Gaia Herbs supports local veterans

Press release from Gaia Herbs:

Gaia Herbs, a leading natural herbal products brand in the United States, recently donated 2,100 bottles of its Full Spectrum Hemp Extract to Veterans Healing Farm to help support veterans in Western North Carolina. The donation included 750 Hemp Full Spectrum 10mg/mL 2oz bottles, 1,250 Hemp Full Spectrum 20mg/mL 2oz bottles, 100 Hemp Full Spectrum 40 mg / mL 2oz bottles, as well as a variety of other raw herbs.

“Transitioning from military life back into the civilian sector is a challenge all veterans face. Unfortunately, many veterans lack the tools, support network, and resources needed to meet this challenge and the results are alarmingly high rates of veteran suicide, depression, divorce, homelessness, and substance abuse,” said John Mahshie, Veterans Healing Farm Co-Founder & Executive Director. “One program that we offer to support veterans is herbal counseling from a naturopathic physician as well as medicinal herbs at no cost. We have seen firsthand the tremendous beneficial value that medicinal herbs can have on a veteran’s quality of life, so we are highly appreciative of this relationship with Gaia Herbs and their significant donation of Hemp extract. Hemp has been shown to help relieve stress, anxiety, and even aches and pains, so this donation will make a huge positive impact on the lives of many veterans.”

Gaia Herbs Hemp Full Spectrum Extract is made from organically grown American Hemp flowers, as they are the main source of cannabinoids compared to other parts of the Hemp plant. And unlike products with only isolated CBD, Gaia’s Hemp Full Spectrum Extract contains all of the beneficial cannabinoids from the Hemp plant in addition to the naturally occurring terpenes, flavonoids, fatty acids, and sterols, representing the whole plant as nature intended. Like all Gaia Herbs products, the Hemp extract is brought to life without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or genetically modified ingredients or seeds, delivering a vegan, dairy-, gluten-, and soy-free product, with complete transparency of ingredients at meetyourherbs.com, the world’s first herb traceability program.

Gaia Herbs also donated more than five kilograms of raw herbs to be used by Veterans Healing Farm’s naturopathic doctor in herbal remedies for the veterans, as well as in programs where the veterans learn how to make their own herbal tonics. Among the raw herbs donated were Astragalus root, Hops, Bacopa, Ashwagandha, Turmeric root, Nettle, Kava root, Holy Basil, Catnip, Goldenseal root, and Dandelion leaf.

“Veterans give so much in the service of our country, and many unfortunately experience negative impacts on both their physical and mental health upon their return to home and civilian life. When we became aware of the work being done by Veterans Healing Farm – from growing and donating fresh produce to veterans to providing access to a naturopathic physician and herbal counseling – we knew that we wanted to support this amazing organization,” said Alison Czeczuga, Gaia Herbs Director of Social Impact and Sustainability. “For over 30 years, Gaia Herbs has been connecting people, plants, and planet to create healing. We know the power of plants to nurture health and well-being and are excited that through this donation of our Hemp Full Spectrum Extract we can make it easier for local veterans to have access to this beneficial plant medicine, while at the same time using our business as a force for good.”

In addition to the local donation to Veterans Healing Farm, Gaia Herbs is also partnering with and donating to several additional organizations focused on veterans and healing through a connection to Nature. These organizations include Veterans to Farmers, which helps assist veterans in assimilating effectively, productively, and permanently into private citizenry through agricultural training and education, and F.A.R.M. (Farmers Assisting Returning Military), which works to reestablish meaning in the lives of veterans through agricultural therapeutic rehabilitation and training, helping veterans reintegrate into society as teachers, providers, nurturers, and leaders while empowering them to the lead the change in America’s distressed food system. Gaia Herbs donated 1,500 bottles of its Hemp Full Spectrum Extract to each of these organizations as well, bringing the total retail value of donated Hemp products to $559,000 so far this year.

This Hemp Full Spectrum Extract donation follows several contributions from Gaia Herbs through the company’s social impact program, Gaia Herbs Roots Initiative (Gaia Roots), which has a mission that includes expanding herbal access to underserved communities and supporting health and personal empowerment. In 2020 and 2021, Gaia Roots oversaw numerous impactful initiatives and donations to help spearhead positive change. Here are a few highlights:

  • 13,500 bottles of CDC-approved hand sanitizer were donated to students in the Henderson County School District.
  • More than 220 gallons and 1,500 individual 2 oz hand sanitizer spray bottles were donated to 17 different local organizations and community first responders.
  • Over 28,500 pounds of fresh vegetables and herbs were donated to area food banks, local organizations, and Gaia’s own employees, providing meals for approximately 20,000 local families.
  • In 2020, the Gaia Roots annual grants program selected four worthy organizations and awarded $5,000 grants to each for projects expanding herbal access to racial minorities and economically disadvantaged populations.
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