🌈 Pride, Belonging & Healing Outdoors | June 2026 Newsletter
We Hike to Heal, Inc JUNE 2026 Newsletter CATCH THE CHALLENGE SUPPORT OUR NONPROFIT GROUP HIKE CALENDAR JOIN THE WH2H BOARD JUNE 2026 June is here — but where are you, Reader? What physical state are you in?What mental state are you in? Personally, I am sweating as I sit here writing this newsletter to you all in my pajamas at 10:37 pm or so. Tomorrow morning, I’m looking forward to some outdoor trail time with my dad — his 79-year-old self cruising along on his electric bike while I jog,...
What physical state are you in? What mental state are you in?
Personally, I am sweating as I sit here writing this newsletter to you all in my pajamas at 10:37 pm or so. Tomorrow morning, I’m looking forward to some outdoor trail time with my dad — his 79-year-old self cruising along on his electric bike while I jog, heavy-footed and panting, beside him under some lovely trees.
My need to be outside touching the earth cannot be denied after spending three days in a big, bustling city this weekend. Add to that, the mess of my house (two overflowing laundry baskets, dust bunnies playing tag under every piece of furniture, unidentified boogery objects lining every sink), a kid who skipped school today due to issues with a teacher and decided to “be a sweetheart” by baking all day (read: even more kitchen mess), and my dog tearing up my newly planted flowerbed this afternoon — along with three full bags of fresh mulch and one of woodchips.
By 7 PM, I cracked.
I stood in my splattered kitchen trying to cook a dinner I did not want to cook and just burst into tears.
The overwhelm. The mom guilt at resenting a child being home on a school day. The frustration over flowers I already felt guilty buying because they were a “want,” not a “need,” while money is tight. Being late to the bus stop while my oldest child stood sweating in the sweltering heat after a long day battling middle school. The constant feeling of drowning and falling behind at everything.
And all of this arriving just weeks after that gilded Mother’s Day holiday came and went far too quickly.
Sunshine and rainbows can disappear into the darkest corners of the soul much faster than we expect.
And I’m not entirely sure where I’m going with all of this, other than to say: I hope you are doing okay.
I hope you are getting by. I hope you are facing the heat, the messes, the guilt, and the feeling of not-enoughness with community around you. And I hope you have a friend — or someone willing to join you out in nature tomorrow morning.
Not necessarily to “get away,” because most of us never truly can (nor would we want to), but simply to experience that pregnant pause. That chance to refill your soul and gently place the rose-colored glasses back onto your sweaty, stressed nose after they slip off every once in a while.
I want you to know that I am thinking of you.
And I am deeply grateful for the people at We Hike to Heal who continually show up for me and have my back.
I hope you have people like that in your life too.
And if those people feel few and far between these days, please know you can always reach out to me(deva@wehiketoheal.org) or to one of your local WH2H Ambassadors. We would love to help you step outside, reconnect with nature, and find your own healing pause.
Let the kitchen, the dog, the kids, the busy-ness of the world go, and get outside with us this month! (Photo by: GA Ambassador Pam)
🏳️🌈 And if you’re an LGBTQ+ friend, as it is Pride Month, well, we all know that research shows you’re experiencing disproportionately higher rates of anxiety, depression, isolation, and burnout.
So I’m going to double-down on my invitation for you to join a We Hike to Heal event near you in the coming weeks, as we continue to intentionally work to create:
trauma-informed spaces
community-centered leadership
inclusive outdoor experiences
and environments where people feel seen, respected, and supported
Healing cannot happen fully where belonging is absent.
And belonging is something we actively build together — one hike, one conversation, and one shared trail at a time.
🥾May Challenge
Our Community Impact & Gratitude
What an incredible month!
Throughout May, our community stepped outside together in support of mental health, mindfulness, movement, and collective healing.
We especially want to celebrate:
Every participant who joined the Challenge …you did it! 🎉
Every donor who supported this fundraiser …thank you! 🙏🏾
Every Hike Lead who courageously gathered others in nature, especially our friends from the 52 Hike Challenge community who hosted numerous hikes across the US throughout the month. …Wow, just WOW! 🥇
💚 Your participation matters more than you know.
Ambassador Melissa gathering her community in the magical South Carolina woods.
Together, this community spent countless hours outdoors this past May reconnecting with:
nature
self
breath
movement
and one another
And while the official Challenge month has ended, registration remains open for another week.
✨ You can still sign up and receive immediate access to all 4 weeks of Challenge content, including guided reflections, journaling prompts, and audio meditations.
Because, ultimately, this Challenge was created not only as a fundraiser for We Hike to Heal — but as something that genuinely does the soul good.
As We Hike to Heal continues to expand, we need passionate leaders to help guide our mission. If you believe in creating safe and inclusive outdoor spaces, we encourage you to apply to join our Board of Directors. Your voice, expertise, and passion can make a lasting impact.
To every participant, donor, ambassador, hike lead, volunteer, and supporter:
Thank you.
Thank you for reminding people — including me — that we are not meant to carry life alone.
Thank you for creating spaces where someone can show up overwhelmed, exhausted, grieving, anxious, sweaty, overstimulated, heartbroken, hopeful, messy, healing, or simply trying their best… and still be welcomed exactly as they are.
Thank you for proving that healing does not always happen in grand moments.
Sometimes it happens:
on a dusty trail,
beside a stranger who becomes a friend,
under trees with someone you love,
during a deep breath after a hard day,
or in that small but sacred pause where the nervous system finally softens.
Thank you for helping us build a community where belonging is not seasonal, perfection is not required, and nature remains a place we can return to again and again when life feels too heavy to carry alone.
And if this season has felt especially heavy for you lately, we hope you know there is still a place for you here.
With gratitude,
Deva Jebb-Albaba
Interim Executive Director / Program & Development Director
P.S. Let the dust bunnies parade on for another day and get outside or reach out to me if you need some connection time: deva@wehiketoheal.org
My dad and I on our last trek the other week up a hill, with great views of the Mediterranean.
