To Serve and Connect Retreat May 2-4, 2025

About the Retreat/Conference 

The To Serve and Connect Retreat weekend is all about relief, relaxation, and pleasure. Reconnect with yourself, connect with your peers and connect the dots. The role of the first responder partner is distinctive, unchartered, and unpredictable. We are giving you permission to step away for a few days to grow, re-charge, learn, disconnect to re-connect, and fill your cup. 

The To Serve and Connect Retreat/Conference aims to equip first responder spouses with the tools to navigate the unique challenges they face. By fostering connections, prioritizing self-care, and infusing a spirit of adventure, this retreat promises not only a rejuvenating experience but also a lasting impact on the well-being and resilience of those who give so much in support of our everyday heroes.

Taking care of yourself radiates into other areas of your life. And this special group of people struggles with the same challenges just like you -- Feelings of Loneliness, assuming the Default Parent role, spearheading Household Tasks, and playing Mental Health Care Counsellor. This weekend, build your resilience, learn self-care and how to self-love, and grasp time management at the workshops provided which, in turn, foster fellowship, creativity, and a whole lotta fun!

As a Community, we are getting better at assisting our first responders through their conflicts, distress, and crisis. Sometimes members can lack a supportive environment at home when the family unit is falling behind in the proactive practice of creating a safe place for them to land, seek help, and feel supported.

DISCLAIMER:   We are not therapists or mental health experts, just a group of peers hoping to help other First Responders' spouses by normalizing some of the things they may be going through, creating connections, sharing resources, and navigating this unique lifestyle with some tools and strategies. 

Please feel free to email the Project Coordinator if you have any questions. 

Lauren Cleveland lauren.cleveland@toserveandconnect.ca