January 2024 Events
Guardians: Start the year off right by joining us for outdoor adventures, a companion dog awarding, iRest meditation, mobility, yoga, peer support, music jams, and more. With both virtual events and in-person gatherings, there’s something for everyone.
We offer our events at no cost to our guardians (active & retired): Veterans, Active Military, Reserve, National Guard, Law Enforcement, Fire & Rescue, EMS, Dispatchers, Corrections, and Federal Agents.
Please RSVP to join an event. We hope to see you there!
Get the word Out
Share this post or a link to our calendar with your family, friends, and coworkers — or you can download the PDF version of our January calendar to keep handy on your phone or print it out & pin it up at home, work, the gym, or anywhere else!
Scroll to read through events, or click to jump to a specific section:
Outdoor Adventures in New York
Join our Another Summit Outdoor Leaders for some amazing walks & hikes to start the year off right! It might be cold outside, but spectacular views and fresh air make it well worth the chilly trek into the great outdoors.
Celebrate the New Year by getting outside and getting the blood pumping with one of our two New Year’s Day activities: An easy walk around Little Stony Point or a moderate hike up Bull Hill.
WHO: Guardians and friends/family (kids welcome)
WHEN: Monday, January 1 @ 10 AM ET
DIFFICULTY: 🟦 Blue (easy) & 🟨 Yellow (moderately strenuous)
DISTANCE: 1 - 3.5 miles
DURATION: 2 - 3 hours
Enjoy a peaceful hike around Pelton Pond and onward to the viewpoint at the northern end of Canopus Lake in Fahnestock State Park.
WHO: Guardians and friends/family (adults)
WHEN: Sunday, January 7 @ 9 AM ET
DIFFICULTY: 🟩 Green (moderate)
DISTANCE: 3.25 miles
DURATION: 2 - 3 hours
Enjoy a relaxing Saturday morning river walk with beautiful views of the riverfront, historic ruins, and scenic estuaries that are home to many of New York’s water bird species.
WHO: Guardians and friends/family (kids welcome)
WHEN: Saturday, January 13 @ 10:45 AM ET
DIFFICULTY: 🟦 Blue (easy)
DISTANCE: 3.76 miles
DURATION: 2 - 3 hours
Get out and stretch your legs with us on this exploratory walk from the Cold Spring train station to the Cornish Estate and admire the parks and historic sites that populate the area.
WHO: Guardians and friends/family (kids welcome)
WHEN: Sunday, January 21 @ 10:30 AM ET
DIFFICULTY: 🟩 Green (moderate)
DISTANCE: 3.72 miles
DURATION: 2 - 3 hours
Dog Awarding
Boots & Paws will be awarding THREE companion dogs to guardians. Dog ownership provides therapeutic benefits, including reducing stress & anxiety, easing depression & loneliness, and encouraging regular exercise & routines.
Companion dog awardings are memorable moments where we introduce a puppy and their guardian. We hope you’ll join us for this special event!
WHERE: Guardian Revival HQ, Veterans Memorial Building
413 Main St, Beacon, NY 12508
WHO: Open to the public
No RSVP required.
Improve Your Mobility
Mobility isn’t synonymous with flexibility — it characterizes the range of motion in your joints needed for daily activities. It’s what helps you move throughout your daily life — whether it’s the act of getting in and out of a car, participating in recreational sports, or handling simple household chores — mobility is vital to our overall wellbeing.
Not only is mobility about being able to do these things, it’s about being able to move without difficulty or pain. Maintaining (or recovering) mobility is essential for everyone, from young people to athletes to older adults.
Mobility is the foundation for living a healthy and independent life. Mobility comprises all the skills required for everyday living: physical stamina, strength, balance, coordination, and range of motion. The importance of mobility becomes clear when you rise out of bed, shower, manage a flight of stairs, walk a half-mile, get in and out of a car, or carry groceries. Mobility also helps us avoid falls and prevent injuries, and allows older adults to live longer on their own. In short, mobility helps you stay “in the game.”
