We all prefer neither to travel nor undertake anything outdoors during winter storms, right? But what if we already planned a fly fishing weekend at Elliott State Forest, and a winter storm was predicted for those days (second weekend of February). Do we cancel it? NO!

Everyone was excited to go to Elliot State Forest, and it didn’t matter under what conditions. For those of you who don’t know much about Elliott State Forest, it is 93,000 acres of unspoiled land near Coos Bay. It is home to some of Oregon’s oldest, most majestic trees, rare and endangered wildlife, clean water, and some of the most intact native landscapes that exist in Oregon.

One of the veterans on the trip wanted to share his experience of this special place. His name is Travis, who has a 100% service connected disability.  He was in some turbulence before the trip: “I was very excited as I had never been steelhead fishing before. Though the rain did not cooperate with us, and the river levels had not gotten high enough for the fish to be as far upstream as our camp, there was still plenty of good times to be had throughout the weekend.”

“First of all, and most important, I made two new veteran friends that weekend. I really appreciated their kindness and the conversations we had. For those who have not visited Elliott State Forest. You cannot fathom what you’re missing. It is such an incredible, one of a kind, destination. I found such an astonishing level of peace while in this forest. That I literally felt almost drunk by the time I got home. The camping conditions were not ideal as it was snowing all weekend. I found myself looking to the trees hoping that one of those Widowmaker branches wouldn’t crush me in my sleep. I slept beneath trees fit for giants. I stood in the river as the snow fell around me. I cooked a cheeseburger on a wheelbarrow over an open fire. Most importantly though, I was given an opportunity enjoy the camaraderie of my fellow veterans. I didn’t have to worry about what was coming next. I didn’t have to worry about how to best serve. So I would not trade what I do for anything in the world.”

Read our complete newsletter (February 2019) HERE.

Funds Awarded by Exclusively Local Funders 

January, 2019. Source One Serenity was awarded $16,000 to cover some expenses for preparing the launch of its social enterprise, a worm farm to manufacture worm castings with the use of food waste. All three funders are located in Roseburg, Douglas County.   

Source One Serenity is thrilled to be a recipient of grant awards from three funders, the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation, The Ford Family Foundation, and the audience vote at the Roseburg Angel Investment Network (RAIN) Contest. The funds received will be used for purchasing blueprints for a worm digester to be welded, hiring an advisor for proof of concept, successful launch of operations and market entrance, and marketing materials. The primary goal of starting the social enterprise was to achieve a sustainable revenue model to fund outdoor activities for disabled veterans. We will use food waste, which will be converted through the worms’ specialized digestive system into a nutrient-rich fertilizer called vermicompost, or worm castings. Thus, the worm farm offers several benefits and opportunities including veteran’s employment, and recycling food waste. It also provides a solution for sustainable agriculture to restore our soil through natural/organic fertilizer, worm castings.

Source One Serenity started the test phase of operating vermicomposting in household bins with smallest possible investment of time and capital a year ago. We learned the vermicomposting process, the market and need for worm castings, which is a natural soil amendment. With positive results of the test phase and research, we entered the next phase of planning concerning start-up of the large-scale worm farm.

The Co-Founder of Source One Serenity, Elena Lininger said: “I do believe in the power of every heart in this community, how M. Williamson said: “In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal.  In every heart, there is the power to do it.”

“We are grateful and humble to be recipients of these funds. We are honored to serve this community, and we know that all together we can make positive changes in our community. A worm farm, for us, is like lighting two candles with one flame, i.e. offering solutions to several issues such as recycling, serving our veterans, and restoring our soils.”

Source One Serenity is proud to have served more than 400 veterans since 2016 through fly fishing programs, fly tying classes at the Roseburg VA Medical Center and the Umpqua Valley Arts Association, and recently established a hiking program for women veterans.

About our Funders:

The Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation is committed to the quality of life for people in the community within Coos, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, and Lane counties. It was established in 1997 by the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians which has a long time-honored tradition of giving to their communities.

The Ford Family Foundation was established in 1957 by Kenneth W. and Hallie E. Ford. Its mission is “successful citizens and vital rural communities” in Oregon and Siskiyou County, California.

The Roseburg Area Angel Investor Network (RAIN) was founded 6 years ago to invest into small businesses, developing a forum where small businesses can pitch their ideas at an annual conference. During the 2018 event it also offered an additional cash prize of up to $5,000 with the attendee’s casting their vote for their personal favorite. The funding for cash prizes were raised by the Umpqua Business Center.

About Source One Serenity:
Source One Serenity is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and it is located in Roseburg, Douglas County. Source One Serenity’s mission is to empower veterans to reclaim their sense of purpose through outdoor activities and land stewardship. Visit sourceoneserenity.wordpress.com or call 541-580-5655 for further information.

Press Release in pdf

We’ve had two hikes on the North Umpqua Trail, and we were touched to hear from Brandy, who is leading hikes for our women veterans.

