SB COMMUNITY
BY URSULA BRANTLEY
Woody’s Home for Veterans:
Freedom, Honor, Respect
A
s American citizens, we are all guaranteed many freedoms and rights that our country’s forefathers established generations ago. Our military is the key component to securing that way of life for us all. Individuals from every social class have served dutifully in the US military since its beginning. If it weren’t for the bravery and selflessness of soldiers, past and present, we would live in an extremely different America. One of the realities of being a soldier is the risk of developing mental health issues because of one’s experiences while serving. Some soldiers end up with physical disabilities which may visible; mental battles produce unseen wounds that can bring the strongest people to their knees. Sadly, an overwhelming number of veterans suffering from mental illness are homeless without access to the care they need, or they are institutionalized. Soldiers with mental illness are often ignored and misunderstood by our society, but thanks to people like Ronald Key and the staff at Woody’s Home for Veterans, these loyal veterans are seen and heard. After suffering a heart attack in 2000, Dr. Ronald ‘Doc’ Key, PhD, CEAP, LAC, CISD II, began thinking about the legacy he wanted to leave behind. Just three years prior, Key lost his father, Harold Woodrow “Woody” Key, to cancer. His father proudly served in WWII as a Medic and was a pillar in his community. Doc learned from a friend at Shreveport’s VA hospital of heartbreaking struggles that countless veterans face and knew something had to be done for these valiant soldiers who’d sacrificed so much and received so little in return. In 2003, Key opened Woody’s Home for Veterans. This community residential center based in Shreveport’s Highland neighborhood is specifically designed to provide a home for veterans suffering with mental health issues like PTSD or bipolar disorder. The need for help was so great that
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a second home was opened right next door to the first home in 2008—both licensed to house up to nine residents. The homes are staffed 24/7 to make sure that every resident is attended to while still preserving independence. “We try to give them as much freedom, honor, and respect while understanding that they have a mental illness,” Key said. At Woody’s Home for Veterans, residents are surrounded by individuals who truly understand them. They have access to counseling and management of their medications and medical issues, among other things. Everyday, residents are provided with three meals and two snacks. The main house has a full commercial kitchen, so meals are prepared there and transported across the driveway to the second house. To accommodate everyone, there are eight refrigerators and freezers in house one and four in house two. Both homes are also equipped with laundry rooms. Plans for building a third home are underway and the funding goal for the project is $300,000. Fundraising will kick into high gear as soon as the first two houses are operating at 90% capacity. (House two currently has four residents.) The third home will be able to house up to twenty-four residents while supplying the same level of care as the other houses. Woody’s doors are always open to donations of any kind, volunteers, and qualified individuals for the staff. And there is a need for groceries or meals 365-days a year! When it comes to working with these vets, Key explains, “It can be challenging, but the blessing and the reward is greater than the challenge.” 318.425.1928 • www.WH4V.com
