Veterans Legacy Oregon

Veterans Legacy is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that was formed to acquire and utilize a former Lane County Oregon minimum security inmate facility( photos on our website at (www.veteranslegacyoregon.org). The goal is to turn this facility, Camp Alma, into a residential treatment program for the treatment of Veterans with PTSD/adjustment disorders and provide ongoing supportive care for substance abuse issues. Camp Alma is in a rural setting. Part of the therapy for our Vets will be to use “therapeutic agriculture” as a primary treatment intervention and combine this with clinical support from the VA Center for Readjustment and Counseling center in Eugene, Oregon. Our Vets will be taught organic farming and will supply the vast majority of food needs for the Camp. With continued expansion of the agricultural potential of the property (totals 100+ acres) we intend to provide a steady supply of food to Food For Lane County, the principle food bank in the region. We believe that the remote location of the facility will allow a safe and supportive environment to let Vets restore self-esteem, have the chance to learn several vocational skills, and begin the treatment path that will continue with reintegration back into the community. To our knowledge, there are no other treatment entity in the country that aims to combine a rural retreat, agriculture-based therapy, formal clinical interventions, and vocational skills training. It is a major challenge to make this work not only locally but perhaps as a model that could be used elsewhere!! THIS IS A GRASSROOTS EFFORT OF CONCERNED CITIZENS, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE VETERANS AND IS NOT A GOVERNMENT PROGRAM.
To date, a 5 year lease has been completed with Lane County and Veterans Legacy has control of the property. However, we’re left with 3 immediate challenges that will require major funding. The first challenge is Camp Alma was decommissioned in 2008 and no maintenance on the facility has been done since then. We are in the process of reestablishing safe, running water, replacing hot water tanks, fixing heating and air conditioning systems, fixing roofs, etc. Although the price tag for this refurbishment will ultimately be close to $1 million, we can sequence repairs such that we can start taking care of Vets before all repairs are completed. Secondly, our goalis to make this available to Vets for little or no cost. Finally, having the needed staff on hand is mandatory before we can proceed with care, i.e. providing initial salaries, benefits, etc.
The funding momentum is building slowly as we become better known, but our primary need for a Go Fund Me Campaign is to cover costs until grant funding and contributions from larger private donors become available. Both of these often take considerable time to receive/develop and, quite frankly, it’s always easier to be successful in these endeavors when a viable nucleus program is in place.
The Board of Directors of Veterans would be very appreciative of your support so we can start providing care for our Veterans in need so that truly, “no one is left behind”.
Thank You