel House, Administrative Director, House in the Woods with the American Legion Riders Post 80, September 25th, the House in the Woods Ride started in Millinocket. All proceeds benefited House in the Woods. Great time by all!!!!

Paul House, Director of House in the Woods and Maine Master Guide, Father of Sgt. Joel House.

 

 

 

Bill Emery, father of Sgt. Blair Emery.

 

House in the Woods has been built in memory of two young men who grew up together in the small town of Lee, Maine and hundreds of others who stepped up and shipped out to fight for my freedom, your freedom and that of your children and their children.

      

Sgt. Blair Emery

 

 

 

                

                     Sgt. Joel House

 

 

 

We thank each and every Vietnam soldier. Come join us…many of your brothers have been to our events. Come for a day or a week..Just call or write us.. Many of us still hold in the highest regard those who did not return many years ago. Some working with House in the Woods are Vietnam vets. We will never forget all you sacrificed, just as the young ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If you have a loved one who has paid the ultimate price for our freedom, we thank you and continue to pray for families of those lost to the battles of war. Some of us who work, volunteer or are friends with the staff at House in the Woods have experienced this loss firsthand. We sincerely DO know the pain of your loss. We do not want any son or daughter to be forgotten, thus House in the Woods has been formed, organized and building near completion to remember and honor those excellent men and women who passed while serving our Country. To honor those who are combat wounded and those currently serving to come visit our retreat……THIS IS FOR YOU….a place to relax and commune with fellow brothers in arms.

It is very easy to contact House in the Woods Military & Family Retreat.

 

Website link: House in the Woods   Telephone: 207.738.4421     

Email: Deanna.House@houseinthewoods.org

Postal Address:

House in the Woods, 217 Skunk Hill Road,Lee, Maine 04455

Email, call, send us a letter. Just be sure to reach out!! 

From kayaking to ice fishing…you can enjoy it all at House in the Woods. Hunting, trail exploration, open water fishing, and campfire coffee…come join us!!

If you would like to support House in the Woods we welcome any amount. If you would like to hold a fundraiser, reach out to Dee House at House in the Woods. She can provide you with all the materials and help you in any way possible.

 

 

There have been so many generous and loving supporters of House in the Woods. So many, that I could not list them all here, but I thank each one of you who ran a marathon, held fundraisers, volunteered at various events and functions, prepared meals for our attendees of events, and simply welcomed each veteran and armed forces person as they were your own sons, daughters, brothers & sisters!

 

A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.
~Steve Maraboli

 

If you are not comfortable donating funds on our website, simply send a check or call us directly. Every donation matters, be it $10 or $10,000.

We have been so tremendously blessed with many, many businesses and individuals  who have donated of their time, materials and money to bring this vision to reality..”thank you” seems so simple, but know it comes from the heart..

 

When our country needed them, generations of brave men and women answered the call of duty to serve in our nation’s military. They sacrificed their family time, health, safety, and even their lives to protect ours. But with the return home, these soldiers bring with them life altering wounds and heartache which only their fellow brothers-in-arms can ever begin to understand.

Thank you all for your time in reading this newsletter for House in the Woods.

Thank you all for your honor of our combat warriors and their families.

Brenda Everson~ Shaw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We want all veterans and active military and their families to know the door is open to all of you at House in the Woods.You do not have to be a Maine resident. We want ALL active military and veterans from all of the 50 United States to join us!