Welcome
Welcome to our first edition of the “HEALTHY VETERAN HIGHLIGHTS“!
Have you ever thought, “Where would we be without our Veterans?” What if on June 6, 1944 (the Normandy invasion to free Europe in WWII), those brave Americans had said “It’s too wet, too windy – we’ll go tomorrow.” Gratefully we don’t have to ask these questions, our Veterans have always been there for us, for America. They were there at Valley Forge, and at every other American battlefield around the globe where they defended American freedoms, protected vulnerable peoples and nations, and guaranteed security and success for future generations of Americans. As we have recently observed the 4th of July Celebration in America, we are all reminded that we ARE “The Land of the Free, and The Home of the Brave” BECAUSE of our brave and selfless Veterans. By extension, we also bestow the same reverence and respect for Veterans to active-duty military personnel, first responders, and the families who support all of these uniformed servants at home and abroad.
It is a moral and a practical imperative to help every American Veteran achieve their full God-given potential, personally and professionally. Regrettably, you are no doubt familiar with Veteran’s suicide statistics, their mental and behavioral health challenges, their frequent difficulties in working through trauma they have suffered on our behalf, and the transition hurdles they all face. Such daunting Veteran issues should not be happening in America. In short, we need a holistic, private sector integration of best practices to bring help, hope, and healing to our nation’s Military, Veterans, First Responders, and their Families.
The National Center for Healthy Veterans provides such an intentional healing environment to strategically “Reshape Veteran’s Care in America” for the many, and to tactically “Return Healthy Veterans to America”, one by one. In addition to the information in this Healthy Veterans Highlights, you can also go to our website and social media postings to better appreciate our NCHV distinctives:
- natural healing environment at Valor Farm,
- community living which defeats isolation,
- many different forms of dignified work which provide purpose and training,
- faith-based trauma recovery and life skills programs which provide long-lasting remedies, and
- career training and preparation which ensures long-term professional success.
With amazing community and national support, we have rapidly been building infrastructure and capacity for serving veterans, looking forward to our first cohort of “Patriots” who will live in our newly constructed tiny homes in a few short months. As importantly, we have witnessed God’s Hand of help, hope, and healing in the lives of Vetera
ns, their families, and others in the community from the very inception of the NCHV. I know this will become apparent as you dive into the rest of this letter, or as you visit Valor Farm in person. Since the NCHV was instituted on Veterans Day 2021, the momentum has been breathtaking.
May God Bless You, and May God Help us all “Return Healthy Veterans to America”.
Robert F. Dees
Major General, U.S. Army, Retired
NCHV President & CEO
Table of Contents
YOUR encouragement and generosity
have made these amazing things happen at Valor Farm. We certainly welcome and need your further support on behalf of Returning Healthy Veterans to America!
Join our Healthy Veterans Community!
Plays of the Day
- LIFE TRANSFORMATION: While being careful of personal privacy, it is clear that God is working mightily in a number of people’s lives, far exceeding our expectations regarding life impact in Veterans and their families. Evidences of God’s grace in our midst include wrapping arms around a female veteran with serious cancer, providing a home for a homeless veteran, rescuing a national guard soldier from the brink of suicide, being instrumental in the unification of a Vietnam Veteran’s family, and many more examples!
- VOLUNTEERISM: We’ve had over 7,000 volunteer hours graciously donated over the last 9 months! William Hamm, a local U.S. Air Force Veteran and NCHV Valor Farm Volunteer, has this to say regarding his experience: “As a volunteer at Valor Farm, I am honored to help build a place that offers a faith-based approach to the support of our veterans’ resilience. I am privileged to work alongside others who give their time and energy with enthusiasm; to build bonds while building infrastructure; to be a part of the beginning stages of something greater than ourselves, and to see the hope that is before us as we strive towards a meaningful and achievable vision.”
- IN-KIND DONATIONS: We have had approximately $1 million in gifts-in-kind within the last 9 months, an incredible gift of generosity and support! Ranging from time, expertise, and resources for the first four Tiny Home sites by Lloyd Concrete and Chandler Concrete, the NCHV Front Gate, gifts of tower tools and jackets by Operation Tiny Home and Milwaukee Tool, a nanny cow with calves, Caterpillar bulldozer, livable horse trailer, and many more, we are so grateful!
- COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Thanks to the Military Order Of The Purple Heart Lynchburg Chapter #1607 and Dan Ebersole and family at Gates Flag, Valor Farm’s 30ft flag and flag pole now stand tall on-site.
- FARM ITEMS: Recently, 600 egg-laying chickens were donated to the NCHV by a generous farmer from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and are now housed on-site in a high-tech chicken coop. Additionally, squash, cucumber, tomato, and zucchini abound!
- CONSTRUCTION ITEMS: The first FOUR tiny homes were painted and roofs were completed! The second round of tiny home (four more) foundations have been poured and a generous donor is resourcing our Village #1 Community Center!
Meet The Team
Diving Deeper
Research is a critical element of the NCHV. We recognize that an intensive assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of our Veterans will lead to more effective treatment and outcomes. We recognize that empirical excellence on our part will lead to national benefit for others to seek to apply best practices.
NCHV Research Director
In The Media
Check out recent media covering the National Center for Healthy Veterans:
Prayer Points
- Pray that God would steady the hand of the 22 Veterans a day that are considering ending their lives.
- Pray that the work of the National Center for Healthy Veterans would rapidly advance to provide help, hope, and healing for our nation’s Veterans and their families.
- Join us in praising God for the beauty of His Creation — horses, rivers, cattle, valleys, chickens, the fruit of the land, the beauty of the fields, the wonder of His Creation.
- Without mentioning specifics, pray for the many Veterans and their families in our midst who have financial issues, health crises, relational dysfunction, and suffer from mental and emotional challenges. May God bring wellness to Veterans throughout the land. May we together, “Return Healthy Veterans to America”.
