A house in the woods for families who serve

House in the Woods is a nonprofit organization offering outdoor programs to bring together small groups of active military, veterans, and their family members to relax, share, bond, and deal with the stress, loss, grief, and other emotions which can haunt the grieving soul.

The organization offers canoeing, kayaking, hiking, hunting, fishing, nature tours, campfires, swimming, wildlife identification and spotting, and other natural Eastern Maine resource "treasures" God has given our beautiful state to enjoy. As participants face the outdoor challenges presented by Mother Nature herself, they have the opportunity to share laughter, memories, sorrow, service, and pride, among many other common bonds.

Born from a family's loss

Paul and Dee House founded House in the Woods after their son, Sgt. Joel A. House, was killed by a roadside bomb while serving in the Army in Iraq. Their vision for House in the Woods began shortly after attending the military memorial service at Fort Hood, Texas, for Joel and 19 other soldiers from his army base who died the same month as their son.

It was both emotionally overwhelming and comforting to be around so many families who were experiencing the same grief and loss.

From that experience, they dreamed of creating a program using Maine's outdoor resources that would help military families support one another.

Rooted in the Maine woods

Paul is a life-long Maine woodsman and Maine Master Guide. Dee is a former Navy "brat" who grew up in military housing and schools during the Vietnam War era. Together, they bring both a deep knowledge of the outdoors and a firsthand understanding of military family life to every group they welcome.