Events
(click on each to expand)
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Thank You, Friends!
First we want to hug and celebrate you—Logan H—for your courage, honesty and inspiration to share your story so we may all know and understand how young people and their families are deeply suffering and need a supportive community to offer tools, hope and healing. We are so happy to see and feel your precious self with us and will walk beside you as you keep shining in this life and as a light for others.
Next we want to thank you, Dr Brad Reedy of Evoke Therapy Programs, for sharing your deep wisdom from the years of your own heroic journey. Your fan club is going strong in the PNW! Something you shared with me, I’ll never forget, “Once you see it, you see it everywhere.” To understand this with you takes my breath away.
And thank you Evoke’s Rick H, for being so supportive from the moment we first met to this very day. We are honored to know you all and to learn more about the unique qualities of Evoke’s programs for young people, parents, and families.
Can we please have a big shout out for Jason & Bernadette L with Interior Tech & Courtney and Michael A with Charter Mechanical who are now the new proud owners of Breanna’s Quintessential PineCone limited editions 3/42 and 4/42 first printing!? Holy Smokes! It was a fierce competition on the auction floor! When we gave Breanna the news she was speechless and teary eyed especially when she learned that they each sold for an incredibly generous top bid of $10,500 each! She modestly reflected, “I am just so happy and honored that my Pinecone represents helping people.”
Thank you to our very special donors who came out in force during a challenging economic time to be there for our families and kiddos! You keep us going in body and spirit! Charter Mechanical, Interior Technologies, Western Partitions, Anchor Concrete, Scougal Rubber, Skanska, Ross V & Yvonne G, Peter and Vicki Helming Foundation, Metke Remodeling, Wood Next Foundation, Embark Foundation, and our Amazing Anonymous Donors from the very beginning! You are all the wind beneath our wings!
Thank you to Anasazi Foundation Team and Sean R for your sincere support and partnership with PBJF. Anasazi has been a spearhead in the field of Wilderness Therapy for 35 years and so many young walkers with hopeful hearts have been saved because of Anasazi’s guidance and way of walking. And 2 donated trips to France—so so generous!!!
Thank you to Deschutes Wilderness Therapy Team and Andrew S for being a solid and steadfast force for good in Oregon and across the country to help families and young people in crisis through your incredible program but also for your political leadership. We are with you.
Thank you Educational Consultants Ricky B and Amanda T of Innovative Approach, along with Pamela S of Educational Connections of Oregon, Kristin KC of Educational Connections of Washington, Ann D, Dana D, Liz D, Matt W and Connie W of A Circle of Hope and the other greatly valued Educational Consultants who were here in person and afar to lift us up and to learn more about what we do. We so appreciate you!
Thank you dear friends and family who have come out in support each time and each year we have asked you for your support. It’s all the kindness and helpfulness over time that add up to a really big and positive impact for us but especially for the families and kiddos we are trying to help save.
Thank you to our ready and able volunteers that helped in every way we asked from start to finish—Christine & Scott G, Kim & Glen R, Preston D, Rachel H, Guy D, Sam C, Conor E, Ben C, Maddy M, Hayden O, Brian D, Jennifer L, and Daniel H.
Thank you to our treasured friends who go all the way back to before even kindergarten, elementary school, junior high, high school, university, sorority sisters and fraternity brothers, the good old neighborhood lifers, The Murray Hill Network, work friends for 37 years and new connections made strong from near and far to NH & AZ and back—you fill our cup until it runs over—and over again.
Thank you to the mountain top and back Ted D, Adrienne D & Renato S, Laura M, Colleen d, Kathy & Johnny G, Geri L, Kelly M, Susie J, Sherri H, Michelle R, Karen K, Linda S, Melinda S, Carol A, Leita G, Diane O, SueZ T, Katie T, Carolyn J, Leslie G,
Steve & Trish C, Carl C, Janet H, Scott G, Sue & Steve S, Judi & DeWayne C, Luanne A, Cathy & Rob A, Sue C & Jarl K, Lori & Todd B, Cheryl M, Nancy Z, Dorothy H, Alice P, Barbie K, Patti P, Suzanne S, Christine & Scott G, Taylor S & Kat C, and Sean R, for your plethora of fabulous donated auction experiences — literally worth thousands— to raise “fun”ds to provide financial support for new families in need! Your effort and kindness were priceless to us as we felt our connection with you strengthen regardless of time and distance.
