The Outreach Project

The mission doesn't stop after military service. This week, Jonathan Hodge and Josh Melching welcome Eddie "Hollywood" Wambolt , Director of the TACP Foundation's Resiliency & Restoration Program , for a powerful conversation about healing, leadership, veteran retreats, and supporting Tactical Air Control Party members beyond active duty. If you'd like to learn more about...

Mike Nares is a two-time Purple Heart recipient, combat veteran, and leader within Freedom Alliance. In this episode, Mike shares his story of service, combat, loss, recovery, and finding purpose after war. He also talks about Freedom Alliance, War Heroes on Water, and the power of getting veterans back around people who understand what they have been through. This conversation is raw, personal, a...

In this episode of The Outreach Project Podcast , Josh and Hodge sit down with Drew Jones , founder of The Veteran’s Veteran , also known as The Vets Vet . Drew shares his journey from the Mississippi Army National Guard and law enforcement into veteran advocacy after navigating his own VA claim process. After years of denials, paperwork, appointments, and hard lessons, Drew reached 100% permanent...

In this episode of The Outreach Project Podcast, Josh and Hodge sit down with Vern from Game Day Men’s Health for a real conversation about men’s health, women’s wellness, preventative medicine, testosterone, peptides, veteran and first responder health, and why so many people wait too long to get checked. Vern brings a military and DoD background, a lifelong passion for exercise science and welln...

DESCRIPTION: In Episode 26 of The Outreach Project Podcast, Josh Melching and Jonathan Hodge sit down with Courtney, Lori, and Hannah from The Rivetin’ Rosie’s Project — a pin-up service organization supporting veterans, active duty military, first responders, and their families. This conversation covers QPR suicide prevention training, support after line-of-duty death or injury, family trauma, fi...

After 26 years in law enforcement, Dwayne Brown found himself battling isolation, depression, and thoughts of suicide following an officer-involved shooting. Today he leads Shepherd's Light Foundation, helping veterans and first responders find hope, healing, and purpose through faith-based retreats and peer support. This conversation explores trauma, faith, resilience, and the power of findin...

In Episode 24 of The Outreach Project, Ross Alewine from Rope Solutions joins us for one of the most honest and impactful conversations we’ve had to date. We discuss military transition, trauma, addiction, suicide survival, fatherhood, leadership, and what it really takes to rebuild your life after hitting rock bottom. Ross opens up about the moments that nearly broke him, the people who helped pu...

Justin from Changed by Nature Outdoors joins The Outreach Project to discuss how the outdoors became a way to reconnect, heal, and build community. This episode dives into hunting, fishing, suicide prevention, mentorship, nonprofit collaboration, and the powerful role the outdoors can play for veterans, first responders, youth, and families. Powered by Apex Global Outdoors and VetNav Services. Lea...

In this episode of The Outreach Project Podcast, we sit down with Raffy Morales from Sheepdog Impact Assistance to talk about purpose, PTSD, post-traumatic growth, and the reality many veterans and first responders face after service. From disaster response missions and outdoor adventures to Warrior PATHH and Sheepdog University, Sheepdog Impact Assistance is helping veterans and first responders...

This week on The Outreach Project, we sit down with CJ from Rope Solutions — a veteran-led team bringing elite leadership, communication, and performance coaching into high-risk industries like oil & gas. From Green Beret experience to real-world leadership on the rig, this episode breaks down what leadership actually looks like when it matters most.🔗 ROPE SOLUTIONS🌐 https://www.ropesolution...

Maybe it’s not about the activity… maybe it’s about connection. The Fallen Outdoors is doing far more than outdoor trips — they’re building a nationwide community where veterans, Gold Star families, and first responders can reconnect, heal, and find purpose. With operations in over 35 states and thousands of veterans impacted each year, this organization proves that sometimes the most powerful res...

How horses are helping veterans heal from PTSD and trauma. In Episode 19, we talk with Hoof to Heart Vets about equine therapy. In this episode we sit down with Michele Freeman, Air Force veteran and founder of Hoof to Heart Vets. After years of service including working in mortuary affairs Michele found healing through horses. Now she’s helping other veterans, first responders, and families find...

In Episode 18 of The Outreach Project Podcast , we sit down with Kyle Benham, founder of MOS Veteran Adventures — a nonprofit that’s changing how veterans are supported across the country. This isn’t just about hunting and fishing trips… This is about what happens AFTER the trip ends. MOS Veteran Adventures is doing what most organizations won’t: Fully funded hunting & fishing experiences for...

In Episode 17 of The Outreach Project Podcast, we sit down with the Miracle Hope Foundation to uncover a powerful—and controversial—solution that’s changing lives: stem cell therapy . From chronic pain and broken bodies… to renewed purpose, strength, and healing—this episode dives into what’s possible when veterans and first responders finally get real solutions. We talk: The reality of life after...

This is one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had. We sat down with Joy and Amber from the **Say When & Remember Him Foundation** — a family honoring Seth’s life by helping others find purpose after loss. From tragedy to impact: 🇺🇸 Supporting Gold Star families 🎓 Funding trade school scholarships 🤝 Building a legacy that won’t be forgotten This episode is about sacrifice, resilience,...

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,...