Donors major factor in Victory Home Getting a Garden Tractor
"Here it comes!" the excited group called out as they stood watching the new Kubota tractor and implements come rolling into the driveway of Victory Home. This tractor's purchase and arrival at Victory Home was the culmination of a one-month fundraiser led by St. James Episcopal Church in Clayton.
A spirited celebration of this incredible moment included The Rev. Doris Graf Smith, Priest-in-Charge show presented a check to Victory Home. Kathy Booker, Parish Nurse at St. James and organizer of the “Tractor Dream”, followed with passing the check James Short Tractor & Equipment of Alto, GA..Pastor Doris+ also offered a blessing on the assembled group, and on the new tractor, with a prayer of thanksgiving.
The project began when residents at Victory Home decided they wanted to have a garden with fresh vegetables they could cook and eat. Unfortunately the tools and equipment were not available to make that at happen. However, the idea and possibility for such a garden didn’t go away. Booker kept thinking about what could happen if…
She shared the need with Pastor Doris+, Peggy Melton, Outreach Committee Chair and Ginny Heckel, Chair of Communications at St. James, along with a few other folks at St. James. Suddenly a plan was put into motion.
The idea gained momentum as people began to view the garden as a way to support the men at Victory Home, in their recovery from substance abuse. They could learn new skills, work in a garden setting, and enjoy being in the outdoors. A garden that could impact their lives for years to come.
But a tractor? What kind? How much? Where to start?
Neil King of James Short Tractors & Equipment was contacted and helped the committee to decide what was needed, available, and how much it would cost. A goal of $24,000 was then set, but there was one small catch. To get that price, the money had to be raised, and the tractor purchased in one months' time. $24,000 in a month? Really? Yes, $24,000 in 30 days!
The following Sunday, Booker told the St. James-Victory Home
Praise the Lord! The goal was reached and exceeded, making it possible to purchase the complete package. This package included the tractor, tiller, front loader, bush hog, quick hitch and box blad for a total cost of $27,337.43.
St. James and Victory Home are overjoyed with gratitude and thanks to Rabun County and the Clayton community for their generous support of this tractor project. The fund started with a challenge gift, then numerous individual contributions followed. Two special grants were received from Mike Hammer, Lake Burton Civic Association Grant Chair per son; and Steve Raebel, Executive Director of the Lake Rabun Foundation (Lake Rabun Association). Other donors included Andy's Market, Chickfil-a , Headwaters Master Gardeners._ and UGA _ Extension Service agents, John Scaduto (Rabun County) and Steven Patrick (Habersham County).
On the eve of our funding deadline, Chef, and St. James parishioner, Leon LeMoine, donated, cooked and oversaw (with support from a flock of delighted helpers) a sold-out 'Takeout Jambalaya Dinner' for the community. God's blessings were felt everywhere! More than a tractor or a garden, it was a gift unfolding.
Victory Home is located on 38 acres near Tallulah Falls. They offer a six-month residential, faith-based program for men recovering from sub stance abuse. Additional information is available on the Victory Home website, https://victoryhome.org/, or by calling 706-754-6030.
This is a story about a place just down the road, in the larger community of St. James, called Victory Home. Victory Home provides a six-month, faith-based, residential program for men recovering from substance abuse. Victory Home was founded in 1959 and has offered hope to over 10,000 men or around 160 a year for 63 years.
In 2013 Fr. Steve Hall, Rector at St. James Episcopal Church, asked Kathy Booker to serve as the Parish Nurse for St. James. Soon after, Kathy enrolled and completed a Faith Community Nurse program. And not long after that she learned about Victory Home in Tallulah Falls. They were requesting a Faith Community Nurse. Kathy’s role of parish nurse at St. James was expanded to include service to residents of Victory Home.
Here is Kathy Booker’s story about Victory Home.
Very quickly, I found that the residents’ only access to healthcare was a local emergency room visit which led me to begin visiting twice a month to take blood pressures, talk with the residents, answer questions, and offer referrals. By chance, I met another nurse who had just retired who joined me. We knew we needed a physician to help in this effort to provide medical care to these men. When I heard that Doctor Laura West had retired from her Clayton practice, I contacted her about joining us and she readily agreed to become a part of the healthcare team at Victory Home. We now provide a clinic for the residents every other Wednesday afternoon. Most of the men do not have health insurance or money, creating problems with getting lab tests done. We contacted the Rabun County Health Department to come to our aid. Even with the Health Department’s assistance, additional funding was needed to pay the lab fees, and so St. James has allocated $2000 annually to help provide funding for this much needed lab work. This added a new diagnostic tool and has made a tremendous impact on how Dr. West has been able to treat their medical needs. In addition, the men are also receiving free dental care through the Health Department – thanks to Dr. Tom Callahan.
One of the things we noticed that needed attention was the nutritional status of the men. We began looking for ways to help in this area. There is a greenhouse on the 38-acre property which had been active in past years but had fallen into disarray. In 2018 I talked with the Headwaters Master Gardeners of which I was president, and we submitted a proposal to Victory Home administration to refurbish and utilize the structure. They agreed. The first year with the help of the UGA Extension Agents from Rabun, Habersham, and White counties, we decided to plant a garden to help with fresh food. Unfortunately, it was not a success – it was a new concept, we were unable to incorporate into curriculum in a timely manner, and then there were weather issues - so that approach was put on the back burner.
Recently, I arrived at the greenhouse and saw that the garden area we had developed two years earlier had been tilled. When I asked about it, the men told me they wanted to do a garden, so they found the tiller and they tilled the 40’ x 100’ plot. There are two tractors on site; however, neither of them works, and repairs are cost prohibitive, so they worked the soil by hand to plant early crops. I began exploring ways to find a tractor that they could use – ads, resales, asking around, but with no luck. On a trip to Gainesville, I stopped in to talk with the Kubota sales manager about a tractor. He gave me a brochure and information about the package that is needed in the garden. I mentioned it at the St. James Pastoral Care Team meeting. I then spoke with Pastor Doris+ and the church Vestry. We decided the best way to manage a new tractor was to approach the parish and share that we would like to have a fundraising effort to raise $24,000. The package includes the tractor, tiller, front loader and hitch. I put a deposit on the equipment a few days later.
When I went to Victory Home for the first time, I never dreamed of what would evolve from that first phone call introducing me to Victory Home. I never thought I would be standing in front of you asking to help us get a tractor for these men! Let’s face it, most of us know family and friends who struggle with addiction. We also know that getting treatment can be difficult and costly. Victory Home has found a way to engage these men and help them find sobriety while preparing them with a skill they can use after leaving the program. Getting this tractor will expand future possibilities for work and let them know that folks they don’t know want to invest in their future because we truly want them to succeed. It is a lot of money to ask for, but the investment potential gain is off the charts.
You are invited to open your minds and hearts to a need that is just down the road, in the larger community of St. James. Please prayerfully and consider how you can help.
We are planting seeds. Growing hope. Harvesting a future.
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