Project Sanctuary's greatest strength is our dedicated staff, who are the driving force behind our amazing therapeutic retreats and family support program. That's why we are so pleased to launch our Staff Spotlight series, highlighting the incredible team members who are serving our military families day in and day out.
Today, we will be highlighting Morgan Richmond, who has been a part of the Project Sanctuary family since childhood, when she attended a retreat with her own military family!
Tell us how you first heard about Project Sanctuary?
In November of 2012, my family participated in a Project Sanctuary retreat. It was one of the first times since my Dad returned from deployment that I remember our family doing things together. The retreat touched our family so much that we began regularly volunteering with Project Sanctuary. Eventually, I became interested in the role of a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and began asking questions. I decided to go to university to become a CTRS.
What is it that you do at Project Sanctuary?
Currently, I am a Retreat CTRS as well as a Program Coordinator for Project Sanctuary. CTRS stands for Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, we receive our certification under the NCTRC, which is a national credentialing body. I graduated from Texas State University in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Administration with a Concentration in Therapy. After graduation, I sat for the NCTRC Exam and passed, becoming a CTRS.
As a Retreat CTRS, I am responsible for leading recreation activities at retreats, running the youth program, and being the point of contact for all retreat volunteers. As CTRS, we assess needs, plan interventions, implement based on goals, evaluate responses, and document the outcomes. Our goal is to provide retreat participants with a holistic experience that can provide them the opportunity to add new tools to their toolbox.
I have just started as a Program Coordinator, and I will be planning the weekly activity schedule for all retreats in Colorado. I will be finding and creating experiences for our military families to enjoy during their week with us. As a programmer, there is behind-the-scenes work that is done to help the retreat run.
What is your most meaningful experience with Project Sanctuary?
My dad also works for Project Sanctuary as a Retreat Manager. One of my most meaningful moments was being able to work my first retreat as a staff member with my Dad. What a cool thing to be able to serve military families with my dad, after we were the family that was being served all those years ago.
When you aren't serving military families at retreats, what do you like to do?
I enjoy spending my time outdoors, hiking, kayaking, swimming. My love for recreation started as a kid who spent most of her time outside on a bicycle. My dad introduced me to hiking, and we would go out on adventures, only getting lost sometimes!
Thank you Morgan for sharing your story with us! We are so fortunate to have such a passionate CTRS working with our military families in Colorado!
