Send Me Outdoors

08/17/2026

For those in our community that have been so fortunate to experience the work that Common Ground 501(3)c does, you won't want to miss this session coming up serving military, veterans and first responders.

Thank you to Common Ground for the great work they continue to do!

🇺🇸🐴 ANNOUNCING OUR FALL 2026 OPERATION HORSEPOWER PROGRAM!

See what our latest group had to say about this experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_jLlugxm20&t=10s

Common Ground is now accepting participants for our next six-week Operation HorsePower program, created for military members, veterans, and first responders.
Through trauma-informed, hands-on experiences with our horses, participants will have the opportunity to:
❤️ Heal through equine-assisted trauma recovery
🌱 Build confidence, resilience, and trust
🤝 Connect within a supportive small-group environment
⭐ Develop skills that promote post-traumatic growth and long-term resilience
📅 Six consecutive Wednesdays
October 14–November 18, 2026
⏰ 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 Common Ground Inc.
6250 Detrick Road
Mount Airy, MD 21771
Space is limited. To learn more or register, contact Elizabeth:
📞 301-639-5052
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.commongroundps.org
Please share this announcement so we can reach the military members, veterans, and first responders in our community who may benefit from this life-changing experience.

04/22/2026

John Snow - a man of many names and talents, a humble servant leader, and a champion of causes.

Before we met John, he had already lived more life than most people ever achieve. After a stint in the Navy, he spent a career as a Doc to our country’s elite forces (these stories are better to hear from him than to post here). After retirement from federal service, he went on to become a Deputy Sheriff, a cigar aficionado, and a Master Woodworker.

We met John when he volunteered to assist in our first charity class at Marc Adams School of Woodworking. He immediately fit in with our group and volunteered to help where he could. We hear this on occasion, but John really meant it and began stepping up in a big way.

For the last three years John has served as SMO’s ambassador to MASW, where he has excelled in building our relationship not just with the school, but with the student body as well. His efforts have been one of the most impactful to our community, allowing for dozens of students to begin and continue their woodworking journey, while raising funds that also support our other programs.

It’s time to give John a new title. While at Tough Ruck this last weekend, John graciously accepted our invitation to join the Board of Directors. His motivation, tenacity, consideration, and empathy will continue to help our community in the coming years, and we are deeply honored to have him as a leader on our team.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we present John SMO.

04/03/2026

Happy Friday, SMO community!

As we move into spring, our volunteers and supporters have a busy season ahead. A few things on the agenda:

Our ninth Boston Marathon Tough Ruck is just two weeks out. We will be honoring our fallen while rucking 26.2 miles carrying their names. The team is crushing prep and training, and we are looking forward to one of our best showings yet.

Some of our members are currently at Marc Adams School of Woodworking (MASW), helping others, learning new skills, and advocating for SMO. They are doing great work there, and we cannot wait to attend the MASW/SMO charity event in September. Let us know if you would like to be considered for a slot.

2026 Service Project: We are in the planning phases of our primary project, with the goal of providing needed home restoration to a deserving veteran, LEO, or first responder family. We will need significant support, so if you want to get involved at the ground level, this is a great opportunity.

Fishing outings: These are flexible but always a hit. Let us know if you want to join one or help support.

Golf outing: We know many of you are waiting to sign up, and we are committed to giving you a great experience while supporting the organization. Due to rising costs, we are exploring course options and will have details shortly. We have a tentative date of October 8 and will share more as soon as everything is finalized.

If you have questions, ideas, or want to get involved, please reach out. We are always looking for committed supporters and leaders to help us serve our community. And to those putting in the work, we appreciate you.

With my respect and appreciation,
Ben W.
Executive Director