Thanks talented Kim S and Jeff S, her loving assistant, for your incredibly gorgeous and creative centerpieces that made the room come alive- literally!
Thank you Steve R for your rock solid foundation of support as our web master and all things IT!! Your wizardry behind the scenes allows us to be recognized and to be something useful to others. We would still be a cardboard sign on a stick without your expertise and commitment to us and our mission. Thank you since before the beginning to help us grow.
Thanks Mood Swings—PBJF’s lifetime official band
since our beginning. Your talent and down to earth vibe is forever perfect for us! You are definitely Parker Approved. Take another bow, Jeff W, Lee S, Dave B, Don P. You are truly part of the family… this one’s for…you.
Thank you Michael Faith, auctioneer for bringing your talent and expertise to our event.
Thank you Lisa Mc, PBJF’s new Admin Assistant for your many hours devoted to getting us organized down to the last detail—fingers flying! Your caring heart is felt through each and every time we speak together.
Thank you Justine K of Third Wheel Connections for such colorful and engaging social media posts to get us all so excited for a great night and for all the wonderful things we are planning and accomplishing! Your contribution is making a splash for PBJF!
How do we thank you Event Savvy Team—and the super talented and dedicated wonder woman Kristin S for your professional, personalized and —most of all—heartfelt support!? We were cared for every step of the way! We love you to pieces and we won’t ever do this without you!
Thanks also to Michelle S and team from Elephants Delicatessen for fabulous food! So many rave reviews about the appetizers, the chicken, the salad and the COOKIES! Did we mention the delicious beverages?—“High Desert Sunrise” and “ Old Mother Earth.”
Thank you to the generous folks at Stoller Family Estate and Breakside Brewing for “bringing the party!”
Thank you to Angie G of World Forestry Center for the cozy and woodsy paneled setting for all
our Buffalo check and Chucks since 2018! Great look Parker!
We want to thank all the generous and incredible hotels, wineries and restaurants who gave without hesitation! Our auction winners will be seeing you soon and thanking you in person!
Thank you new fabulous Wilderness4Life Coaches for your willing and passionate hearts as you all chose to join our PBJF Team! Thank you for introducing yourselves to other guests and sharing about our new Wilderness4Life aftercare program! You already have been making a difference in the lives of young people with your own special skills, education and experience! We cannot wait to grow this program with you all! Welcome Kyle W, Nate BT, Sam A, Marissa S, Paige E, Alicia B, Leanne R, Clara L, Mason H, Sam B, Courteney, and Paola G!
Thank you Courtney J and Jamie C—our Grant Writing Dream Team! To know you are in our corner bringing your honed written communication skills, attention to detail, and dedication to helping others, gives us confidence as we forge ahead with PBJF’s goals for the future.
Thank you Ashley J, our new Program Director of PBJF’s Wilderness4Life community-centered, adventure based, aftercare coaching program in Oregon and Washington. We are so proud to have you on our PBJF Team! You are soul inspired!
Thank you PBJF Board of Directors and Leadership Team: Matt W, Chase B, Ted D, Daniel C, Ben M, Taylor S, Tyler H, Dan S…Emily and Bret V, Ricky B, Jake T, Frank B, Brian C, Julie S for your passion & commitment to young people, families and to PBJF.
We all stand on one another’s shoulders. We know this. Oh, just imagine what we can do when we do it together!
Thank you ALL for your love in action for young people who are so much like our dear son, Parker, who urgently need to feel hope and to be offered a new pathway of healing.
