Newsletter

Al Belcher Named Executive Director New Horizons / Transitional Living Services Alan Belcher     Alan was born and raised in Woodstock, Illinois, where he attended Woodstock High School graduating in 1965. After high school, he attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, until volunteering for the draft during the Viet Nam war. He served in Vietnam in the army with the infantry in the First Cavalry Division from October 1967 through May, 1969.     He returned to Baylor University in Waco after his tour of duty and majored in Philosophy earning a Masters Degree in that field and then working as a caseworker at the Gatesville State School for Boys.     In 1978, Alan and his family relocated to Woodstock where he eventually went to work in the McHenry County Court Services as a caseworker/therapist for juvenile offenders. During the same period, Alan earned a Masters Degree from Northern Illinois University in Marriage and Family Therapy.     In 1988, Alan made the decision to open his own counseling practice, first in Crystal Lake, and later moving the office back to Woodstock. Since that time, he has maintained his own marriage and family therapy practice. He works extensively with combat veterans.     Even back in the days of working in the Court Services, Alan felt a strong need to help fellow veterans. He started out holding group therapy session for Vietnam Veterans. Later he helped found the local chapter of Viet Now and served as a director of that organization. He has been an active member of the VFW Post 5040, serving two terms as Commander of that Post.     He has served on the Illinois Attorney General’s Commission on Veterans and the Illinois Veteran Leadership Program.     He served as a committee member for the Agent Orange Forum at McHenry County and was the Master of Ceremony for that forum.     He has been keynote speaker at various service organizations and has provided training regarding working with veterans at Northern Illinois University and Elgin Community College.     He has helped organize and given keynote addresses at the dedications of Vietnam monuments throughout McHenry County.     He has helped organize Job Fairs for veterans.     He has helped organize and has served as the Master of Ceremonies for the Woodstock Memorial Day observance and has been chairman of Memorial Day committee for over 20 years.     He was called to Washington, D.C. in 2005 to testify at a Senate hearing regarding homeless veterans.     Throughout the last 30 years, Alan has continued providing counseling services for veterans and veterans’ families. He has also seen a need for providing more services for local veterans. He has served as the president of the Transitional Living Services since its inception in 1996 and has worked with that board vigorously for the last ten years to provide a transitional living facility for homeless veterans. This facility opened in 2001. Presently serving as Executive Director of TLS, he is presently working on the founding of transitional and supportive housing for traumatic brain injured/multiple amputee veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.     Alan continues to work endlessly and vigorously taking on any role to help those in the community, particularly the veterans’ community, who are in need.

10513 Illinois Route 47 Hebron, Illinois 60034 Phone: (815) 648-2203 Board of Directors Alan Belcher ~ Executive Director (Woodstock) Hank Enstrom ~ Vice President (Woodstock) David O'Brien ~ Treasurer (Harvard) Don Schellhaass ~ Secretary (Marengo) Louie Sharp (Island Lake) Jim Mertz (Algonquin) Pat Green (Carpentersville) Wayne Stone (Lake Barrington)