Brandy said, “When I headed out to the meeting spot for that first hike, I was excited and also very nervous. I knew this women’s outreach program was something I needed, but was it actually something other women veterans needed? Eight women promptly arrived, and within a few minutes I realized that the hike was going to be successful, and that Source One Serenity’s outreach was something definitely needed in our community. In just a few hours together, I watched bonds forming between the ladies. This awesome group of women began sharing their stories and their lives, and putting their hearts out there for others to see. No judgment, no competition, just open hearts and support for each other.

“Since we completed that first hike, I have had multiple followup encounters with the eight women I hiked with that first day. They have shared their stories and told me things such as, “I finally feel like I found my place in Roseburg,” “You were the friend I was looking for,” and “I needed this group more than you know.”

In summing up, Brandy said, “My heart is happy, my soul is feeling connected, and I am super excited about the future of our women’s program at Source One Serenity. I plan on continuing our twice-monthly hikes through the fall and winter, and I am actively making plans for some additional activities over the next few months. The hikes are only the beginning!”

September 2018

September 9, 2018, was a very special day. We met with Gary Zukav, spiritual teacher and the author of four consecutive New York Times bestsellers. In his book The Seat of the Soul, and in some of his interviews with Oprah Winfrey, he shared experiences and perceptions of his military career as a Green Beret in Vietnam. We were interested in knowing more about his military service, so we invited Gary and his spiritual partner, Linda Francis, to the North Umpqua River to meet and talk with other veterans. It was an honor for all of us to meet him.

The day started with fly fishing on the majestic North Umpqua to enjoy the enduring beauty of this magical river in the company of other veterans, including Frank Moore, WWII veteran and fly fishing legend. After fly fishing, we all met up at Frank’s house to listen to Gary Zukav’s inspirational message. Several veterans also shared their perceptions of their own military service in the discussions that followed.

After the talk, several participants said that it was “the most thought-provoking conversation.” One of them also shared about going to our local bookstore and buying four of Gary Zukav’s books. Another guest wrote, “I would love to do it again, but explore deeper. We can listen more to Gary and challenge our thinking.”

The conversation was video-recorded by John Waller from Uncage the Soul, who also made the film Mending the Line with Frank Moore.

We look forward to the video with Gary Zukav, which will be available to the public nationwide.

  

 

 

This article was published in The News Review on May 27, 2018 (by Emily Hoard, Business, Natural Resources and Outdoors Reporter):

Since Iraq veteran Rusty Lininger started Source One Serenity in 2016, the nonprofit has been helping veterans with post traumatic stress disorder and disabilities through fly fishing.

Douglas County veterans, including Garry Gerlach of Winston and Terry Weakley of Riddle, both said their experience tying flies and catching fish with Source One Serenity has helped them relieve stress and find a sense of community.

Weakley returned to Douglas County after he was shot during the Vietnam War, working in the timber industry for 30 years and seeking treatment for his PTSD from the Roseburg VA’s PTSD program. He said he had been drinking way too much before he met Rusty Lininger at the VA and got involved with the nonprofit over a year ago, and that Source One Serenity’s fly tying classes have given him a positive outlet, keeping him away from alcohol.

“It was something to keep me occupied, and it relieves stress,” Weakley said. “I really enjoy it, and it’s something to make sure I’m not just at home couching up, that’s where the tendency to drink comes in.” Through fly tying a few times a week and volunteering with other local organizations, including Vietnam Veterans of America, Weakley said he keeps a busy schedule that helps him stay sober.

Now, he said, he’s been sober for more than 500 days and is looking forward to participating in more of Source One Serenity’s classes this summer.

“I can be proud I don’t drink anymore,” he added.

Weakley also said he enjoys the camaraderie of the fly tying classes.

“We all have fishing stories to tell, and we don’t talk about the service much,” Weakley said. He added he enjoys meeting people through the classes, where he helps other veterans learn how to tie flies.

For Gerlach, a Vietnam veteran who is disabled, fly fishing has become a way to enjoy life.

“It’s about getting out in the environment and becoming close to nature, and getting your mind away from the military part of your life,” Gerlach said. “A lot of us have medical problems, and this is a way to forget about that stuff and just relax and enjoy ourselves.”

Last summer, Gerlach joined the Liningers and about seven other veterans for Source One Serenity’s week-long fly fishing school at Lemolo Lake.

“Quite a few of us caught fish, but it wasn’t just about the fishing,” Gerlach said. “You’re stepping back into nature and escaping from the city life and hustle and bustle of all that, and it’s just relaxing.”

He remembers arriving at Lemolo and stepping out of the car to find the place nice and quiet, with no sounds of traffic.

He said all he had to bring was his clothes, and the nonprofit supplied everything else at no cost to the veterans; including fly fishing gear, food and lodging at lake-front cabins.

