LARA Miami Valley

01/02/2026

As we enter 2026, we want to pause and reflect—not just on numbers, but on the people, the families, and the moments that shaped the past year.

In 2025, LARA Miami Valley took on approximately 14 cases where we were ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. In many of those cases, we ended up with boots on the ground. In a few, the missing were located before we ever had to deploy—and we’re grateful for every outcome where someone is found sooner.

That’s more than double the number of cases we took on in 2024, including those before LARA’s inception. One case in 2025 alone stretched over four months and hundreds of miles of grueling terrain, a reminder that this work doesn’t end when it gets difficult, exhausting, or emotionally heavy.

We saw three times as many cases through to completion in 2025 compared to 2024. Some of those closed cases ended in happy endings—something we never take for granted, and something that stays with us long after the search ends. And while not every case ended the way we hoped, each resolution still mattered. For many families, receiving answers—no matter how difficult—meant closure, and that, too, is an important part of this work.

In 2025, we had the privilege of working alongside six different search and rescue organizations from across the region, as well as multiple law enforcement agencies. These partnerships matter. They make us stronger, more capable, and better prepared to serve families in their worst moments. They also gave us the opportunity to build long-lasting friendships. Some notable groups we worked with include Cincinnati Search and Recovery -CSAR, The SAR Sheps, and Code 3 Search and Rescue . All three of these organizations are amazing. Please give them a like and a follow if you haven't already!

We were also honored to be given the opportunity to assist Chaos Divers in locating a missing individual from Delaware, Ohio, and in the recovery of his vehicle—witnessing firsthand the professionalism and technology, like sonar, that can bring answers where there were none. Please give them a like and a follow as well..."amazing" doesn't even come close to describing how great Jacob and Lindsay are.

What started as three people with a shared mission has grown into a core team of about a dozen dedicated members now. We’ve had K9 handlers, professional drone operators, and others step forward to offer their skills when they’re needed most. Our public community has grown beyond 1,000 members, and every single one of you plays a role in keeping this mission alive.

LARA Miami Valley is a grassroots effort to help change the world of search and rescue, and we are entirely self-funded. Every mile driven, every piece of equipment, and every training opportunity comes from the generosity of people who believe that everyone deserves to be searched for. If you’ve donated, shared our posts, or simply spoken our name—you’ve made this work possible.

➡️ If you’re able to support us, several donation options are listed on our website at https://laramiamivalley.org/, or you’re always welcome to reach out to us with other ideas for assistance.

Looking ahead to 2026, our goals are simple but important:
• Continue growing responsibly
• Increase fundraising so we can answer more calls
• Expand hands-on training
• Ensure all of our core team members are certified in critical skill areas
• Finalize our uniforms so when we arrive, we are immediately recognizable and ready to help

This work is hard. It’s emotional. It’s often thankless. But it matters and so do the people behind every search.

Thank you for standing with us in 2025. We carry every case with us and we’re committed to continuing this mission, together, in 2026.

Much love to all!

11/23/2025

As part of our commitment to grow and improve, some of our team members attended a Lost Person Behavior workshop this weekend. We had already begun to employ LPB techniques into our recent cases but this really allowed us to hone in on those skills and learn to more efficiently utilize them.

We are very grateful to Bill with ReadyUp Training Solutions for instructing this course and Taylor with The SAR Sheps for hosting it. We had a great time, thank you!

(and thanks to K9 Esmae for all the lovin's!)

11/14/2025

Can we ask you for a small favor? If you are seeing this post, can you share it? And if you haven't liked our page yet, can you do that real quick?

We put a lot of focus on our group, but really need to boost our page numbers as well so we can extend our reach. We sincerely appreciate it!

08/06/2025

Volunteers Needed!!!

To anyone wishing to regularly volunteer with us in in-person search efforts:

As you have noticed, our Facebook group is primarily used in sharing posts and raising awareness with the occasional announcements or requests for help. Due to the confidentiality of certain information, sensitivity of the information discussed, etc, we don't publicly discuss much about specific cases in the groups. Currently we have been using a private group chat for our core team members to hold discussions in real-time but it's extremely inefficient and disorganized so I have been in the process of setting up a Discord server.

This is still in the testing/tweaking phase, but once we have it dialed in, it is our hope to use Discord to work all of our future cases. This group is not going anywhere as it is our primary form of public presence, but it will continue to be used for the sharing of public information, raising awareness, announcements, etc , while our in-person related work will shift from private group chats on Facebook Messenger to the new Discord server.

If you would like to join our core team in participating in in-person searches, planning and mapping, etc, please visit the following link, read and fill out the form. We will review it and then contact you with further information and an invite link to the private Discord server.

Not to offend anyone, but if you have no desire to participate as one of our core team members, please don't apply as you will be removed from the Discord server if it becomes obvious you only applied to try and access inside information. We understand that jobs and families come first so don't worry if you can't deploy every time. That's not an automatic disqualifier, but please be serious about your willingness to assist us.

To apply, please visit the following link:
https://apply.laramiamivalley.org

If you have already been working with us, disregard this message. You will be sent an invite soon.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment here or shoot me a PM.

Thanks!

Thank you for applying to volunteer with Locate and Recovery Assistance (LARA Miami Valley), a 501(c)(3) search & rescue organization. As a volunteer, you will be participating in search and recovery efforts, which may involve various physical and emotional risks. Before participating, we require yo...

