Giving Back To Those Willing To Give All
A homeless veteran doesn’t have to be hopeless. According to multiple sources, on average, 35-40,000 veterans are homeless in our country on any given night. Camp GRAVES, through our facility Camp Rendezvous Veteran Housing and Work Center, is working to put a dent in Veteran homelessness in our area. Temporary housing, paired with targeted supportive services, can create long-term solutions, permanently getting them off the streets and back to the life they deserve. They have served us and now it is our turn to serve them.
The Facility
Located in Mayfield, KY, Camp Rendezvous Veteran Housing and Work Center will be able to house up to nine Veterans, including a “mini apartment” for those with mobility and accessibility needs. Additionally, the facility has a library/study, the “CORPS room” (Crisis Outreach through Resources and Peer Support), recreation room, group room, an office space for confidential meetings, and therapeutic work center.
About the Program
Housing is provided for up to one year, giving these servicemen the time and opportunity to heal physically, mentally, and financially, so they can break the cycles that have kept them from the life a hero deserves. In cooperation with Veteran organizations, Camp Rendezvous will connect the Veteran residents to the resources that displacement has disconnected them from. Veterans will come to Camp Rendezvous by referral from Veteran associated organizations, treatment, or transitional centers. This will not be a walk-in “homeless shelter”, but a place to make permanent changes that will keep these veterans from returning to homelessness or negative cycles that hinder their success. To remain eligible for services, residents must submit to a background check, random drug testing, and must comply with the recommended treatment plans their medical and mental health providers have prescribed them. By connecting them with Veteran organizations and resources that will remain with them after leaving Camp Rendezvous, we can ensure that these servicemen will have the support structure needed to maintain their progress long after moving forward from our program.
The Therapeutic Work Center
The Therapeutic Work Center will provide veteran residents with the opportunity to put their hands to work, creating one-of-a-kind art, jewelry, sculptures, woodworks, and even test if they have a green thumb with our mini greenhouse. Craftsmen and artists from the community will engage veterans in activities and teach them new skills to hone their crafts. In addition to the mental and physical benefits, they will also be able to sell their creations, learning about inventory, price point calculations, marketing, and other connected skills.
Serving Those Who Served
Our Veterans deserve a comfortable and confidential place to ask for help. Camp Rendezvous provides a unique opportunity for Veteran resource providers by supplying them, free of charge, with office space to meet with our Veteran residents and Veterans from the community seeking assistance.
With housing stability, resources, support services, education, and employment, we can assist these courageous servicemen in rebuilding their lives and breaking the cycle of veteran homelessness. They deserve the life that we all have had the opportunity to lead because of their sacrifice and selflessness.
