Welcome
Dear Friends of the National Center for Healthy Veterans at Valor Farm,
With the passing of Labor Day comes the departure of hot summer days and activities, overtaken by an increasingly cool Fall which signals change in the air. This TRANSITION to another season is symbolic of the many other transitions in life. The National Center for Healthy Veterans (NCHV) understands this process of change well, encountering it frequently as we help Veterans heal and grow. Some transitions require true grit and resilience to endure while others open new windows of opportunity. The ability to navigate transition and change is a critical life skill for the Veterans we serve and train at NCHV.
There are many Bible excerpts which address transition. Consider Isaiah 43:19 as an example of the positive change and transition (albeit uncertain) that God brings into our lives:
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
In a very real way, this is the exciting moment of uncertainty and change we face at Valor Farm today, requiring wisdom to navigate the many new opportunities and expanded operations on our future path. We rejoice that God truly is doing a new thing in our midst and know that He will make a way. We have certainly seen this in our recent transition from a pile of ashes to a beautiful arena and barn which will serve Veterans for many decades to come. To God Be the Glory!
Here are a few snapshots from a very dynamic and productive August at the National Center for Healthy Veterans:
- Plays of the Day – TRRC Grant, Increased Patriot Population, Spirit of Virginia Arena Completion
- Meet the Team – John Mooney, Patriot Graduate and Peer Mentor
- Diving Deeper – From Arena to Barn – Morgan Fisk, Development Coordinator
- In The Media – WSET on the Healthy Veterans Market, Equestrian Complex overview
- Prayer Points – Join us in prayer as we continue to support and empower Veterans.
Thanks again for your encouragement, your volunteerism, your gifts-in-kind, your financial donations, your referrals of Veterans in need, and your prayers.
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
TRRC Grant – We were recently awarded a grant from the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission that will fund the expansion of our Community Market and the construction of a 5,000-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse from Israel. These projects will make it easier than ever to provide fresh, healthy food to families in our region and allow us to grow even more produce like the harvest pictured above.
Increased Patriot Population – Our Patriot community is growing and thriving! More Veterans joined the program this month, and each new arrival represents another life being restored through faith, community, and purposeful work.
Spirit of Virginia Arena Completion – We are thrilled to celebrate the long-awaited completion of the Spirit of Virginia Arena! This stunning new space represents resilience, restoration, and the unwavering support of our community after last year’s devastating barn fire. Next weekend, we will gather with our friends and partners at a sold-out event to mark this milestone and look ahead to all that will be possible in this facility.
Meet The Team
John Mooney – Patriot Graduate and Peer Mentor
My name is John Mathew Mooney. I was born in San Antonio, Texas; my home. Growing up my dad was a jewelry and electronic salesman, mom was a homemaker of three boys me being the oldest, two dogs, seven cats, two birds and for a time a hamster. We moved around a bit but settled in Virginia Beach, Virginia in ’91. Before graduating high school, I joined the delayed enlistment program for the United States Air Force and left for San Antone once again in ’95 after graduation. I served as a nationally certified Pharmacy technician for 9 and 1/2 years and shortly after being discharged honorably my daughter, Elise Victoria Kidd Mooney, was born in Norfolk, Virginia. I owe a large part to her voice and God’s guiding hand for helping me find the NCHV.
I am a recent graduate of the 9-month Patriot course, now privileged and honored to work for and be a part of the team here at Valor Farm. My duties are as a peer mentor, tiny home handyman and construction assistant. As a mentor I am always willing to listen to the Patriots with questions and offer guidance for emotional, relational and spiritual growth when facing the traumas and tribulations of life. I help facilitate our New Life Recovery meetings which offer a 12-step approach to recovery from a biblical view encouraging us to read God’s word daily, pray continually and fellowship with like-minded folks. On the construction side I’ve been installing the flooring needed in our new tiny homes and Spirit of Virginia Arena greenroom and sound booth. As I install these floors I’m reminded of how Patriots will walk or pace the floors as they are healing while building their recovery foundations.
I spend my spare time with Leroy, an awesome tabby cat given to me by Chris Johnson when I first arrived just over a year ago. Leroy keeps me on a regular feeding and kitty litter cleaning schedule who loves spending time outside chasing grasshoppers and other insects. The only time he seems to run is when I pull out the guitar, hmm I wonder why? He often hears me read God’s word praying, crying and worshiping learning to give Yahweh praise and glory in all I do. In my 40-year Exodus as a Christian I’m always learning to consider Yeshua and put Christ first leaning into the loving arms of our Heavenly Father who is so gracious and merciful.
Diving Deeper
From Arena to Barn – Morgan Fisk, Development Coordinator
The completion of the Spirit of Virginia Arena is a powerful milestone for the National Center for Healthy Veterans. On September 12, we will celebrate not just the unveiling of a beautiful new facility, but the resilience and generosity of a community that rallied together after a devastating loss. When fire destroyed our barn last November, it felt like the heart of Valor Farm had gone up in smoke. Yet in God’s providence, the tragedy became the spark that inspired a vision even greater than before.
The arena now stands as a testimony to that vision, a place where Veterans can experience healing through equine-assisted activities, where the community can gather for events, and where the future of Valor Farm takes a bold step forward. But the arena was only one half of the story. For our equine program to fully flourish, and for Valor Farm to operate at its best, the next critical chapter is rebuilding the barn.
So. Why a Barn?
- Restore the powerful equine and horsemanship functions to help our Veterans heal
- Assist with Valor Farm sustainability to ensure long-term support for Veterans
- Provide a new and unique equine complex for Campbell County and beyond
The barn is not simply a structure to house horses. It is the hub of equine training, care, and instruction. It will give Veterans hands-on opportunities to learn responsibility, patience, and resilience as they work with the animals. It will provide the infrastructure needed to run a sustainable farm operation, supporting the overall mission of returning healthy Veterans to America. And it will allow us to offer a one-of-a-kind equine complex to the surrounding region, a place that blends world-class facilities with the heartbeat of service.
The campaign to rebuild the barn is as important as the arena itself. Insurance funds covered a portion of the arena construction, but the barn must be rebuilt through the generosity of donors, partners, and friends who share in our mission. Already, bricks purchased for the Courage Courtyard are beginning to tell the story of those who believe in this vision, leaving a legacy that will last for generations.
As we stand at this turning point, we see clearly how God has led us from ashes to beauty. The arena represents what is possible when people come together with faith, determination, and generosity. The barn will complete that picture, bringing equine operations back to full strength and ensuring that Valor Farm remains a place of hope, healing, and community impact. Together, we continue in our mission of Returning Healthy Veterans to America.
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!
September 2025
- The Day After Event: September 12th
- Volunteer Saturday: September 20th
October 2025
- Community Campfire: October 2nd
- NYC Healthy Veterans Reception: October 16th
- Volunteer Saturday: October 18th
- Dalton Darnell with 3:10 Ranch Life: Ranch Roping Clinic in New Arena – October 23-25
November 2025
- Volunteer Saturday: November 8th
- Annual Veterans Day Commemoration at Valor Farm Arena: November 11 at 4:00 pm
April 2026
- Volunteer Appreciation Dinner: April 18th, 2026. Details to come
Prayer Points
- Pray for transition of 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.
- 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.
