Active Heroes is committed to empowering the military community and their families through comprehensive support and healing programs. Our mission is to provide a sanctuary where active-duty service members, reserves, and veterans can find peace, purpose, and a sense of community. We believe in honoring their sacrifices by offering resources that foster resilience and well-being.
Coming home from service should feel like a return to safety, family, and familiar ground. For many veterans, though, the hardest part begins after the uniform comes off – when quiet days feel isolating, old stress follows them home, and the sense of mission they once relied on suddenly disappears.
Active Heroes exists to meet veterans and military families in that gap, offering connection, restorative outdoor spaces, and programs that remind them they do not have to carry the weight alone.
Who They Are & What They Do
Active Heroes is a 501(c)(3) veteran charity that supports active-duty service members, reservists, veterans, and military families through programs built around healing, connection, and community.
Based in Kentucky, the nonprofit centers much of its work around the Active Heroes Retreat in Bullitt County, a peaceful outdoor setting where veterans and their loved ones can step away from daily pressure and spend time in an environment designed for rest, movement, and reconnection.
Its programs are intentionally practical and human, including:
- Operation R&R: This program provides complimentary retreat stays for combat and disabled veterans. It gives them time to reset in a quiet place with trails, open space, and optional activities.
- Project Healing Waters: Active Heroes offers biweekly fly-fishing therapy sessions where veterans can learn casting basics, spend mindful time by the water, and connect with peers in a calm setting.
- Trager Family Foundation Disc Golf Course: This free outdoor course gives veterans, families, and visitors a low-impact way to move, clear their heads, and spend time outside.
- Vet Plus One Dinners: These free community meals invite veterans to bring a spouse, friend, caregiver, or other guest for an evening built around conversation, food, and support.
- Retreat and community events: Throughout the year, Active Heroes hosts gatherings such as service dog training, outdoor worship, survival training, birding, veteran-focused conferences, and community events.
The Need They’re Filling
The transition out of military life can be harder than many people realize. Veterans may leave behind structure, purpose, and a built-in support system. Then they are expected to rebuild daily life while carrying stress, grief, injury, trauma, or isolation.
That is why veteran transition programs matter. Support is not only needed during crisis moments. Sometimes, it is needed on the quieter days – when a veteran needs a reason to get outside, share a meal, talk with someone, or feel welcome again.
The need is real. According to the VA’s latest veteran suicide prevention report, the veteran suicide rate was 34.7 per 100,000 in 2022. Among non-veteran U.S. adults, it was 17.1 per 100,000. The VA also reported that service members who separated from the military in 2021 had a suicide rate of 46.2 per 100,000.
That points to a painful truth. The years around transition can be especially vulnerable. Active Heroes helps fill that gap through community-based support, including:
- Peaceful retreat stays: Veterans can step away from daily pressure and spend time in a calmer setting.
- Outdoor activities: Programs like fly-fishing and disc golf offer movement, fresh air, and low-pressure connection.
- Peer and family support: Meals, gatherings, and events help veterans reconnect with people who understand.
- A place to belong: The retreat gives veterans and military families a welcoming space where they do not have to carry everything alone.
Your Car Donation for Veterans in Action
When you donate a vehicle to Active Heroes through Veteran Car Donations, your car, truck, SUV, motorcycle, RV, or boat helps fund the kind of support veterans and military families actually use – a retreat stay, a shared meal, a morning on the water, or another restorative program built around connection and healing.
That support shows up through Active Heroes in ways like:
- A cost-free retreat stay: A combat or disabled veteran may get time away through Operation R&R.
- A shared meal: A veteran may bring a spouse, caregiver, friend, or family member to a Vet Plus One Dinner.
- A calming outdoor activity: Fly-fishing, disc golf, birding, and similar programs offer movement, peace, and connection.
- A stronger support network: Community events help veterans and families feel less alone after service.
The whole process is designed to be easy on you. Free pickup is included, and your gift may qualify as a tax-deductible vehicle donation.
Why Active Heroes?
Active Heroes stands out because its work is personal, focused, and rooted in real veteran experience. Active Heroes was founded by Army veteran Troy Yocum, whose own grandfather, a World War II veteran, died by suicide. After returning from Iraq, Yocum hiked 7,800 miles across 37 states in a journey he called “Hike for Heroes,” raising $1.3 million to launch Active Heroes and bring national attention to veteran suicide.
This is not a distant or abstract cause. Active Heroes creates programs that bring veterans into calm, supportive spaces where healing can feel more reachable. Its work centers on connection, outdoor restoration, peer support, and family inclusion.
Active Heroes is also a recognized 501(c)3 veteran charity. The organization has been tax-exempt since 2012, and its Tax ID is 45-4138378. For donors who want their gift to support a veteran-focused nonprofit with a clear mission, Active Heroes offers a meaningful way to give back.
Ready to Turn Your Vehicle Into Support for Veterans?
Your unwanted vehicle can do more than take up space. It can help a veteran find quiet, connection, and support at a time when those things truly matter.
Getting started only takes a few minutes. Fill out the form or call (877) 594-5822, and we’ll take care of the pickup and paperwork at no cost to you. Your donation qualifies for a tax deduction, while the proceeds go directly to Active Heroes programs that give veterans connection, rest, and community.
FAQs
What does Active Heroes do?
Active Heroes supports active-duty service members, reservists, veterans, and military families through healing-focused programs. Its work includes retreat stays, outdoor activities, community meals, peer connection, and family-friendly events.
The goal is simple but powerful. Active Heroes helps veterans and their loved ones find calm, connection, and support after military service.
Who does Active Heroes serve?
Active Heroes serves members of the military community, including active-duty service members, reservists, veterans, and their families. Some programs are especially focused on combat veterans, disabled veterans, and military families who need time and space to reconnect.
Its retreat is based in Kentucky, but its mission reaches veterans and supporters across the country.
How does my car donation help Active Heroes?
When you donate your vehicle to Active Heroes, the proceeds go toward programs that create restorative moments for veterans and their families – including retreat stays, fly-fishing therapy, and community meals.
Is my vehicle donation tax-deductible?
Yes. Your donation may qualify as a tax-deductible vehicle donation. Active Heroes is a recognized 501(c)3 veteran charity, and Veteran Car Donations will provide the paperwork you need after your vehicle is processed.