Welcome
Dear Friends of the National Center for Healthy Veterans (NCHV) at Valor Farm,
No doubt you have had to PERSEVERE through a weather challenged January. We certainly have – snow, ice, mud, frozen water lines – and yet, as the U.S. Postal Service would say,” the mail must go through.” So it is with NCHV at Valor Farm – despite the winter challenges, our programs have not missed a beat – our Patriots continue to grow, work on therapeutic and meaningful tasks, and do life together with fellow Patriots and our experienced staff. Our construction team has also persevered through the same elements to make Village 2 (12 homes) ready for Patriot occupants to move in next week, progress on Community Center 2 (now named “Spurrier Community Center”) to within 3 weeks of completion, and make final preparations for a March Groundbreaking for the new Valor Farm Barn and Remote Stables. Despite the conditions, this has been a pretty amazing month! We are grateful to God and each of you.
Speaking of PERSEVERANCE, our NCHV team has recently been challenged by a key verse of Scripture in Hebrews 12:1 (NIV):
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with PERSEVERANCE the race marked out for us.”
Whether each of us are facing daunting life challenges or pursuing a high noble calling such as helping our nation’s Veterans, we all need this thing called PERSEVERANCE. May it be so!
This newsletter will highlight many who are “running the race” at NCHV. This month’s Meet the Team introduces a new Peer Mentor who is an excellent role model for our Patriots. Diving Deeper highlights the Healthy Veteran Market and its USMC Patriot Graduate Zac Farrell who was recently recognized as the “Best Market by Business Rate.” Plays of the Day and In The Media sections convey the many program, life, and infrastructure changes which occur on a daily basis at NCHV. As always, we acknowledge that Prayer is God’s artillery to change us and to turn obstacles into opportunities for growth and contribution.
We also pray that God will grant many of you “the joy of generous giving” as you assist NCHV in this coming year. May you help us drive toward greater excellence in 2026, achieving closure on existing infrastructure projects (such as “Raising A Barn” to complete the restoration of our equine operations) while maintaining program excellence to change Veteran lives.
We are extremely thankful for your encouragement, volunteerism, gifts-in-kind, financial donations, referrals of Veterans in need, and your prayers. Together we are “Returning Healthy Veterans to America.”
Blessings and gratitude to each of you,
Robert F. Dees
Major General, U.S. Army, Retired
President and CEO, National Center for Healthy Veterans
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
Moose Lodge Convention – NCHV participated in the annual Moose Lodge Convention in Hampton, where Bob shared the mission and work of the National Center for Healthy Veterans, and Patriot graduate Jimmy shared part of his personal journey. The Moose Lodges have been loyal supporters of NCHV, and we are deeply grateful for the opportunity to connect with them and share our mission each year.
Behind the Scenes – When a water leak surfaced in Village One this month, our team jumped in together to track down the source and make repairs. It was a behind-the-scenes moment that required problem-solving, coordination, and a lot of hands-on work, ensuring the homes remained safe and functional for the Veterans who live there.
Weather – This month’s weather brought challenging conditions across the region, but life at Valor Farm continued without pause. While many roads were closed and schedules disrupted, our staff and Veterans still showed up each day to care for the animals, support one another, maintain the property, and make roads safe. It is a behind-the-scenes reminder that the work of healing and responsibility continues every day, regardless of conditions.
Serving Beyond Valor Farm – This month, our Patriots and staff partnered together to support members of the local community who needed firewood but did not have access to it. Veterans cut, split, and delivered the wood, providing warmth and practical help during a challenging season. These give-back days are especially meaningful for our Patriots, offering opportunities to serve others, build compassion, strengthen self-esteem, and experience the dignity that comes from contributing to something beyond themselves.
Meet The Team
Sean Smith – Peer Mentor
My name is Sean Smith, and I serve as a Peer Mentor at the National Center for Healthy Veterans. What I bring to this role comes from lived experience, not just something I learned along the way.
I grew up surrounded by addiction, instability, and loss. From a very young age, I was exposed to trauma that shaped my choices for years to come. As I got older, that pain turned into addiction. For much of my life, I cycled through substance abuse, homelessness, incarceration, and broken relationships. By my mid-twenties, I had reached a point where I didn’t believe real change was possible for me.
