The Outreach Project

Episode 15 of The Outreach Project features Kaleb Weakley , founder of Back Country Heroes — a nonprofit helping veterans and first responders rediscover purpose through outdoor experiences. In this episode: raw combat stories the reality of transition after service losing direction after the mission ends rebuilding purpose through brotherhood how Back Country Heroes is changing lives across the c...

In Episode 14 of The Outreach Project Podcast , we flip the script and turn the cameras on ourselves. For the first time, Jonathan Hodge and Josh Melching sit down to talk about the story behind The Outreach Project, why we started it, and what drives us to keep building this mission. We dig into military transition, the nonprofit resource gap, the power of storytelling, and why so many veterans a...

Episode 13 of The Outreach Project Podcast features Chris and Marsha Lessard from Brain Treatment Center NoVA, a veteran-owned clinic serving Northern Virginia with locations in Ashburn and Alexandria. In this episode, we talk about MeRT therapy, PTSD, TBI, brain mapping, functional health, and whole-person healing — plus the spouse perspective, long-term recovery, and why more veterans and first...

Episode 12 drops a day early — and we’re cooking. 🎙️🔥 This week we’re joined by Tyler Stankye (Active Duty Army Captain & Ops Manager) from Hero to the Line (HTTL) , plus Dustin Brister (our Episode 7 guest and an HTTL dog recipient). HTTL is building community by placing well-bred Labrador Retriever puppies with veterans, active-duty service members, and Gold Star families — then surrounding...

In Episode 11 of The Outreach Project Podcast, we sit down with Steve Brush , former Force Recon Marine, 13-time combat veteran, and leadership coach with Rope Solutions. Steve served with both 5th and 1st Force Recon Companies and completed multiple deployments to Afghanistan — including operations in Sangin and during the fall of Kabul. After transitioning from the Marine Corps, Steve led large-...

Mike and Natalie Evans—founders of Rucking Realty Group—join us for Episode 10. Mike is a Marine Corps infantry veteran, and together they’ve built a family-run real estate business in San Antonio rooted in leadership, service, and doing the hard work others won’t. Mike explains why the home-buying process is like rucking up a mountain—and why the right team carries the load with you until you rea...

Tyler Burgett is a retired Special Warfare operator who faced some of the hardest battles of his life after leaving active duty. Following medical retirement, a divorce, and the loss of close family members, Tyler found himself struggling with substance abuse and thoughts of suicide. The identity he built through service felt stripped away. The mission was gone. The structure was gone. And for a w...

In this episode of The Outreach Project Podcast , we sit down with Joe and Gabriella , founders of Hero’s Journey Healing Foundation , for a powerful and deeply honest conversation about healing, identity, and rebuilding life after service. Joe, an Army veteran, shares his journey through military transition, PTSD, addiction, and the loss of identity that so many veterans and first responders face...

In our first Spotlight episode, we sit down with Navy veteran and Austin-based taxidermist Dustin Brister. Dustin shares his journey from small-town Texas to the Navy, the loss of his younger brother to suicide, and the moment he decided to break the cycle of alcohol and generational trauma. We talk about healing through the outdoors, the power of community, and why “reaching out” can change every...

In this powerful episode of The Outreach Project , we sit down with Tom Kilgannon, President of Freedom Alliance , to explore how immersive outdoor experiences can help veterans heal from the invisible wounds of war. Freedom Alliance has spent decades honoring and supporting America’s military community, and in this episode we go beyond the mission statement — into the forests and waters of Sitka,...

In Episode 5 of The Outreach Project , we highlight Southern Outdoor Dreams, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing outdoor adventures for disabled youth and combat wounded veterans. Southern Outdoor Dreams believes the outdoors can be a powerful source of healing, confidence, and connection. By bringing together volunteers, guides, and community partners, they create safe, accessible, an...

In this episode of The Outreach Project , we’re honored to welcome Jordyn Jureczki — U.S. Navy Veteran, former law enforcement officer, and CEO of Frontline Healing Foundation (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to removing financial barriers to mental health and addiction treatment for military, veterans, and first responders). frontlinehealingfoundation.org Jordyn shares her deeply personal journey...

In this episode of The Outreach Project, we sit down with Ariel Lara from The Warrior’s Refuge to discuss their mission to end veteran homelessness in Texas — and ultimately across America. We explore how The Warrior’s Refuge helps veterans restart life with dignity through shelter, transitional living, case management, counseling, vocational training, and job placement. Ariel shares how veterans...

In Episode 2 of The Outreach Project (TOP), we sit down with Leo Richardson, who leads the Texas Chapter of Veteran’s Creed Outdoors, to highlight the mission, impact, and national reach of this veteran-led nonprofit organization. Veteran’s Creed Outdoors is a national organization dedicated to helping veterans reconnect with purpose, brotherhood, and service through outdoor experiences rooted in...

In our first episode of The Outreach Project , we sit down with Hometown Hero Outdoors , a nonprofit dedicated to reconnecting veterans and first responders through peer-led outdoor experiences. Hometown Hero Outdoors creates space for healing, connection, and community by getting people outside — hunting, fishing, camping, and simply spending time together with others who understand the weight of...