A transitional housing facility it opening up in St. Tammany, Louisiana. There are more than 200,000 veterans in Louisiana; 20,000 are in St. Tammany Parish. Homelessness, unfortunately is on the rise in the area.
Army Staff Sgt. John Levis Carroll served for two seperate tours until injuries brought him home. The ramifications of serving and the injuries became a bit much and he ended up homeless. This is not uncommon. As his father states, "My son is a drug addict, but he's also a veteran," said John's father, Mickey Carroll, a Junior Vice Commander of the local VFW. "I don't know where he is, but I hope he's in a place like this."
‘This’ is Camp N.O.R.A., which stands for "No One Rides Alone and it has become a treasured resource among those who need it. Camp N.O.R.A is situated on seventeen acres in rural Covington aimed at helping homeless veterans get back on their feet, then back out into society on their own. The property used to be Danielle Inn, an orphanage, and then home for pregnant women.
The facility can house 14 to 16 veterans, but the company has opted for a short “soft opening” with four veterans. Camp N.O.R.A. is operated by "The Ride of the Brotherhood" organization, which is a non-profit made up of veterans dedicated to helping other veterans through the same struggles they've defeated personally. The organization began as a mission to locate and bring back the remains of American soldiers who fought and died in Vietnam.
The program is customizable with veterans staying anywhere from two to six months and it something to behold. There’s an excitement in the air around the camp; it will be a life changing opportunity to change the lives of veterans whose lives were changed for the rest of their lives.
Here are some sources for information for those interested.
http://www.rideofthebrotherhood.org/
