Kansas City nonprofit aims to provide hope, healing to those suffering from PTSD

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - “We’ve had a number of people that said, ‘Hey my kids got their dad back. My kids got their mom back.’”

Mike Kenny is the executive director for Warriors’ Ascent, a nonprofit providing hope and healing to veterans and first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress.

“We empower our participants to take ownership with their lives and healing,” Kenny explained.

They do this during a 5-day getaway at the Heartland Camps & Retreat Center in Platte County.

“They’ll get meditation, mindfulness, a lot of cognitive behavioral therapy or training, self-care practices, comradery and community,” he said.

Since the program began in 2016, over 600 veterans and first responders’ lives have been saved.

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Bryan Moore is one of the veterans who received a second chance at life because of Warriors’ Ascent.

KCTV5 was given his testimony video.

“After I realized I had a problem, I tried to fight it, control it, run away from it,” Moore said. “And it just kept coming to find me, those demons are right there on your tail.”

He thought about ending his life. But then he found his way to Warriors’ Ascent.

“It’s only five days, but there’s enough information in those days to make you rethink how you live, how you talk, how you breath, how you walk, how you do everything,” Moore said.

It’s something Kenny said he takes pride in and wants people to know they are not alone and that there is always help.

“If you are feeling like you need help, whether that’s full-blown PTSD, anxiety, depression. If you feel like, ‘Hey, I’m coming off the rails and I need help, I need tools. I need to get back on track because if I don’t, I don’t know how much longer I can hold on, I would say gives us a shot,” Kenny said.

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