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We Make Dog Leashes, but We are Not a Leashmaking Organization
What you see is a leash, but Co-Op Survival is so much more than a leash.
Our leashes are gifts for Veterans, service dogs, & first responders, but they are also gifts to us—the leashmakers! Making the leash is an excuse to gather, to laugh, to cry, and to support one another.
So… who are the leashmakers? Primarily, we are military-caregiving families, but we will let anyone tie knots with us.
“What is a military caregiver”, you say? Think of us as service humans. Like a service dog, we help our Veterans live their best life. When a servicemember becomes wounded, ill, or injured, hopefully, someone steps in to help. That person might be a spouse, a parent, a sibling, a partner, a child, or anyone who supports and cares for a servicemember during the hours that they are not being cared for by medical professionals. The servicemember, the caregiver, and whoever else lives in the home become a caregiving family. During the transition to a caregiving family, everyone adjusts from what-was to what-is. Lives begin to revolve around wounds, illnesses, and injuries. Too often, friendships are lost, goals change, careers are lost, and dreams can be forgotten—for everyone in the family.
Caregiving is isolating, but the leash brings us together—it is the thing we learn to make together, laugh about when we fail, and praise each other when we are finished. When we have no words, we tie one-knot-at-a-time and listen.