“I absolutely, thoroughly enjoyed it,” Gerlach said. “Rusty is probably one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.”

A couple days after the retreat, Gerlach was sitting at home when a thought crossed his mind and inspired him to write a poem:

“I hear the call of the river and lake this morning/ Although I cannot answer it/ A peacefulness is upon me/ Knowing the serenity of time well spent/ In a place which cleanses the heart and soul.”

Rusty Lininger said Lemolo Lake is a beautiful place to teach someone how to fly fish.

“You may know nothing about fishing, but you can show up and learn everything you need to know about the water, the fish species and tying your own flies and knots,” he said.

Elena Lininger, Rusty Lininger’s wife, said the group of veterans who went on the Lemolo trip still stay in touch.

“It’s a community,” she said.

This year, two fly fishing schools are scheduled for June 4 through 10 and July 9 through 15. Source One Serenity will also continue to offer fly tying classes, including one at 6 p.m. May 30 at the Umpqua Valley Arts Association.

Elena Lininger said Source One Serenity is not about raising awareness about veterans suffering from PTSD and thoughts of suicide, it’s about providing a solution.

Rusty Lininger, who grew up living in Myrtle Point and visiting the North Umpqua River, had been dealing with depression and PTSD after returning from Iraq. In 2012, he attempted suicide. But while living in Germany, he learned how to fly fish from a Gulf War veteran.

Fly fishing soon became a sort of sanctuary for him, a safe way to focus on a present moment of peace instead of past experiences of trauma.

When he moved to Roseburg in 2016, he decided to share that sanctuary with other veterans.

Rusty Lininger said many veterans receive individual unemployability status as part of the VA’s disability compensation program, but without the ability to work, he said veterans often lose their sense of purpose.

“They feel they have no purpose, no reason to get up and be active in the community,” Rusty Lininger said. “You’ve taken a warrior, which throughout history is a high class of service in a community, and now he’s just under a rock somewhere.”

Source One Serenity recently partnered with local whitewater rafting guide Paul Eckel of Roseburg, who takes veterans on rafting trips.

“We have like minds to reach veterans and bring them out from under that rock of isolation and bring them into an activity where they can process things they never talk about, and find a sense of adventure where it’s been lost,” Eckel said.

Eckel and the Liningers plan to take veterans on a combined rafting and fly fishing trip this summer at the Gold Hill Whitewater Center.

Eckel served 15 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and said he experiences a feeling of safety while maneuvering through the rapids of the North Umpqua River.

“For me, it’s a safe place,” Eckel said. “The moment I cross Swiftwater Park and Deadline Falls, a peace comes over me and when I’m moving through the water. I’m one with whatever came before me out there.”

He added whitewater rafting creates a shared experience and an opportunity for teamwork between the rafters, while the sound of the flowing water is pure and speaks to each person differently.

“It speaks healing and life into you, if you give it enough of a chance,” Eckel said.

Rusty Lininger said in addition to the classes and excursions, Source One Serenity offers 24/7 peer support for veterans. He said he’s there for his fellow veterans whenever they want to go fly fishing spontaneously, if they just need to talk or if they want help with housework.

Source One Serenity also connects veterans to other river-related field trips, including one to Soda Springs Reservoir in September to help biologists catch fish using electricity in order to study them.

Gerlach said he also got to go on a tour of the Soda Springs Dam and the fish ladder system, and was impressed by the way the project helps steelhead migrate between the North Umpqua River and the Pacific Ocean.

Gerlach, an OSU master gardener, is helping the nonprofit create a social enterprise involving composting with worms.

Vermicomposting, or composting with worm casting manure, helps add nutrients to soil so plants can grow faster and with a better quality, according to Gerlach.

Rusty Lininger said Source One Serenity hopes to hire veterans to pick up fruit and vegetable waste from local grocery stores and work with the worms to create and sell the compost. He said the goal is to make the vermicomposting enterprise into a sustainable source of revenue for the nonprofit.

Elena Lininger added this idea is still in the research and testing phase while Source One Serenity searches for a facility.

Elena Lininger said the Source One Serenity programs are free of charge for the veterans, and are funded through grants, as well as donations from local residents and businesses.

Scott Kelley, co-owner of Paul O’Brien Winery in Roseburg, is one of the business owners who has helped raise funds for Source One Serenity through the annual Get Wet for a Vet golf tournament and gala dinner in Portland.

Kelley said his winery focuses its donation efforts on children, outdoor events and veterans, so he decided to donate wines for the auction in order to benefit Source One Serenity.

Elena Lininger said Source One Serenity received $2,500 from Get Wet for a Vet, so Rusty Lininger carved a wine barrel to give to the winery as a thank you gift.

“I’m a fly fisherman, so this is an extremely cool way to give back; I’m just amazed and so impressed with what they’re doing to get veterans out on the water,” Kelley said.

The article can be found here, too.