About us

Our Mission & Impact Our Programs Financials & Reports Board & Staff FAQs Join Our Team Contact Us

Our Mission and impact

Healing America’s Veterans Through The Therapeutic Art Of Fly Fishing

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. began in 2005 serving wounded military service members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, PHW has expanded nationwide, establishing its highly successful program in Department of Defense hospitals, Warrior Transition Units, and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and clinics.

Who we help

Project Healing Waters helps active military service personnel and Veterans in need through a dedicated, developed curriculum of fly fishing, fly casting, fly tying, and fly rod building. In 2024 alone, we helped 6,820 participants comprised of all service eras through the generous work of 6,329 active volunteers.

How we help

We are a leading nonprofit in the area of therapeutic outdoor recreation, using the sport of fly fishing as an intervention. The restorative healing powers of nature and the outdoors are well-documented: for our Veteran and military participants, the Camaraderie, Connectedness, and community found in our programs, alongside the symbiotic relationship between Veteran and volunteer, directly correlate to increased sense of belonging, resilience, and post-traumatic growth.

Learn more

Our Impact

To learn more about activities in your area, please email FieldSupportAdmin@ProjectHealingWaters.org.

Donate Connect Volunteer

Keep Scrolling

Our Impact

Our Impact

To learn more about activities in your area, please email FieldSupportAdmin@ProjectHealingWaters.org.

Keep Scrolling

Donate

Connect

Volunteer

How you can help our Veterans

Your continued support is critical to ensure that our participants have the opportunity to heal as part of our tribe.

DONATE WAYS TO GIVE VOLUNTEER

This journey has been a transformative one for me, especially in dealing with my PTSD as a disabled veteran.

The process of crafting a bamboo rod, the tranquility of fly fishing, and the victories in each catch are my own forms of therapy, healing me in ways traditional medicine couldn’t. It is a respite from my typical solitary existence and a welcome diversion that offers not just a physical activity but also an engaging and rewarding mental exercise.

Mikael Madsen - U.S. Army Veteran