Felling Trailers will be hosting its tenth annual Trailer for a Cause online auction of an FT-3 Utility trailer to benefit a nonprofit organization. Felling Trailers’ goal is to bring awareness to various nonprofits that are making a difference by donating 100% of the winning bid from the auction to a different nonprofit each year. The previous “Trailer for a Cause” auctions have raised over $30,000 for nonprofit organizations such as SOMN – Special Olympics Minnesota, Children’s Cancer Research Fund, Lymphoma Research Foundation, and Minnesota Fire Fighters Foundation, to name a few.
Felling Trailers, Inc. has selected Eagle’s Healing Nest as the 2022 Trailer for a Cause auction beneficiary. Eagle’s Healing Nest provides a place of peace and healing for veterans struggling with issues ranging from PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, anxiety, depression, years of homelessness to addiction. “Our country’s veterans’ decision to sacrifice their time with family and friends, careers, and safety to train and respond when our country calls demonstrate courage and bravery that deserves respect from its beneficiaries,” said Brenda Jennissen, President/CEO of Felling Trailers. “Having about 20 veterans on our team and being founded by a United States Air Force veteran makes it even more personal, and we’re honored to give back to Eagle’s Healing Nest to care for our country’s heroes and meet their needs.”
A late Summer 2022 auction is being planned for Trailer for a Cause. Leading up to the auction, Felling Trailers will work with Eagle’s Healing Nest to generate awareness about the invisible wounds of war that our veterans carry. According to the National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report | September 2021, 6,261 Veterans died by suicide in 2019. Eagle’s Healing Nest provides veterans, military members, and their families with a place to heal with honor. “We want them to heal from whatever brought them to the Nest, overcome all obstacles, find their purpose, and make plans for their purpose/future,” said Melony Butler, founder of Eagle’s Healing Nest.
Eagle’s Healing Nest is located in Sauk Centre, MN, on 124 acres with 24 buildings, originally Minnesota Home School for Girls from 1911-1967 and then a coeducational model as the Minnesota Home School until 1999. Veterans and volunteers operate the healing center. No government funding is received. “The programs have been created by the veterans and what they felt they needed,” said Melony. “The veterans here come from all across the country, from a failed system, active duty, hospitals, jail, commitments, we don’t tell them how long they can be here. They stay as long as they need to heal.” Services include a mental health clinic specializing in accelerated resolution therapy, outpatient substance abuse programs, art and rock studios, welding shop, Stable Foundation Ministry (equine program), Project Delta (service dog program), Welcome Home Vet for those ready to transition, “soar” the Nest, and much more.
Since Eagle’s Healing Nest opened its doors in 2012, thousands of veterans and their families have been helped, between those who have resided there and the Nest’s outreach programs. Over the 9-1/2 years the nest has been in existence, the veterans and volunteers have renovated twenty-one of the twenty-four buildings onsite. When the last three buildings are completed, the Nest will have doubled its available capacity from the current 90-100 veterans.
