A total of 78 individuals attended the grand opening last Saturday.
Submitted Photo
The grand opening of the Steven Goodwin Veteran Center at New Freedom Farm in Buchanan was held on January 4. A total of 78 people, some from as far away as New Jersey, attended the event.
The creation of the center was helped along by local Gold Star parents David and Becky Lalush, who spent the past 48 weekends working on the project. David took vacation days from his regular job in order to assist with the project. Gold Star families are the immediate relatives of United States Armed Forces members who died in battle.
The building that now houses the center was used for breeding equines before Lois Fritz purchased the property on December 21, 2015. The existing agriculture building had a new roof with insulation installed, plumbing, and numerous other additions including an office for Fritz, the founder of New Freedom Farm. She previously used a spare room in her home as the office for the farm. Additionally, veterans who visited the farm previously had to use a portable toilet.
Founded in 2016, New Freedom Farm is for veterans, first responders, and the family members of those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and/or substance abuse. The farm is free for all veterans, first responders and the family members. The program is unique in that it is unstructured, no demographics are collected, and wild mustangs/rescued equines are part of their program.
The building that now houses the center was used for breeding equines before Lois Fritz purchased the property on December 21, 2015.
Submitted Photo
