Love Begins with Acknowledgement
This is the foundation of our organization—the belief that the root of love lies in recognizing and honoring the existence, value, and worth of others and the Earth that sustains us.
In all relationships—romantic, familial, platonic, communal, or collaborative—genuine acknowledgment of another’s presence, feelings, lived experiences, and contributions lays the groundwork for deep connection and mutual respect.
This principle also extends to our environment, especially the Great Lakes Basin, whose waters connect and nourish our communities. Acknowledging the land and water as living entities worthy of protection is essential to our mission. We believe that love is incomplete without the acknowledgment of our responsibility to care for the natural world around us.
To love where you live means not only valuing the people in your community, but also defending the ecosystems that make life possible.
Healing Beings with Love
Love is a transformative force that brings healing and renewal to our lives and the world around us. It holds the power to initiate emotional, psychological, and even physical restoration—not just for individuals, but also for communities and ecosystems.
When people experience love—from within themselves, from others, or through connection to the Earth—it can offer comfort, support, and belonging. These are essential for healing from personal trauma, generational wounds, and collective harm.
We also believe that our planet—especially the Great Lakes region—requires this same healing love. The degradation of our environment mirrors the emotional disconnection and disregard we too often show each other. By extending love to the land and waters that sustain us, we begin the process of environmental restoration and community renewal.
Love fosters resilience. It encourages self-acceptance. And it inspires a sense of shared responsibility—to ourselves, to one another, and to the living world that makes our healing possible.
BRING THE LOVE!
The Bring the Love Initiative was created to support the mental health and resilience of volunteer firefighters. But trauma doesn’t stop with first responders. It runs through every part of our society—especially through the lives of those most often ignored, erased, or targeted. We are standing beside Black and Indigenous communities, trans and queer people, immigrants, women, and the working class—those who are being systematically attacked, silenced, and isolated in this moment of crisis. We believe trauma is not just an individual experience, but a collective wound that demands collective care.
In partnership with the UCF Restores Program at the University of Central Florida, guided by the research of Dr. Clint Bowers, Bring the Love brings evidence-based tools, immersive technology, and deep human compassion to those carrying the invisible injuries of PTSD, chronic stress, and unresolved trauma. Our goal isn’t just treatment—it’s transformation. We are here to restore lives, rebuild connection, and reignite the power trauma tried to silence.
The Bring the Love Initiative supports the creation of a more trauma-informed society across the Great Lakes Basin—one where mental health stigma is dismantled, and people are empowered to seek the help they deserve. One that refuses to normalize harm, ignore pain, or stay silent about the burdens people carry. We serve frontline responders and marginalized communities alike—offering real, human-centered support where it’s long been missing.
This is not charity.
This is reclamation.
Our volunteer firefighters throughout the Great Lakes Basin Region also struggle greatly with stress injuries that presents in a number of ways. Suicide rates with first responders are higher than the national average. Through this initiative, we provide resources and support to help our volunteers heal and cope with ongoing trauma as a result of their service.
Our Bring the Love Initiative is free to everyone at the community level. One hundred percent (100%) of profits from the sale of our Bring the Love drops in our Shop is donated back into our communities to support our program. We depend on you to help us offer this program.
Indigenous Voices: Indigenous Boarding School Survivors
We continue our powerful journey of truth, reconciliation and healing with survivors of the Indigenous boarding school The Holy Childhood School of Jesus in Harbor Springs. Through their courageous narratives, we confront the difficult truths of abuse, torment and the unsettling realities concealed in unmarked graves and beneath paved roads.
This initiative is not about seeking revenge or assigning blame. Instead, it serves as a platform to witness the resilience and strength of our Native brothers and sisters. For those of us who are descendants of white assimilation, we must pause and acknowledge the historical atrocities committed by our ancestors and bring about resolution.
This journey goes beyond notions of “white guilt” or superficial apologies. It’s about actively listening to and understanding the truths of our Native communities, striving to reconcile the past and actively participate in the healing of intergenerational trauma. It calls for a commitment to truth, understanding and empathy.
Through this initiative, we aim to amplify the voices of survivors through a documentary, podcasts and articles; sharing their truths and accompanying them on their healing journey toward a shared, unified future.
HEALING TAKES TIME, AND ASKING FOR HELP IS A COURAGEOUS STEP. LOVE AND SUPPORT FROM THOSE AROUND YOU CAN BE THE LIGHT THAT GUIDES YOU, REMINDING YOU THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN YOUR JOURNEY.
The Great Lakes Basin Initiative
We all struggle with adversity in life at varying degrees. How we deal with that adversity significantly impacts our mental health. Resilient coping mechanisms contribute to better mental well-being.
The Great Lakes Basin is more than geography—it’s the heartbeat of this region. These waters shape who we are. They feed our communities, carry our stories, and tie generations together through a shared relationship with land and lake.
More than 40 million people across the U.S. and Canada drink from these waters. The Basin supports wildlife, drives local economies, and inspires everything from art to activism. It is both a provider and a protector.
But this living system is under pressure. Industrial pollution, corporate extraction, and climate change are rewriting the future of the Lakes—and with it, our own.
Across the Basin, communities are pushing back. From Indigenous-led stewardship to grassroots cleanups, from global movements like Rights of Nature to local organizing efforts, people are reimagining what it means to defend the waters that defend us.
The idea at the center of it all is simple, yet radical: water is not just a “resource.” It is alive. It has rights. It deserves protection.
Here at PULSE of the Great Lakes, we tell the stories of that fight—the educators sparking new conversations, the protectors walking shorelines, the leaders carrying treaty obligations forward, and the neighbors who refuse to look away. These are the people reshaping our relationship with water and insisting on a different future.
Because this isn’t about charity or politics. It’s about responsibility. It’s about standing with the water that has always stood with us.
Postcard from a Friend
In a world where messages of self-doubt can sometimes drown out our inner strength and love, we believe in the power of encouraging affirmations to uplift spirits and foster resilience.
Our postcards are more than just pieces of paper; they are tokens of love, support and encouragement. Each postcard bears a carefully chosen statement designed to remind recipients of their worth, inner strength and inherent value as a human. These messages are printed on images of beautiful Michigan landcapes and locations.
Whether it’s a reminder that you are enough just as you are, a boost of confidence during a difficult journey, or a gentle nudge to believe in yourself, our postcards are crafted to inspire and empower.
With “Postcard from a Friend,” sending a message of love and encouragement is easier than ever. Our postcards come pre-printed with postage included, ready to be personalized with a heartfelt signature and sent off to a friend or loved one who may be facing challenges.
We understand that sometimes finding the right words can be difficult, so we’re here to lend a helping hand by providing beautifully designed postcards that speak volumes with just a few words.
But it doesn’t stop there. We’re not just about empowering individuals to send messages of support; we’re also committed to spreading love far and wide. Through our initiative we mail our postcards through our programs to those who may benefit from a boost of encouragement, whether they’re struggling with their mental health, facing adversity or simply in need of a reminder that they are valued and cherished.
Join us in our mission to spread love, kindness and empowerment one postcard at a time.
Together, we will make a difference in the lives of those who need it most and create a ripple effect of love that reaches every corner of the Great Lakes Basin Region and the world.
Donate to support this initiative. You can also purchase our postcards to mail on your own to your loved ones by visiting our Shop.