06/19/2025

MIAMI COUNTY, OH — In times of heartbreak, one local nonprofit is stepping up to

05/15/2025

We’d like to extend our sincere gratitude to Cincinnati Search and Recovery -CSAR for giving LARA Miami Valley the opportunity to assist on a challenging case today.

As a young and growing organization, we know there’s still much to learn—especially when it comes to working seamlessly alongside law enforcement and experienced SAR teams. CSAR took a chance on us, and for that, we are truly thankful.

Today was not only a chance to help—it was a valuable learning experience. We took a lot of notes, gained new insights, and will continue refining our approach so we can offer even more effective support in future operations.

Thank you again, CSAR, for your trust and collaboration. We’re honored to stand alongside you in this vital work.

03/18/2025

A Huge Thank You to Rumpke!

We are beyond grateful to Rumpke for their generous monetary donation to LARA Miami Valley! As the first business in our community to step forward and support our mission, their contribution truly means the world to us.

LARA Miami Valley is built on the dedication of volunteers and the kindness of those who believe in what we do. Donations like this allow us to continue assisting families in their search for missing loved ones.

Thank you, Rumpke, for investing in our cause and showing that community truly supports community!

02/18/2025

In 2023 alone, the Ohio Attorney General’s website reported 22,374 missing person cases, with 17,405 involving children. That’s an average of 48 children reported missing each day in Ohio. Thankfully, by the end of 2023, 98% of those children were reunited with their families. However, five were found deceased, and many remain unaccounted for. The statistics for missing adults being found alive and safe are even more bleak. Perhaps the most alarming reality is that these numbers are rising, not falling, despite growing awareness of the issue.

The harsh truth is that when foul play isn’t suspected, and circumstances suggest the missing person has run away or is deceased, law enforcement agencies are often limited in the time and resources they can dedicate to locating them. Once their initial search resources are exhausted, active efforts are paused, leaving authorities to rely on new leads while prioritizing other pressing cases. This often leaves families facing the daunting reality that if their loved one is out there, it may be up to chance—or civilian efforts—to bring them home.

When remains are eventually discovered, it is often loved ones, neighbors, or even children playing outdoors who make the discovery—individuals who should never have to experience such trauma. Speaking from personal experience, that is an image they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

That is where our organization steps in. Locate and Recovery Assistance dba LARA Miami Valley is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2024, dedicated to assisting with the search and recovery of missing persons in Ohio’s Miami Valley region and surrounding areas. We support searches where we can strategically identify likely locations for missing individuals, whether they are suspected to be alive or deceased, regardless of age or circumstances.

For instance, when a child with autism wanders away from home, we quickly deploy to canvass the area, focusing on nearby bodies of water since children with autism are often drawn to them. We’ve also collaborated with local law enforcement in homicide cases where suspects were in custody, but the victim’s body had yet to be recovered.

One of our more recent cases involved aiding law enforcement in locating a missing teenage boy with behavioral challenges and violent outbursts. After breaking into an elderly woman’s home to steal her phone while running away, he later returned to her residence to avoid capture. He was eventually found hiding inside the occupied dwelling—unbeknownst to the elderly homeowner. The situation could have ended in tragedy, but swift action ensured a safe outcome for all involved.

We are also currently working on a cold case where law enforcement has acknowledged their initial search efforts were inadequate due to staffing and other issues, leaving many potential leads unexplored. After nearly five years, we are searching for a body exposed to the elements, hoping to provide a grieving family with the answers they so desperately deserve. While success is never guaranteed, we dedicate our full effort to every case, ruling out possibilities and often generating new leads for law enforcement to pursue.

Our work is only possible with the support of people like you. As a 100% volunteer-driven organization, we never charge for our services. Our team receives no salary or compensation of any kind and relies almost exclusively on donations and volunteers from the communities we serve.

We recognize that as a new organization, you may be skeptical about our motives and services. We completely understand and hope you’ll follow our journey as we continue to grow and serve our communities. So far, we’ve tackled significant cases relying only on the time and efforts of our small founding team, and we will continue to do so. However, with your help, we can expand our reach and make an even greater impact.

While we may not always reach out to our group for search assistance, our Facebook group is the backbone of everything we do. We rely heavily on post shares to help spread the word as quickly and efficiently as possible.

You might wonder why we dedicate ourselves to this cause. The simple answer might be, “We’re all a little crazy,” but the deeper truth lies in our calling. Before formalizing our organization, we were involved in a heart-wrenching search for a missing girl. Emergency services had exhausted their resources and moved on. We stepped up, creating a Facebook group that quickly gained thousands of members eager to help. We moderated posts around the clock, followed leads, mapped locations, brainstormed theories, organized community searches, and scoured the area in small teams—all while balancing jobs and family responsibilities. After her body was found and she was laid to rest, we realized this work was our purpose.

Since then, we’ve assisted in numerous searches, and last year, we took a leap of faith, transforming our efforts into a formal nonprofit organization.

If you’d like to help us continue growing, please:
✅ Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/laramiamivalley
✅ Like our page: https://www.facebook.com/laramiamivalley
✅ Learn more about us on our website: https://www.laramiamivalley.org

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] —we’d be happy to answer them.

Thank you!