PALM SPRINGS, FLA – JULY 20, 2018 – Stand Down, an initiative of Faith Hope Love Charity, Inc. is a non-profit organization that services veterans throughout Palm Beach County.
Originally founded in 1994 by Roy Foster, an army veteran himself who suffered from homelessness and struggled with addiction to drugs and alcohol has made it his life’s mission to help other brothers in arms suffering. “I left the service with big plans for myself and my new civilian life,” says Roy Foster, Executive Director of Stand Down and Faith Hope Love Charity, Inc., “But it surely didn’t work out as I thought it would.”
Foster found it difficult to get the help he needed to get off the streets and clean. He decided he would need to do it himself if he wanted a different life. And that’s exactly what he did. Once he was back on track, he was committed to helping others do the same.
It took six years before Foster would open Stand Down House. “It is tough to raise money for things like this,” said Foster, “Often people only care when it happens to them or someone they know.”
Foster found that there was an even deeper need all around our own backyard. It would take 12 more years for two much needed programs to come to fruition. “The need is always so much greater than what we have available,” said Foster, “I imagine a day when we have enough resources and no veteran is turned away.”
Currently, Stand Down has four distinct service areas including First Stop Veterans’ Resource Center, a hub for veterans’ services in Palm Beach County, providing prevention and early intervention for veterans and their families. Stand Down House provides emergency and transitional housing and supportive services for male veterans struggling with addictions, mental illness, PTSD, traumatic brain injuries and physical limitations. At Ease offers veterans and their families a variety of needs from housing and childcare to financial assistance. Forward March reintegrates the veterans into the workforce at a livable wage through job training and placement.
Village of Valor has been an initiative Foster and his team have been working on since 2014. This community of residences, ranging from 1-bedroom apartments to 3-bedroom townhouses with garages will be built in Lake Worth. The vision for Village of Valor will be to provide a safe, affordable housing community for military heroes and their families in an environment that restores hope and provides veteran support services.
As with all of Stand Down’s projects, Village of Valor is fully reliant on fund raising efforts and is scheduled to break ground late 2018. Foster has raised over 28 million dollars to date for Village of Valor and is just 3 million dollars away from the needed funds to break ground. “We will not rest until no veteran is left behind,” said Foster “These veterans fought for our country and should not struggle with homelessness. We will do everything in our power to raise the money needed to help them overcome their challenges and live a fulfilled life in the very country they defended.”
About Stand Down
Stand Down is an initiative of Faith Hope Love Charity, Inc. and their mission is to reintegrate displaced and at-risk veterans and their families back into the communities to sustain independent living, restore their dignity and promoting community awareness. Their programs include First Stop Veterans’ Resource Center, the Stand Down House, At Ease, Forward March and their newest initiative Village of Valor. For more information or to make a donation, visit their website at www.standown.org or call (561) 968-1612.
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