WESTFIELD – Project New Hope, a veterans organization based in Worcester that helps veterans and active duty military with their every-day challenges, is hosting a free event at their Hampton Ponds Plaza office in Westfield on Monday.
Project New Hope is offering free acupuncture sessions to veterans and active duty military. Two sessions will be offered, one from 10-11 a.m. and another from 11 a.m. to noon.
Bill Moore is not only the president and 2010 founder of the organization, but he is also a disabled Air Force veteran who began offering retreats for veterans, caregivers, and gold star families.
The event on Monday will take place at Project New Hope’s office in Westfield in the Hampton Ponds Plaza. (Photo from Project New Hope)
Since an important aspect of the retreats is the wellness that can bring a positive impact on the individuals, Moore thought offering something like acupuncture would be beneficial to the veterans with whom he works.
“Too often medications like opiates are being pushed onto us (veterans and active military),” Moore said. “It only makes sense to offer wellness not just at my weekend retreats, but also at my offices.”
A type of alternative medicine where thin needles are inserted into the body, Acupuncture has been around for at least 25 years. Karen Adams, a licensed acupuncturist from Greenfield who will be conducting the sessions on Monday, is a major proponent of acupuncture for veterans and active duty military.
“It’s such a simple protocol, it strengthens the human,” Adams said. “They begin to take care of themselves the way they were meant to take care of themselves.”
Acupuncture can not only help veterans and active duty military with PTSD, but it can also help relieve stress, deal with lack of sleep, anxiety, and depression.
Adams added that she’ll specifically be doing ear acupuncture on Monday. According to Adams, there are at least 360 points on the body where acupuncture can occur.
“We’re constantly finding new points (on the body) because it’s an evolving medicine,” Adams said.
Moore has worked with Adams in the past and said he is happy to have her offer this type of treatment to the individuals Project New Hope serves.
“I just see so many benefits from it,” Moore said.
Moore noted he has received a large response from people interested about the event on Monday and is encouraging anyone interested to email Brooke Calloway of Project New Hope at [email protected] to schedule an acupuncture session. Moore added that they’ll also take walk-ins, as they won’t turn anyone away.
