Morris County, Park Commission partner with Veterans Valor to create Healing Garden for veterans
MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Morris County) — The Morris County Park Commission and the Morris County Board of County Commissioners have partnered with Veterans Valor of New Jersey to establish The Healing Garden of Morris, a new public space at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum dedicated to honoring veterans and supporting their families.
The formal signing ceremony, held this week at the arboretum, marked the official launch of a project more than two years in the making. The agreement was signed by Park Commission Executive Director Dave Helmer, Park Commission President Stuart Lasser, and Veterans Valor Chairman Charlie Iuliano.
“The County Commissioners are proud to work with the Park Commission and Veterans Valor to create a space that not only honors the service and sacrifice of our veterans, but also provides a place for them to help cope with some of the challenges they face when they return home,” said Commissioner Douglas Cabana, liaison to the Park Commission. “Many months of planning led to today’s signing, and we’ll finally be able to break ground on this important project next month.”
The Healing Garden will serve as a space for peace, reflection, and renewal, designed to connect veterans and the broader community through art, horticulture, and wellness programs. The project’s core initiative, Disarm PTSD, aims to help veterans transform their experiences with service-related trauma into sources of strength and purpose.
“The Healing Garden will be a living testament to resilience and service, and we are proud to have the support of the Park Commission and Morris County to turn this vision into a reality,” said Will Draper, executive director of Veterans Valor. “Every veteran’s journey is unique, but many share common experiences as they transition from the battlefield to their homes. The project seeks to honor this journey through storytelling and support within seven dedicated areas of the Healing Garden.”
Those seven themed areas — Point of Sacrifice, Medevac, Triage, Homeward, Recovery, Fallen, and New Life — will each represent stages of a veteran’s journey from service to healing.
During the ceremony, several veterans, including Aaron Oliver, a 21-year U.S. Army veteran; Rob Hughes, a retired U.S. Navy captain; and Peter Danchise, a Vietnam veteran and artist, shared personal reflections on PTSD, reintegration, and the importance of community spaces like the Healing Garden.
“The signing of this partnership agreement feels like kismet,” said Helmer. “The first director of the Park Commission, Russell Myers, was president of the Rotary Club of Morristown in 1966. During that year, the Park Commission and Rotary Club were two of the founding organizations of the Friends of Patriots’ Path. Today, we’ll soon have the Healing Garden to reflect on the sacrifices of our true national treasure: veterans and their families.”
Among those attending the ceremony were Morris County Commissioner Deputy Director Stephen Shaw, representatives from the Rotary Club of Morristown, American Legion Post 59, District 10 VFW, County College of Morris, Morris Arts, and the Morris County Chamber of Commerce, along with Sen. Anthony Bucco and Assemblywoman Aura Dunn.
Following the signing, guests toured the site where construction will begin next month.
Morris County continues to expand services for veterans, including the 2024 opening of an expanded Veterans Services Office in Morris Township and a partnership with the County College of Morris to provide on-campus access to a Veterans Services Officer twice a month.
Veterans Valor, also known as The Healing Gardens of Morris, Inc., is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring and supporting New Jersey veterans and their families through programs focused on healing, awareness, and connection.
For more information or to support the project, visit VeteransValorofNJ.org.
