Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing and associated activities including education and outings. Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing is unique in that our volunteers are teaching classes on an ongoing, long-term basis. It is much more than a one-time fishing trip. We provide the lifeline that connects disabled veterans with our volunteers and programs in a long-term healing relationship.
During 2017, 8,470 volunteers donated 256,178 hours while serving 3,636 disabled veteran participants. Volunteers taught 1,549 casting classes, 4,482 fly tying classes and 1,096 rod building classes, along with 693 related classes. Volunteers in 216 programs organized 1,775 fishing outings. Twenty percent of our volunteers are former participants. There is ZERO cost to participants.
PHWFF was formed in 2005 serving disabled military service members and disabled veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Since then, PHWFF has expanded nationwide, establishing over 200 highly successful, volunteer-run programs in Department of Defense hospitals, Warrior Transition Units and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and clinics. PHWFF is unique in that our volunteers are teaching classes on an on-going, long term basis. For many participants the socialization and camaraderie of the classes are just as important as the fishing outings.
Within the Southwest Council, there are PHWFF programs run by Sierra Pacific Fly Fishers at the Sepulveda Vet Center, Long Beach Fly Fishers at the Long Beach VA Medical Center, San Diego Fly Fishers at the San Diego VAMC & Balboa Naval Medical Center, Santa Barbara Fly Fishers with disabled veterans in the area, Sespe Fly Fishers at the Ventura Vet Center and High Desert Fly Fishers at the Victorville Vet Center & CBOC.
We hosted the Regional Rendezvous in February 2018 at the Long Beach VA Medical Center. A total of thirty-seven individuals including 24 regional coordinators, headquarters staff, national Director of VA Voluntary Services Sabrina Clark, two representatives from the Bob Woodruff Foundation and FFI CEO Len Zickler attended the three-day volunteer training event. This was very successful national volunteer leadership training event.
Two months later, in April, we hosted all the program leads and assistant programs leads in the 5-state Southwest Region of PHWFF for the annual Regional Training Conference: thirty-one individuals. This too was dedicated to volunteer training focused on policies & procedures, social media, CRM implementation, and other administrative tasks. During the same week, the FFI CEO, Board Chairman and Operations Manager joined us for two days of meetings with the PWHFF CEO, and another day-long meeting with the COO of Pac Bay International. It was a very worthwhile and productive week, and we look forward to an exciting collaboration with both organizations.
If your club is interested in starting a Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing program, or you wish to donate or volunteer, contact Carole at: