Today we’d like to introduce you to Lillian Watanabe, founder of the Eagle Oak Retreat Foundation – the newest wellness retreat for veterans, first responders and their families in Texas.
Hi Lillian, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Lillian Watanabe and my husband, Steve, and I are from Hawaii. We were about to embark on the retirement chapter in our lives when we were serendipitously presented with an opportunity to purchase a beautiful 65-acre ranch in Italy, Texas. At the time, we remember seeing stories in the news that brought awareness to the increase in veteran suicides and the heartbreaking stories of those that were impacted by war and loss. The reminder that so many have sacrificed so much for the freedom and blessings we have within our home and in this great country. As avid supporters of the military, we knew we needed to find a way to help these men and women live fulfilling lives in the aftermath of war.
The purchase of our ranch led us to the introduction of the founders of The Boulder Crest Foundation – leaders in posttraumatic growth who developed the highly successful program known as Warrior PATHH. The Boulder Crest Foundation was founded in 2013 in Bluemont, Virginia by Ken Falke, a 21-year combat veteran of the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) community and retired Master Chief Petty Officer. After much success in Virginia, they opened a second location in Sonoita, Arizona in 2017. Then further expanding the Warrior PATHH program across several other states in the United States. The Eagle Oak Retreat Foundation is the 9th location in the United States that offer this transformative, life-saving program and is the only location in Texas.
Through this encounter, we learned that Texas has a large military presence and is home to nearly one million post 9/11 heroes. Our ranch became a perfect future location to host the Boulder Crest Foundation’s Warrior PATHH program. Steve and I knew instantly that this is what we were meant to do with our ranch. This is how we were going to help. We quickly gathered resources and forged ahead with creating the Eagle Oak Retreat Foundation.
The Eagle Oak Retreat will be situated on 11-acres at the top of our ranch, which is set in a rural and tranquil location just 45 minutes outside of Dallas. The retreat is surrounded by oak trees, beautiful horse pastures, and a quaint fishpond. The retreat will feature fully ADA-accessible bunkhouses as well as a commercial Iron Kettle Kitchen, Round-Up Building for meeting space, a horticulture Heroes Garden, and a peaceful Healing Garden. Our mission is to open a wellness retreat for these heroes, leaving a legacy for them and their families through programs offered at no cost to them.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My husband and I own a small ranch and several businesses in Hawaii, but starting a non-profit is a first for us. There have been some unexpected challenges like COVID-19 which has impacted construction and material shortages. While we are currently fundraising to support the construction costs, Steve and I have personally invested and secured a loan so we could begin the construction and development of the retreat, which landed us with prime real estate for our RV home so we can oversee the construction.
This has been quite the learning curve for us, but we have persevered and conquered through the support of our family, and now through the community in Italy, Texas – a place we now call home.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Steve and I are incredibly grateful for having this opportunity to create a wellness retreat for our nation’s heroes, which would not have been possible without the partnership of the Boulder Crest Foundation. The Eagle Oak Retreat will provide a holistic approach to healing our heroes – there is not a one size fits all approach. We will provide our heroes with programs that focus on posttraumatic growth, ways to identify coping mechanisms to struggle well, and foster community support to help them find a new purpose and thrive in life after service. We accomplish this by offering two programs – Warrior PATHH and Family Rest and Reconnection (R&R) Stays here at the retreat.
Warrior PATHH – is a non-clinical, peer-based training program that is designed specifically to cultivate and facilitate posttraumatic growth. This program begins with 7-days of intensive posttraumatic growth training at the retreat, followed by 90-days of virtual training – all at no cost to the participants. Throughout the program, participants learn proven techniques to regulate thoughts, feelings, and actions, connect head and heart, and make peace with past traumatic experiences. We believe each component of the training program offers unique ways for our heroes to Rediscover Their Inner Warrior and find the strength to reconnect with themselves and their families.
Family R&R Stays – are available to all active duty, veterans and first responder families. At the retreat, the families will stay in Tiny Houses on the property that are fully equipped with a kitchen and cozy bedrooms. Housing and all activities on the ranch – from horseback riding, archery, fishing, and more are available at no cost to the families.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
We were about to retire when we decided to start this foundation. We left our home and family in Hawaii to embark on this new chapter in our lives. While there are times when we feel homesick, we know the importance of this mission and together, we are confident that we will create a place for these heroes to find posttraumatic growth. The image of seeing the retreat completed and hosting these invaluable programs is embedded in our hearts and minds; it keeps us focused and motivated to forge ahead when setbacks occur. We will not give up on them.
We invite you to join us on our journey today and help make a difference in the lives of our heroes. Your support will help make a significant impact in the lives of those who sacrificed everything for us. Visit us at eagleoakretreat.org today to learn how you can become part of this mission
Contact Info:
- Email: info@eagleoakretreat.org
- Website: EagleOakRetreat.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/eagleoakretreat
- Twitter: twitter.com/eagleoakretreat
Image Credits
Colin Dorsey Boulder Crest Legacy Beam and Post