Semper Stronger trainer Angela will lead two mobility workshops for us in January:
Level 1 Mobility Workshop
Tuesday, January 9 @ 7 - 8 PM ET via Zoom
Explore the concepts of mobility and movement, discover their advantages, gain knowledge and experience by attempting various joint mobilizations, and receive guidance on integrating movement into your daily routine.
Our Level 1 classes are meant to be done sitting in a chair (no floor-work required)
Level 2 Mobility Workshop
Elevate and enhance your movement skills by engaging in a blend of exercises, both standing and floor-based.
This class is tailored for individuals with a foundational level of mobility seeking to enhance their capabilities both within and beyond the gym.
Decompress & Sleep Better
iRest is a deep meditation practice used worldwide for its positive impact on the mind and body. Annie Okerlin, C-IAYT, yoga teacher since 1999, and Certified iRest® Instructor has worked with veterans at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington DC starting in 2006.
An iRest meditation session is designed to relieve stress and pain, improve sleep, and help reset your nervous system.
Sit or lay down in a comfortable position
Close your eyes & focus on the voice of the instructor
Throughout the session, Annie will guide us through various stages & ways of meditating, such as body scans, breath awareness, or emotional exploration
The goal is to create a sense of inner peace, self-knowledge, and emotional resilience
Join upcoming iRest sessions with Annie:
WHERE: Zoom
Yoga for Everyone
Fellow guardian Janel teaches yoga with the aim of training the mind, body, and spirit to heal.
Janel Norton is an O2X Yoga & iRest Specialist and co-founded the Veterans Alternative, a non-profit organization designed to serve veterans through various wellness programs.
Yoga can help improve depression, sleep, and life satisfaction. Explore & experience the benefits of yoga and gain increased flexibility, muscle strength & tone, a balanced metabolism, and improved cardio & circulatory health.
Join our next yoga session and discover how to relax & strengthen both your body & mind — participate with your camera on or off, no prior experience needed!
WHERE: Zoom
Everyone is a Writer
Author Julia Cameron states in her book The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life, "I believe we all come into life as writers." The liberating ability to express and capture thoughts and emotions through written language is a powerful thing, and it’s available to anyone with keyboard or a pen and paper.
Join one of our writing workshops, either in-person or via Zoom, to explore, create, and express freely using the platform that suits you best. Led by Michael Silvestro, an English teacher at Carmel High School and an Army veteran, these sessions provide a fun and friendly environment for individuals (and other guardians!) to engage with literature and writing regularly.
Hope to see you at our next writing workshop:
WHERE: Hybrid
Zoom
Mahopac Public Library, 3rd Floor, 668 U.S. 6, Mahopac, NY, 10541
Jam Sessions
“I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” – Billy Joel
Encore organizes regular Jam sessions — outlets for guardians to explore music & build meaningful relationships. Hosted by a trained Lead Musician, these are casual community-based music experiences.
WHO: Guardians only (veterans & first responders)
All skill levels are welcome to join — beginners & experts alike!
WHEN: Tuesdays @ 6 - 8 PM ET in Beacon, NY
Monday, January 8 @ 6 PM ET in Mahopac
Monday, January 22 @ 6 PM ET in Mahopac
Peer Gatherings
Led by a Peer Leader from Guardian Revival, these group sessions are an open forum and offer an opportunity to listen, learn, or share what's on your mind. Hosted as a mix of in-person and via Zoom:
Vet2Vet peer gatherings are open to all Veterans, Active Military, Reserve & National Guard
First Line peer gatherings are open to all Law Enforcement, Fire & Rescue, EMS, Dispatchers, Corrections, and Federal Agents
Wellness Wednesdays gatherings are open to all guardians and focus on various topics related to health & wellness, including exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, and sleep
Woman Guardian Gathering
to our guardians: You are never alone
Our Talk Line is operational 24/7, including on weekends & holidays. This phone line provides peer support & mental health resources, operated by guardians, for guardians.
This is not a crisis line — just a confidential, open opportunity to reach out for connection & support, anytime.
We are always ready to take your call 📞 845.745.0088
