Retired Lt. Colonel Steve Lindsley, after a 10-month tour in Bosnia and 14 months in Iraq with a total of 28 years in the military, had seen his share of war-torn city, towns, men, women, and children as well as his fellow soldiers.
After returning home and opening his business Hope Orthotics and Prosthetics, he knew there was still something he had to do to help his brothers and sisters returning home from war. They were suffering from PTSD, drug and alcohol abuse along with not being able to reconnect with family or civilian life. Steve knew the desire God placed in his heart and ORVA was born.
Ouachita Regional Veterans Association (ORVA)-Project 4 Hope, is a 501c3, 4 stage program for veterans ranging from case management to counseling, financial budgeting, mentoring, job training and placement assistance. It is meant to be a hand-up, not a handout.
Their Board of Directors is made up of men and women veterans who have experienced the same issues that a lot of our veterans are facing today. They have come together with the desire to make a difference in the lives of veterans that are struggling with not only day-to-day decisions and social issues but also suffer from mental illness, drug addictions, unemployment and homelessness.
The Mission Statement: ORVA will provide supportive services through housing to include all individuals titled ‘Veteran’, regardless of gender or special needs. We are a regional program for all of the Delta. Serving Louisiana Parishes, central Mississippi, and southern Arkansas Counties creating supportive housing for Veterans.
They are not just another non-profit making promises to our veterans. Their team of board members, staff, and volunteers are dedicated to helping change the lives of veterans and also change how the community looks at homelessness and the issues that surround our communities. We will also be dedicated to working with our community leaders to establish better resources.
ORVA-Project 4 Hope is in the process of purchasing 7.5 acres, near Arcadia Louisiana, to build a tiny home village with a total of 40 homes and a community/office building to serve our veterans. We are currently fundraising by seeking business partnerships and donations to finish the purchase of the land. Our goal is to break ground by late 2019 and have the community center and first homes up in early 2020.
The planned facility will allow qualified veteran tenants the option of • 90 days to 24 months tenancy and provide supportive services through • Food and Nutritional Support • life-skills • vocational training • counseling.
We will also implement homeless prevention services by partnering with many of the agencies in our community.
Our goal is to help these men and women have a place of residence, jobs, and to be productive in their community upon completing their stay with us.
For more information on how you can become a business partner or a volunteer, go to our website at www.projecthope4orva.org or on Facebook at ORVA-Project4Hope.
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This first appeared in The Havok Journal on March 21, 2019.
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