Peak Adventures

 Reaching New Heights Driven by our Mission Statement:

Peak Adventures is designed to address the lack of accessibility to outdoor recreation available for children and young adults living with disabilities in Southern Vermont.  Peak Adventures provides individuals with ongoing safe and educational access to parks, wilderness recreation activities and experiences.  These services will promote self-esteem, healthy living, and a positive reception of the outdoors, while teaching skills of independence and group cooperation.

A Remarkable Organization and their Innovative Staff:

Peak Adventures is a program championed by Families First and committed members of their enthusiastic staff.  Families First is a Wilmington/Brattleboro-based agency that provides services to over 60 families in Southern Vermont.  Families First and staff members pride themselves on being responsive, respectful and creative while providing services to children and adults living with disabilities.  Services are based on consumer’s individual needs and build on identified goals created by each consumer along with their team.

 

“Encouragement, Education, Exploration”:

Peak Adventures has become a reality through the passion of a few caring outdoor enthusiasts.  We believe that every individual deserves to explore our natural environment and develop a personal relationship with the outdoors.  By providing and encouraging this necessary exposure we feel a shared respect and understanding of our natural world will be offered to a population who, unfortunately, rarely recieves the opportunity.  The dedicated staff members most directly involved with Peak Adventures have a substantial amount of time spent in both the professional and experiential venues of the program.

Joshua and Natasha Kussius: Joshua and Natasha have both received their Master’s Degrees in Social Work from New Mexico Highlands University.  Currently Joshua is a Case Manager for Families First as well as their Crisis Coordinator.  Natasha works for Families First’ providing innovative Program Development and Coordination for the agency. The couple share an enthusiam for attending to underserved populations.  Along with their passion to assist populations in need they also attach a great importance to the outdoors.  Their love for the the wilderness developed while backpacking in Alaska and Mexico, as well as, the lower forty-eight.  Peak Aventure’s first seeds were sewn while Joshua and Natasha spent their honeymoon hiking a portion of the Appalachian Trail.

Greg Masterson: Greg is the Brattleboro site Director for Families First with over 15 years of experience in the field.  Greg has also spent countless nights in the backwoods of many national parks and forests experienceing first hand what many people only read about in outdoor magazines.  Greg is a wonderful addition to the driving force of the program bringing professional and pragmatic experience to Peak Adventures.

 

Why your Generosity is essential for our growth.

Currently all staffing for Peak Adventures is provided by committed volunteers who share a love for the outdoors and a compassion for individuals living with special needs.  With Peak Adventures being sponsored by Families First, a not-for-profit agency, we are faced with the reality that there is a lack of funding available to support the formation of new programs.  Currently all gear used for our excursions including camping, backpacking, snowshoeing, skiing, fishing, canoeing and rapelling, consists of personal loaned equipment by staff members.  This limits the number of individuals that we are able to accommodate.  From your generosity our program will be able to provide experiential learning services for many more children and young adults waiting for their turn to be properly introduced to the wilderness.  Proper tax-benefit documentation can be provided for any donations generously offered to Peak Adventures. In such a difficult and unstable financial environment,  your donations are graciously and humbly accepted.  Please take a look at our wishlist that is updated on a regular basis.

Wishlist. Packs, Day Packs, Tents, Rope, Sleeping Bags Sleeping Pads, Packable Pillows, Headlamps, Batteries, Hiking Poles, Camp stoves, Stove Fuel, Water Filtration Device, Camp Chairs, Camp Shovel, Two-way-radios, Field Specs, First Aid Kits, Dry Bags, Regional Maps, Hiking Books and Guides (VT,NH), Coolers, Canoes/Paddles, Kayaks/Paddles, Personal Floatation Devices Snowshoes,Water Bottles, Water Proof Matches Rappelling Gear, Helmets, Educational workshops/Trainings, Monetary donations always accepted