By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune columnist
You just never know when you’ll run into people doing noble things in Kentucky. One such example is serving America’s military veterans with excellence, as they do in a special Central Kentucky town.
After the Shelby County Library “Coffee with the Authors” book event a few Saturdays ago, Suzanne and I again explored the beautiful and inviting downtown Shelbyville. It seems like every time we visit, there’s something different that we like. There are quaint shops, plenty of parking, and a good feeling that the folks there take pride in their town.
Veterans Rural Outreach team members Jamey James, Dr. Carlen Pippin, and Louis Faust (Photo from VRO)
On this occasion, we noticed a “six-family yard sale” advertised that looked appealing, so we stopped by on Bradshaw Street. We are so glad we did because we encountered so much more than a simple gathering of locals selling their non-needed goods. It was a fundraiser for an advocacy group, Veterans Rural Outreach (VRO), and the sale was located where the operation happens.
And what is it that happens? Plenty since the outreach’s establishment in 2015.
According to VRO’s website, and also enthusiastically from any supporter at the event, the organization “provides for the needs of veterans in Shelbyville/Shelby County, Kentucky, and surrounding counties with food assistance, emergency shelter, transitional housing for the homeless, counseling, and community engagement. The mission of VRO is restoring total health to local veterans in an environment of compassion, mercy, and love.”
And though VRO has “rural” in the title, it reaches out to those in both towns AND rural areas.
Suzanne and I were impressed as we toured the 2300 square feet community building, the centerpiece for what’s called Veterans Village. The Village opened in 2020 and includes an assortment of furnished “tiny homes.” The center has a new, inviting look. And in viewing the interior of one of the tiny houses, I told Suzanne that though very small, it had pretty much all one needed to live comfortably (temporarily, at least), including a shower room, a bed, kitchen, washer/drier, and a living room compactly put together, both practical and attractive.
Veterans Village residents, I learned, also receive:
•personalized care plans to help each veteran reach mental, physical, and financial goals
•individual on-site VA counseling
• assistance with VA claims and home loans
•professional financial mentors to help with budgeting, saving, and improving credit
Jamie James, an experienced Central Kentucky banker, is a “financial coach” for those the organization serves. She is passionate about its mission and talked about the people who saw a need to reach out to America’s military veterans who find themselves in challenging life situations. “I would say that it was a ‘band of brothers’ who saw (some of) our veterans homeless and lost,” she said. “They never gave up and brought others in who donated to make this dream come true.”
On right, several of VRO’s tiny homes (Photo from VRO)
Quality individuals make up the supporters of VRO, according to Jamie. “They are the best of the best from all walks of life. Not just individuals but churches and organizations. We have outstanding grant writers who truly care. We all truly care as they (veterans) are why we have our freedom.”
After first seeing “the pain in their eyes,” noticing veterans’ lives being changed brings a sense of pride to VRO supporters. “Every day, you watch them (veterans) get better and heal, then you begin to see the smiles on their faces. Just priceless,” said Jamie.
VRO is led by Executive Director Louis Stout, a dual Navy/Army veteran with extensive experience in the processing of veterans’ benefits. He manages additional staff, leads in partnering with nonprofit organizations, and oversees numerous volunteers that collectively serve area veterans. The Veterans Administration provides support, as well as NABVETS (a Black veterans advocacy group), the U of L Health-Shelbyville, two local VFW posts, and local therapists and other organizations that help provide comprehensive care.
“Financially, VRO is funded by grants, businesses, churches, and many committee individuals,” Louis explained. “I am most proud of the collective effort of the entire Shelby County community to make VRO a success. Since the beginning stages of planning Veterans Village, VRO has received full cooperation with the City of Shelbyville and the Shelby County government. From zoning to road paving, we have benefited tremendously from their assistance.”
Inside a VRO tiny home (Photo by Steve Flairty)
Louis also praised Ray Leathers, the new board president of VRO for his promoting what it is doing “not only houseless veterans through transition housing but the benefits being brought to all veterans.”
He mentioned these community efforts in support:
• six local churches sent twenty volunteers each to frame the six houses
•local building material companies/contractors offered free services and supplies
•area businesses, students, and volunteers helped with landscaping and other improvements
“All six tiny homes and the community center are paid off in full. This allows VRO to focus on future initiatives.”
And what are some of the initiatives?
One is “to expand our houseless program through acquiring more land area, allowing for more tiny homes or possibly apartments being constructed, provided to not only single men and women veterans, but to families and couples,” Louis explained. “We plan to expand our collaboration with other community organizations, with the goal of helping as many veterans and their families as possible.”
I also had a pleasant conversation with 84-year-old Dr. Carlen Pippin, both a military veteran of Viet Nam and a civilian veterinarian in Shelby County. Carlen is a Tennessee native who married a Shelbyville woman, moved here years ago, and considers this town as “home.” He was one of the six veterans who founded VRO in 2015.
“How it all started was we all worked at the local food bank and saw lots of vets come through who needed other things (than just food),” Carlen explained. “We each gave $500 to create a $3000 pool to help.”
Gathering of sponsors of tiny home. (Photo from VRO)
The group understood that Shelbyville, located between the urban areas of Louisville and Lexington, did not immediately have the resources available to support veterans as those cities. Thus, the name “Veterans Rural Outreach” seemed right. Today, according to Carlen, VRO services extend also to the counties of Spencer, Trimble, Henry, and parts of Oldham and Franklin.
Carlen shared heartwarming stories of individuals who have been helped by VRO. “There was a 73-year-old veteran woman living in a camping trailer in Henry County who fell and broke her hip. She needed a place to rehab, and we got it and got her a dog named ‘Jimmy Dean.’ It’s made all the difference in her, and she now has a nice patio apartment behind Kroger.”
Another veteran landed in Shelbyville from Seattle, Washington. “He didn’t know anybody,” said Carlen, “and he needed a companion dog. The place he lived wouldn’t allow a dog unless the yard was fenced.” The local Lowes Store supplied that need for him, he got the dog, and the vet is paying back the generous community by being available to drive other vets to medical appointments.
Altogether, reported Carlen, the community has raised $700,000 for VRO and he’s especially proud that the organization is debt-free. In the Shelby County community, he said, “Everyone wants to pitch in and help.”
For more information about VRO, including receiving or how one can give support, reach them by phone at 502-520-5300, or visit vroky.org. You’ll be glad you did.
