Planting a Seed in Harrisburg’s Veteran Tiny Homes

Ryan Allman, Army veteran and board member for River House, got to thinking on one of his long drives, that pairing Todd and I with our knowledge of gardening and growing our own food, with the veterans who live in the tiny homes in Harrisburg’s Veteran Outreach of PA (VOPA), could be a match made in heaven. Located along the Susquehanna River in south Harrisburg on a tranquil five-acre parcel, VOPA has built a village of 15 tiny homes surrounding a community center for Veterans experiencing homelessness. This is how they describe the community… “VOPA’s innovative “Veterans Grove” community is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of each Veteran through a therapeutic community model that builds camaraderie, personal responsibility, and healing, while recreating the stable support network offered to them before they left the service.”

Ryan got the center’s cook to give us a list of foods that the veterans like to eat that they might also like to grow: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, watermelon, cucumbers, and potatoes. I bought plants and seeds and grabbed some sprouting potatoes from our batch of home grown potatoes that were growing eyes. We traveled to VOPA, Todd in tow, because he is the brains behind our large organic garden for the last forty years and although he cannot do some tasks, his mouth works well to share knowledge. 

An Eagle Scout put in raised beds as a project and the bags of soil, hand tools, watering cans, etc. were all there, ready to use. We kept it real simple because the year before, a well-meaning group of Master Gardeners came in and for two classroom sessions alone, they mapped out the very detailed design of where the many plants will go. It overwhelmed the veterans and they did nothing after they left. This time, with Todd and I, we kept it simple and limited crops to the handful that their cook said they liked. 

After we talked a few minutes and introduced ourselves, most of the veterans came out to help and learn. They were very enthusiastic to spread soil, dig holes and make troughs, drop seeds and cover them up, water them, and label them. Then one veteran went around with a sheet and asked which vets wanted me to bring back flowers for their pots outside their door and if they had a preference for particular flowers. Colorful was all they asked. I am glad they desire to bring some beauty into their lives.

We scheduled another session in two weeks when I will bring their flowers, which River House will buy. One veteran is very excited to learn to make pickles down the pike and we sure hope it comes to that and the vets water their garden throughout the hot summer! . I would like to have them go on a field trip to our home and garden in the summer, so they can see our organic garden and orchard, pick some berries, harvest some food and have a dinner from all the good food. We can have a campfire dinner in our sanctuary area by our pond in back of our log home. We are hoping that we can begin a good relationship with them and have them join River House for some hiking in the woods and experience some nature healing. We have to get some funds to pay a driver to shuttle them from their tiny homes to our home, so if anyone out there is looking for a good cause to make a monetary donation, this would be a good one. As Ryan said, we are hoping to plant some seeds and help these guys get their lives, their joy and their purpose back.