ARANSAS COUNTY, Tx — Doug Gresenz founded the Redford Ranch Foundation in 2022 to help veterans, first responders, and their families find healing through the outdoors. Named after his service dog, the Aransas Pass-based nonprofit offers mental health and wellness programs rooted in outdoor experiences.
The mission is personal.
Gresenz lost his best friend and fellow Marine, Christopher Harlan, to suicide in 2013.
"That was the first time I ever reached out for help," Gresenz said.
The loss forced him to confront his own struggles. Gresenz lives with a service-connected injury that resulted in the loss of his leg. But he says some of his toughest wounds were the ones people couldn't see. After being diagnosed with PTSD, he also faced serious mental health challenges.
"I wouldn't be sitting here or telling you this story," Gresenz said.
Gresenz says he eventually found healing through fishing, kayaking, and time outdoors — experiences that inspired the foundation's mission today.
"We could've held him on long enough to give him the help he needed," Gresenz said.
That message resonates with volunteers like Navy veteran Cesar De La Garza.
"You're like me. We're both vets, and we have that heartache. But it's better to talk with someone who understands it," De La Garza said.
As America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, Gresenz says his mission is simple: to make sure the men and women who spent their lives serving others never have to fight their hardest battles alone.
Gresenz says his vision is just getting started. He hopes to expand the organization's wellness programs and says he could use the community's support for funding to make that goal a reality.
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