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Serving Those Who Served: A Partnership Between AHERO and Taleecon Farmers Cooperative-Wetumpka

In the quiet fields of Alabama, something powerful is happening. Veterans and first responders gather to hunt and heal. At the heart of it all is AHERO, America’s Heroes Enjoying Recreation Outdoors, and a partnership with Taleecon Farmers Cooperative-Wetumpka that proves community stewardship is more than a value. It is a shared commitment to strengthen those who once stood in the gap for all of us.

AHERO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by retired U.S. Marine Corps Major Lee Stuckey. Since its founding, AHERO has served more than 12,000 veterans and first responders and has been directly instrumental in preventing over 500 suicides. What began as outdoor fellowship has grown into a structured, disciplined model rooted in four pillars: physical strength, financial discipline, emotional resilience and spiritual grounding.

“Our mission is simple,” Stuckey explained. “We believe in giving a hand up, not a handout. Every veteran and first responder who walks through our gates already has strength. Our role is to provide structure, resources, and encouragement so they can rediscover it.” 
 
AHERO Records, originally run by Mike Corrado and now directed by Jeff Silvey, provides a creative outlet where participants can transform trauma into testimony through music. But the mission extends far beyond creative expression. 
 
From the moment participants arrive, the reset begins. Whether it’s hunting or fishing, the goal is healing in an intentional and structured way.  There is limited cell phone use, and no alcohol or distractions. Each day begins with reflection and gratitude, followed by physical training, financial education on budgeting, smart investing and building sustainable financial habits as well as with one-on-one mentorship. 
 
“Our four pillars are comprehensive,” Stuckey said. “We focus on physical, financial, emotional and spiritual health because if one pillar is weak, the whole structure can start to collapse. The goal is self-sufficiency. If they take those habits forward and implement them daily, that’s what moves them ahead.” 

It’s hands-on, personal and it’s all volunteer. But Stuckey is the first to say he doesn’t do it alone. 

Taleecon Farmers Cooperative-Wetumpka has quietly become one of AHERO’s strongest supporters.  It provides free labor for land management, forestry work and preparing greenfields as well as offers supplies at reduced cost to make the retreats possible. 

“It’s very humbling being around these men and women, thinking of the sacrifices that they made. You think you had a rough day, but then you hear some of their stories and it changes your perspective,” said Timmy Richardson, manager of Taleecon Farmers Cooperative-Wetumpka.

“It’s very humbling being around these men and women, thinking of the sacrifices that they made. You think you had a rough day, but then you hear some of their stories and it changes your perspective,” said Timmy Richardson, manager of Taleecon Farmers Cooperative-Wetumpka. 

In one powerful example of partnership, when Stuckey was out of state, Richardson and his sons planted the greenfields themselves, so veterans would have prepared land when they arrived.   

Richardson doesn’t see his efforts as extraordinary, though. To him, it’s simply living out the Co-op’s mission to cultivate meaningful life on and off the farm. 

“They’re veterans who laid down their lives for us. The least we could do is to help them. We live in this country free to a certain extent, but that freedom is not free. It was paid for by the folks AHERO helps,” Richardson added.  

For AHERO, what the Co-op provides is more than agricultural tasks; it creates spaces where healing begins. The investment strengthens the group’s mission in tangible, measurable ways. 

“In life, we spend far more time in the valleys than on the peaks. The key to living successfully is choosing the right people to walk beside us through those valleys. And we are extremely blessed to walk through those valleys alongside partners like the Co-op and Timmy Richardson,” said Stuckey. 

AHERO operates entirely through volunteers and community support. Every dollar contributes directly to programming that restores hope and saves lives. 
 
Stuckey said, “Imagine if every person who walked into the Co-op gave just one dollar. The collective impact could support dozens more veterans and first responders each year. And for those who may not be in a position to give financially, raising awareness, sharing the mission and checking on someone who may be struggling is just as important. 
 
“You’re not just providing financial support,” Stuckey emphasized. “You are directly helping us save lives.” 

In the Alabama fields where veterans and first responders gather at dawn for reflection, where greenfields are planted by quiet hands on off days and where trauma is transformed into song, the connection between AHERO and Taleecon Farmers Cooperative-Wetumpka stands as proof that healing takes a village, and sometimes, a Co-op.