Camp N.O.R.A. Plans to Help Homeless Veterans in St. Tammany Parish
The facility will be situated on 17 acres in Covington, which was once home to Danielle Inn, an orphanage. This facility has been designed and structured to be a haven for homeless veterans who are located in St. Tammany Parish. Out of the 200,000 homeless veterans in Louisiana, 20,000 live in St. Tammany Parish. The name of the new organization is Camp N.O.R.A. (No One Rides Alone). The founders of the organization and facility is a group named The Ride of the Brotherhood which was originally established to locate and bring back the remains of
American soldiers in Vietnam. This group is a non-profit consisting of veterans who are trying to help others who may be going through what these members have already overcome.
Camp N.O.R.A., upon completion, will be able to house 16 to 17 veterans at a time. However, when it opens, 4 veterans have been vetted and are ready to enter the program of Camp N.O.R.A. which has a three-phase recovery program. The first phase is to sign up the veteran with the Veterans Affairs system, so that they can get all of their medical and physical needs taken care of and get used to be being on a regular schedule. The second phase will be interviews to find out what the veteran would like to do for a living, whether it be get an education, take courses to specialize in a specific vocation, or to simply get a job. Resources will then be offered to the veteran to help him or her achieve their goals. The third phase is to help the veteran transition from the program to real life, find a place to live, figure out how to make money, and then buy necessities needed to survive on their own.
Camp N.O.R.A. in Covington, in St. Tammany Parish needs assistance with getting the grounds ready, getting the building ready, and donations. Once the facility is open, they will need volunteers to help maintenance the place and keep it going. Donations needed include men’s clothing, single beds, chest of drawers, and night stands. Service needs include roofing work and long term sponsors. Future plans include installing a garden and bringing in livestock to make the grounds more self-sustaining.
