Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. (PHWFF) an IRS designated 501 (c)(3), nonprofit organization began in 2005 serving wounded military service members returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.
In 2016, Jerry Walker joined DB&A as a Senior Business Analyst. Both Jerry and DB&A have a strong core belief of giving back to the community. He currently serves as the Program Lead for the Dallas Program of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing.
“I started volunteering with this organization in 2015 for the 3-Day Outings to Lake Fork, Texas,” Jerry said. “Volunteering to work with Disabled Veterans who have a wide range of issues that at the time I didn’t fully understand.”
By April of 2017, Jerry’s brother was the Program Lead for the Ft. Worth/Dallas Program which at the time covered most of the North Texas area (Abilene, TX to Shreveport, LA and from Waco, TX to the Oklahoma state line). Both shared a desire to grow the program in North Texas, and more specifically, the Dallas area. He initially started teaching a weekly Fly-Tying Class at the VA Hospital in Dallas and then added an additional weekly class at Cabela’s in Allen, a suburb of Dallas. The Dallas Program has grown to include a weekly class at the VA Hospital in Bonham, Texas. In addition to Fly Tying classes, the Program also has Fly Casting and Fly Rod building classes.
The Dallas Program also hosts Fly Fishing Outings several times a year in conjunction with the Ft. Worth Program and have also sent several Veterans on National Outings across the U.S. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization also hosts national fishing events, and local Veterans have traveled to Montana and Arkansas. A group of eight Veterans will soon be traveling to Alaska for a 5-day fly fishing adventure.
“We have an enormous number of Veterans in Texas, men and women, who need this form of therapy. The Program doesn’t replace professional therapy, but there is now data that supports the theory that fly-fishing activities helps with fine motor skills, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and more. Veterans really need the help provided by Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing,” Jerry explains why he dedicates his time to this cause. “I can’t say enough about how much Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing can help these men and women who have given so much to serving us.”
“Veterans, both men and women, have told us how this program has saved their life. By giving them the opportunity to look past their injuries and feel hopeful again. To realize their life still has value.”
“This Program gets them out of their house and out of their shell. It gets them communicating with people again. Too many of our Veterans have become reclusive and have serious anxiety when they leave home for any reason.”
PHWFF has become recognized as an innovative leader and model in the field of therapeutic outdoor recreation for the disabled, through its successful application of the sport of fly fishing as a rehabilitation tool.
“I’m a Veteran. I come from a family of Veterans. My brother and I never saw combat, so we do this little bit to help these Veterans and to say, “Thank you.” They deserve to be treated with respect and compassion – that’s reason I Volunteer.”
Jerry’s dedication to the Veterans, has helped grow the program over the course of just two years in North Texas, and created the opportunity in November of 2018 to create a new Dallas Program. Jerry was asked and accepted the position of Program Lead. He plans 3-day outings at least three times a year and has access to private property near Emery, Texas for an unforgettable experience for the Veterans the Program serves.
DB&A has a corporate commitment to serve the communities where our clients and employees live, work, and play. The company has supported Jerry in his desire to serve by being flexible with the time he has needed off to volunteer and lead the long weekend fishing outings. In addition, the company has provided PHWFF substantial financial support.
In 2018, PHWFF served 8,307 participants across the United States, with the help of 4,001 volunteers, who contributed 278,853 hours.
Activities Held Included:
- 4,902 Fly Tying Classes
- 1,214 Fly Rod Building Classes
- 1,464 Fly Casting Classes
- 1,124 Fly Fishing Education Classes
- 1,605 Fly Fishing Outings
Watch the NBC Nightly News recent broadcast about the organization.
If you would like to support Jerry and the Dallas program of PHWFF, you can make a donation at the link below.
https://projecthealingwaters.networkforgood.com/projects/63778-dallas-texas
More information on how you can get involved, through donating fly fishing materials or serving as a volunteer can be found on the organizations website at https://projecthealingwaters.org/
You can also follow the Ft. Worth and Dallas Programs on Facebook at
