CARIBOU, Maine — With the help of countless community volunteers, the United Veterans of Maine are making significant progress on the Dahlgren-Skidgel Farm of Hope, a shelter intended for homeless veterans in Aroostook County.
The Farm of Hope, named after two local Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, will contain four duplexes and house up to eight homeless veterans. Vets staying at the Washburn Road facility also will be able to work in greenhouses and earn a stipend, providing them with a sense of purpose while helping to fund the operation itself, according to United Veterans of Maine President John Deveau.
Deveau said on Nov. 21 that, at this point, he and volunteers are about 90 percent finished with the first of four duplexes, and 70 percent finished with a second duplex. Volunteers are working hard to prepare the exterior of the third and fourth buildings so they can be finished this winter.
While much work remains, United Veterans of Maine held a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 18, to mark their successes thus far. The event featured a keynote speech from Ryan Lilly, director of the VA Maine Healthcare System, and appearances from local state Reps. Carol McElwee and Trey Stewart, as well as Phil Bosse, Barbara Hayslett, and Kim Rohn, state representatives respectively for U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, and U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin.
DeVeau said there were more than 100 people in attendance for the ribbon cutting, and that two veterans should be moving into the first duplex by Dec. 1.
“We have two people already lined up to move in,” DeVeau said. “We just got a third yesterday, and possibly a fourth.”
The shelter is completely funded with donations and volunteer help, and UVM recently raised $5,000 during a Nov. 11 supper and auction at the Caribou VFW Post 9389. DeVeau added that they received $2,500 during the grand opening ceremony and expected another $1,500 within a week.
“I’m excited about the fact that we’ve been working at this for two years,” DeVeau said, “and we’re finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.”
For more information about the program, or to volunteer or donate, visit the organization’s web site at: unitedveteransofmaine.org/
