Jefferson Retreat Center and Stamford Wellness Center Collaborate to Support Female Veterans - 21 April 2025

JEFFERSON — The Awen Retreat Center in Jefferson in partnership with the Stamford Wellness Center, will present a FREE retreat: Warrior Women: A Self-Care Retreat for Female Veterans on June 7, 2025. Registration includes meals and snacks and all workshops and supplies and is open to local and regional female Veterans. Registrations are due May 15, 2025. Overnight accommodations can be arranged for individuals wanting a full weekend of community.  

The goal of the event is to serve as a starting point to build a community of female veterans in the area while also supporting their wellness and self-care practices.

Carrie Sutton, Navy Veteran, mental health counselor and event co-planner says: 

When I was on active duty, I felt like I was part of a community, I just assumed it would be the same way when I got out. What I found was that while there were groups of veterans in my area, I was quite often the only female veteran in attendance. Something that’s important to me is building a strong community of female veterans in my area, a place where we don’t feel like the odd woman out. A place where we can share ideas and grow stronger together. My hope is that this retreat will be the foundation of that.

The retreat will feature a variety of self-care and wellness practices including journaling, music therapy, creative activities like zendoodling, mandala painting and hand-stitching and a Forest Therapy experience presented by Beth Mowry, certified Forest Therapy Guide and founder of The Awen Center. 

Mowry states, “This type of retreat is exactly what I had in mind when founding The Awen Center in 2021 - a place to bring people together, to be creative, to practice wellness activities and to get people out into nature. I’m honored to be a part of giving back to our Veterans.” 

This retreat is being provided with the support of The Community Foundation for South Central New York. 

For more information or to register email Beth Mowry at info@theawencenter.org.