Gratefully,
Liz & Dan
PS: Please, if you have photos of the event with your friends at your table and having fun together, pause and text them to Liz at 503-810-9100 as soon as you read this:)
Liz
Elizabeth Bounds
Co-Founder
Parker Bounds Johnson Foundation
www.wilderness4life.org
info@pbjwilderness4life.org
503-810-9100
Tax ID#81-3500151
501(c)3 Public Charity
“Wouldn’t it be tight if we could send just one kid a year to Wilderness?”—PBJ
The Way To Wilderness...The Pathway Home.-
Stories from the Field: Liz Bounds' Interview
Financial Help for Wilderness Therapy Treatment, Part 2
The cost of wilderness therapy treatment is expensive, yet several organizations will help. In this second of two episodes, we hear stories from leaders of non-profit organizations that help families by providing funds to help pay for wilderness therapy treatment. We talk with John Hunt from Jason William Hunt Foundation, Liz Bounds from the Parker Bounds Johnson Foundation, and Derek Daley from the Loa Fund. We will hear about the history of the organizations, how to apply for funds, and other resources.
Organizations in this episode have specific guidelines for funding. Please check their websites and donate if you can.
The Jason William Hunt Foundation provides funds for wilderness therapy for teens and young adults from all over the country.
The Parker Bounds Johnson Foundation provides funds for young people ages 10-30 who live in the States of Oregon and Washington for wilderness therapy treatment all over the country. Liz's interview starts at 23:30
The LOA Fund provides funds for young adults (ages 18 to 30) to attend wilderness therapy treatment.I would like to Donate!Are you a Fire Starter, a Camper, a Walker, a Trailblazer, a Hiker, a Trekker, a Climber, a Summiter, or a Sherpa?
We welcome your generous donation in any amount.
The Parker Bounds Johnson Foundation is a
GuideStar Silver Transparency NonProfit
MISSION
It is our mission to serve young people and their families in-crisis through Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare programs, parent support, and community-centered aftercare.
Families of Oregon and Washington are eligible to receive financial assistance…
…through generous donations.
Families of Oregon and Washington are eligible to receive financial assistance…
…through generous donations.
GOALS
- Provide financial assistance for youth, young adults and their families in crisis who may not be able to afford Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare programs.
- Provide local in-person support for parents and guardians through monthly support group meetings.
- Create a community centered adventure-based aftercare coaching program that promotes resiliency, recovery, relapse prevention as well as fosters belonging, a healthy lifestyle and connection to nature.
- Advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
“Wouldn’t it be ‘tight’ if we could send just one kid a year to Wilderness?”—Parker
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How Do We Help and Who Do We Help?
- We provide financial assistance to Northwest families for their children in-crisis so they may receive care and healing through wilderness therapy programs.
Our grants are designed to help families with financial need so that their child may benefit from the programs and services of our partnering wilderness therapy programs.These are young people ages 12-26 who are struggling with mental, emotional and behavioral challenges.
Our program partners will match our grants 100% for those families that demonstrate financial need and as funds are available. Our goals are to promote the proven effectiveness of wilderness therapy, highlight programs that meet highest standards of quality in the field, advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention and to create a supportive community that encourages a healthful lifestyle and connection with nature. -
What is Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare?
- Wilderness therapy or more formally termed--Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare--is a highly comprehensive therapeutic treatment that uses individual therapy, group therapy, adventure therapy, and a family involved approach with immersion in nature as the setting for supportive healing.
It is proven highly effective in the immediate, short and longer term, it is turning young lives around and helping our young and their families heal using newly learned tools and coping strategies that promote self care, self confidence and hope. It is saving lives, saving families and saving our communities, one child at a time
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Why is Wilderness Therapy Needed?
- There is a crisis in our communities within our young population that we must come together to help solve.
Families need real support to help their children. Current data (see www.obhcenter.org) shows an alarming number of kids are suffering from underlying feelings of depression and anxiety at not-seen-before levels. There are many reasons for this, and here are the most compelling you have undoubtedly seen on the news, heard about in your community, or experienced in your own family.
Our young are being exposed to very powerful substances that have become widely available and many are self-medicating with these dangerous and addictive street drugs and too-easily-obtained prescription medications. Many kids isolate alone in front of a computer for hours playing highly addictive and numbing video games while their families watch them withdrawal from social connections and activities they used to enjoy.
