NET Credit Union Announces 2023 Charity Recipient

Camp Freedom is NET Credit Union’s 2023 charity recipient. Laura and Bill Bachenberg founded Camp Freedom in January 2018 due to a passion to serve others and provide healing outdoor adventures for disabled Veterans, First Responders, and Gold Star families. The Executive Director, Matthew Guedes, shares the same passion for Veterans, First Responders, and Gold Star families and has an extensive background in the outdoors.

The mission of Camp Freedom is simple – to heal heroes through outdoor adventures. Camp Freedom is an adventure camp for disabled Veterans and First Responders, their family members, and Gold Star families providing quality hunting, shooting sports, fishing, hiking, biking, and other year-round outdoor activities. These activities remove individuals from clinical settings into the healing environment of the outdoors and nature. Camp Freedom also promotes the social well-being of the participants through peer-to-peer interaction, camaraderie, and outdoor adventures. Camp Freedom’s staff and experienced volunteers lead all activities. Camp Freedom provides services to other nonprofits who have a similar mission for a collective impact.

During the first year, Camp Freedom was able to serve forty-nine guests. In the five years since Camp Freedom opened its doors, they have served over 6,300 of America’s Heroes from over forty states and have saved lives of many of those men and women.

Camp Freedom is continually expanding services to reach a greater number of the Veteran and First Responder community. These expansions include building an event and education center where Veterans will be able to use their Post-911 GI Bill funding to take classes that will make them more employable. They are also adding a long-distance shooting range, a 3D archery course, and clay shooting stations that are accessible despite any physical limitations.

This year, all funds raised by NET Credit Union’s fundraising efforts will benefit Camp Freedom. NET Credit Union will be hosting our 10^th Annual NEToberfest Golf Tournament on Friday, October 6^th at Blue Ridge Trail Golf Course. Learn more about our fundraising efforts and event details here.

Since 2015, NET Credit Union has and will continue to fundraise for local charities. In 2022 alone, NET Credit Union donated over $50K to our local community. “People helping people” is not only our motto, but also our community’s motto. Together, partnered with Camp Freedom, we are determined and committed to helping them achieve their goals.