Helping Georgia veterans heal — one farm task at a time
CALHOUN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The walls just went up on a 13,000 square foot building meant to become a community space for veterans in Gordon County. It sits on land owned by Hero Agriculture, an organization that teaches veterans farm work to help them heal.
It will be a space for veterans to stay, a meeting place and a place of second chances.
“Veterans need to be a part of something that is bigger than they are,” said Mike Reynolds, chief farming officer for Hero Agriculture.
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The organization allows veterans, some with mental health issues, some with behavioral issues, others with PTSD and TSD, to learn farm work. The hope is that that work gives them purpose and, in some cases, helps them heal.
“I have lost entirely too many friends to suicide,” said Reynolds.
The organization is led by Reynolds. His mission is to give veterans hope again, despite their past. He believes hope can decrease the chances of suicide among veterans and maybe, just maybe, get them back up on their feet again and headed in the right direction.
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“Veterans really like the opportunity to come up and they need to take care of something. You know? And that is what we offer them is an opportunity to come and learn how to farm,” said Reynolds.
When Atlanta News First showed up for the interview, Reynolds had close to 20 people ready to see the walls come up, representatives from the county, police department, Georgia State Patrol, volunteers, friends and a pastor. Everyone who talked to ANF wanted to talk about the program. They wanted to talk about veterans. They wanted to talk about having faith that someone could turn their life around.
“I could have never done this by myself. This is entirely dependent on the relationships and the community who care about veterans,” said Reynolds.
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