Our kids are attempting to self-soothe with destructive behaviors such as cutting and other forms of self harm. Our teens may be struggling with gender identity. They may be acting out in response to the torment of being bullied. Or they may become the bully as a way to hide their pain of feeling powerless. They may be having difficulty staying in school, not able to maintain a job or are facing related problems with the legal system. Many are trapped in addictive behaviors without access to tools and effective support to overcome. And they are dying by overdose.
The opioid crisis is real. And sadly, research shows, that the risk of suicide in young people is higher when addiction is involved. What you hear on the news is not an exaggeration. And it affects us all.
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What’s More?
- Our kids may even be suffering the adverse and frightening mental health symptoms from undiagnosed traumatic brain injury caused by concussion while perhaps playing for years the sports they love while we parents innocently watched on.
And we all know, too, the overachievers, the straight A students, the star athletes, the life of the party, the empaths, or everyone’s best friend who may be hiding their struggle because of stigma and shame. Perhaps most heartbreaking of all is the tragic suicide death of young people in our own communities.
These are our kids who need our collective support to overcome their heavy challenges so they can prosper in life. -
Why did we begin PBJF?
- Our son Parker is one of those bright lights among us who battled for his life against depression, anxiety, mental health challenges, substance abuse, addiction and the probable damage of multiple sports concussion injuries.
He took his own life to find relief from his suffering at the young age of 23. But in the devastating wake of his death and our profound grief, we are inspired to honor Parker’s legacy and deepest wish by helping other struggling young people and their families--so they may find healing and hope. It was in his heart to always want to help others.
Upon his graduation from an excellent wilderness therapy program, he proclaimed that “...every kid graduating from high school should go to Wilderness.” He went on to say that “...even adults should go!” Then he said, “It saved my life.”
We believe it gave us 5 more years with our son that we would not have had. Wilderness gave him 5 more years of hope.
During one of our last family Sunday dinners, he said, “Wouldn’t it be ‘tight’ to send just one kid a year to Wilderness?”...“Let’s do this--let’s start a foundation.”
And so we did.
The Pine Cone
The Ponderosa Pine is a tree that grows taller than all others in climates that would seem unable to support such life. In our recent history, these trees were landmarks of hope and encouragement to many pioneers coming west on the Oregon Trail.
This pine cone fell from the branch of a mighty Ponderosa growing in arid earth under the central Oregon high desert sun.
The cone's scales follow the same spiral curves as those observed in sunflowers, seashells, and the arms of our Milky Way. This beautiful recurring geometry is described mathematically by the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci Numbers, which can be observed within our own bodies and throughout our natural world.
Its symbolism has inspired humanity through time and across civilizations. From ancient Rome to ancient Mesopotamia, it is found in art, architecture, and spiritual symbolism. Osiris--The Egyptian god of transition, resurrection, and regeneration--carried a pine cone staff, and many Hindu deities have been depicted holding a pine cone in their outstretched hand.
The pine cone has been historically associated with enlightenment, spiritual awakening, and the "third eye." The pineal gland is thought to be the physiological center of the "third eye", and resembles a tiny pine cone itself.
A single cone contains seeds that could potentially grow a whole forest of Ponderosa Pines. It opens with the warmth of the sun and closes with the saturation of rain, waiting patiently for favorable conditions.
May the pine cone's beauty and mystery inspire wonder, curiosity, strength, and the sensation of interconnectedness between you and the natural world like is has inspired me.
Breanna B Johnson
Artist
“May the pine cone’s beauty and mystery inspire wonder, curiosity, strength and the sensation of interconnectedness between you and the natural world like it has inspired me.”
—Breanna Bounds Johnson, Artist
Parker Bounds Johnson Foundation
PO Box 1989
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
A GuideStar Silver Transparency NonProfit
Find us on Social Media
If you or someone you care about are in crisis, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
CALL 9-8-8
© 2023 Wilderness4Life.org - a Non-Profit Public Charity 501(c)3 Tax ID#81-3500151