Tag Archives: veterans village

Veterans’ Village nears completion

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By Yu Bai
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – Military veterans in Jonesboro will soon have a permanent place to call home. Construction of the first ever veterans’ village is in its last stages of completion.

“The village looks to be done on March in the next year,” said Guy Pardew, the vice president of Olympus Construction, “we are really proud of it.”

The construction plans started in 2019, and almost all the basic construction of houses has now been completed.

The village includes nine units which can hold up to 20 people. Two of these units include a two-bedroom floor plan which is designed for veterans with their families. The reaming seven units are one-bedroom apartment.

In addition to living houses, the village will also include a faculty building and a community building that can provide computers to veterans to do their works.

The out-door area will be a common place for veterans to cook together.

The veterans village is a partnership between the city of Jonesboro and Arkansas State University. The Beck Pride Center of A-State is willing to provide combat wounded veterans with first class educational programs and services.

“Our goal is to get these homeless veterans back into society. So with the programming, we’ll use students from different programs like social work, occupational therapy, and physical therapy to provide services to these veterans,” said Lynda Nash, director of the Beck Pride Center.

To better treat those veterans with PTSD and psychological trauma, the Beck Pride Center also provides free classes to them, such as anger management, stress management, and music classes. When veterans join these classes, they will explore to learn more appropriate coping mechanisms with their leaders.

“It’s a national project between us and the village, we’re lucky because Jonesboro is the only city in Arkansas selected to build the village,” Nash said.

The village is built on Aggie Road from Pepsi Beverage warehouses. The Cooper-Mixon Architect Firm is responsible for the construction of the entire village project.

John Mixon, an architect at the Cooper-Mixon Architect Firm, said the house’s actual size is smaller than expected, which is adjusted according to actual needs.

The village is close to the road, so the transportation for veterans is convenient. The  city will provide a complete transportation system that includes bus stops, bicycles, and the JET system.

Total cost of the village is $1.1 million dollars.

Veterans Village Plans for the Future

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By Chloe Short
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO — The Veterans Village coming to Jonesboro features major plans.

More than 5,000 veterans live in Craighead County and around 200 of those veterans are reported as living below poverty level. The Veterans Village plans to help homeless veterans get back on their feet.

The Beck Pride Center will be active in the Veterans Village by making sure the right services and paperwork are provided to the homeless veterans. Interested students with majors in social work, counseling, physical therapy and other degrees from Arkansas State University will work with The Beck Pride Center through volunteering or internships to assist in the Veterans Village. Individuals from the Veterans Village will be able to receive those services after they have left.

Beck Pride Center director Lynda Nash (photo by Chloe Short)

“Veterans have been a productive member of society in the past. Something’s happened, so at that point we want to put them back in that role again. They’ve given to society, they continue to give and they should be honored for that,” said Lynda Nash, director of Beck Pride Center.

Other organizations waiting to get involved are the Disabled American Veterans Group, Veterans of Modern Warfare and the PTSD Foundation. The village will find residents through word of mouth but also through law enforcement expressing concern, veteran’s service groups, contacts through other veterans, and by contacting those who show up at the HUB downtown.

Nash said she’s pleased the Veterans Village is set for Jonesboro, since she will now have local options for them and their families if needed. Sending veterans needing housing assistance to Memphis, Tennessee or Poplar Bluff, Missouri are currently the only options available.

“Once accepted, they’re willing to work a program, so it can lead to a more permanent setting for them,” Nash said.

The village’s development on Aggie Road will be built down from Pepsi Beverage warehouse. The Cooper-Mixon Architect Firm originated all of the design aspects and created housing to meet the needs of each individual. Hillary Starnes, Jonesboro’s community services manager, said the homes should be completed by late 2020.

John Mixon, architect at the Cooper-Mixon Architect Firm, said nine homes will be built: two homes are made for families and the other seven are designed for single occupants. Each house features a different exterior. The village includes a community building and a community pavilion.

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Sign on site of the future home of the Veterans Village. (photo by Chloe Short)

“The Veterans’ Village is a fully accessible community with different scales of experiences and a continuum of public to private life,” Mixon said.

Arkansas Development Finance Authority granted $1 million to cover funding needs for the Veterans Village. The Arkansas Development Finance Authority released a Notice of Funds Available and received three applications. Cheryl Schluterman, president of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority, said each application must meet application completeness, fulfill requirements and be financially feasible. Of the three applicants, Jonesboro met the criteria.

“There is still funding available for other projects. So far, Jonesboro is the only recipient of National Housing Trust Funds in Arkansas,” Schluterman said.

Bill Campbell, director of communication for Jonesboro and spokesperson for the mayor, said the mayor is going forth with the challenge to end veterans’ homelessness.

The city will be providing transportation at the village. There will be a bus stop, bicycles and a bike rack. The JET system will be an option. The village accommodates veteran’s dogs as well.

NEARK Confronts the Homeless Issue

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Charles Haven seeks assistance on Red Wolf Boulevard. (Photo by Jessica Ladd)

Students from the Multimedia Reporting course investigated homelessness in the Delta.

  • Jessica Ladd details the lives of a homeless couple coming through Jonesboro.
  • Chloe Short examines plans for a Veterans Village in Jonesboro.
  • Brooke Buckner details services and shelters for Northeast Arkansas’ homeless population.
  • Yu Bai examines food banks providing sustenance to the homeless.
  • Colby Sigears notes how governments in the Delta approach the homeless issue.