This September, in recognition of Suicide Awareness Month, the Special Liberty Project is honored to welcome eight military widows from across the country to Franklin for a deeply meaningful and healing retreat. These women share a heartbreaking bond: each lost her husband to suicide, either during or after their military service.
As a veteran family ourselves, my husband Cory and I built the Special Liberty Project’s glamping retreat center on our farm in Franklin because we believe there is so much healing in these hills. We’ve seen again and again how Franklin’s quiet beauty, fresh mountain air, and slower pace give our guests the space to breathe, connect, and start to rebuild hope. If you’ve made Franklin your home, we’re guessing you’ve felt that magic too — or you wouldn’t be here.
While we offer retreats year-round, this special retreat is designed exclusively for military widows of suicide loss, offering a safe space filled with peer support, compassion, and understanding from others who truly know this difficult journey. Over four days, these women will be nourished by the peaceful setting of Franklin, supported by our Healing Herd of Horses, and guided through workshops and wellness activities that help them grieve, reflect, and begin a new chapter of healing.
The Special Liberty Project serves military widows, Gold Star families, and veteran families year-round. In addition to these powerful healing retreats, we host monthly gatherings for veteran spouses, offering equine-assisted learning activities that teach communication, confidence, and boundary-setting through meaningful interactions with horses. We also provide hands-on workshops focused on practical homesteading and wellness skills — from making natural cleaning and beauty products, to starting medicinal herb gardens, to hunting and fishing trips that walk veterans through the process from field to fork.
Community support is always welcome and deeply appreciated. If you have a special gift, service, or skill you’d like to share with these families, please reach out to me at [email protected]. And if you’re a veteran or military family looking for connection and healing, visit speciallibertyproject.org to join us at a future retreat or workshop.
Franklin is a special place — and together, we can make it a place where those who’ve given so much can find peace, purpose, and community.