Veterans Lodge Coming To DeFuniak Springs
Veterans Lodge has purchased property for its first facility to serve the veterans of Northwest Florida and surrounding areas. 400 acres has been purchased in DeFuniak Springs, FL and permitting is underway. Construction is expected to begin soon this year. This marks an exciting milestone for Veterans Lodge which began as only a dream and idea for founder Julie Smith. Julie is a resident of Northwest Florida and has been an active member of Freedom Church in Tallahassee since 2014. For the past several years, she has been pursuing a dream that was planted in her heart, even years before, of creating a better life for returning veterans.
“I saw the lack of resources available to these returning heroes and was compelled to create a holistic place of healing and rehabilitation. Many of these brave men and women come back and face a rocky road to recovery and a daunting assimilation back into society as we know it. I conceived the Veteran’s Lodge concept approximately 6 years ago and have since poured my heart; soul and personal wealth into seeing this wonderful concept come to reality. My drive is to give these veterans what is owed to them for serving our country; to give them their lives back in a most meaningful way. It has become my mission to see the Lodge come to life, Defuniak Springs is the first site of many throughout the nation."
After much searching, this strategic location was selected for it's proximity to military bases, medical facilities, and educational institutions. There to be about 267,000 veterans in the region, 14,000 of whom would require the care and training to be provided at Veterans Lodge. Bases in the area include Hurlburt Field and Eglin Air Force Base in Okaloosa County, Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City and, Pensacola Naval Air Station. Through education, out-patient rehabilitation, job training and job placement, Veterans Lodge will fulfill a missing ingredient for our veteran’s by providing a first of its kind community focused on helping our heroes regain a fulfilling, contributory life. Veteran’s Lodge is a subsidiary of Veterans Holding, Inc., a 501(c)3, and is committed to honoring and empowering Veterans. Our goal is to ensure that all wounded Veterans get the best treatment and rehabilitation possible so that they may become the most successful and well-adjusted in our nation’s history. Our mission is to provide a healthy environment in a serene setting where veterans and their families can come to rehabilitate through predictive health, innovative education, and transformational research.
Media Links: Northwest Florida Daily News - WJHG - My Panhandle - WEAR TV