After years of running, I was given the opportunity to enter a long-term, faith-based recovery program. That experience was the first time I truly felt stability, accountability, and community. It was there that I began addressing the deeper roots of my addiction, rebuilding my relationship with God, and learning what it meant to belong to something healthy.
That journey eventually led me to the National Center for Healthy Veterans at Valor Farm. What started as a step toward recovery turned into a calling to serve. Today, I have the privilege of walking alongside Veterans who are facing many of the same struggles I once did. I understand how hard it is to ask for help, to trust people again, and to believe that life can look different. One of my greatest joys is seeing our Patriots lean into the program, trust the process, and change before our very eyes. Now that’s priceless!
As a Peer Mentor, my role is to support, encourage, and hold Veterans accountable as they move through the recovery process. I don’t just see them as participants in a program. I see them as brothers who deserve healing, purpose, and a future. Veterans don’t just come to Valor Farm for recovery. They come to find a family, and I’m grateful to be part of creating that environment every day.
Being part of the NCHV team has given me the opportunity to turn my past into something meaningful. It’s an honor to serve alongside this staff and to support Veterans as they rebuild their lives.
Diving Deeper
Healthy Veterans Market – Zac Farrell
My name is Zac Farrell, and I serve as the Market Manager for the Healthy Veterans Market. I am a Marine Corps veteran, one of the first Patriot graduates of the National Center for Healthy Veterans, and someone who genuinely enjoys connecting with people. It is an honor to continue serving alongside this mission in a role that brings Veterans, farmers, and the community together.
In 2025, the Healthy Veterans Market was recognized as Best Market by Business Rate, based on Google Reviews. That recognition reflects the incredible support of our customers and community. Every person who has chosen to purchase products grown and produced at Valor Farm, and who has taken the time to leave a review, has helped make that possible. This award belongs as much to our supporters as it does to our team.
The market continues to grow, and we are excited about what lies ahead. Through support from a Virginia Tobacco Commission grant, we are preparing to expand and improve the market experience. Planned upgrades include expanded cold storage, a new pavilion space, and general improvements that will allow us to better serve our customers and producers. Our long-term vision is to develop the Healthy Veterans Market into a local food hub. This will create a place where not only Valor Farm, but also surrounding local farms, can sell their goods, strengthening the farm-to-table connection and supporting regional agriculture.
We have also expanded our reach by participating weekly in the Downtown Community Market on Main Street in Lynchburg. This has allowed us to connect with a broader audience, collaborate with other small business owners, and share the mission of Valor Farm and the National Center for Healthy Veterans throughout the region.
2025 was a year of strong progress and growth. Looking ahead, 2026 will bring even more opportunity as we continue building a place where people feel welcome, confident in the quality of the food they purchase, and connected to where it comes from. Through the market, we are proud to support Veterans, local farmers, and the mission of Returning Healthy Veterans to America.
Patriot Graduate Chris
Charlie Wilson Brick Campaign
Patriot Graduate Jimmy – Moose Lodge Convention (Testimony he gave to the entire Virginia Moose Lodge conference (300 people +)
Calendar
- Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. Scheduled Tourscontact@healthyveterans.org if interested.
- First Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. Community Campfire at Valor Farm
Come join us for fellowship!
February & March 2026:
- NCHV at Moose Lodge Convention – February 6-7th
- NCHV Patriot Graduation – Feb 18th
- Volunteer Saturday – Feb 21st
- Ranch Horse Show Series – Feb 28th, March 8th, March 28th
- NCHV @ Perot Headquarters Dallas Ambassador Luncheon – March 11th
- NCHV @ Road to the Horse – March 19-22nd
April 2026:
- Volunteer Appreciation Dinner – April 18th, 2026. Details to come
Prayer Points
- Pray for leadership in Washington D.C., and for national security at home and abroad.
- We give thanks for the visible and invisible signs of healing and restoration in the lives of our Veterans. May these transformations continue to blossom, a testament to Your love and the dedication of those who serve them. Amen.
- 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”.
- 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.
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!
