"The veterans we're doing this for will never really know the names or the faces of the people that are doing it. But they will know that somebody cares, somebody put forth the effort to care about them. That is a really special experience," said Shelby Baecker, Ironstone Farm participant, Navy veteran, and Raytheon employee.
Since the 1970s, Ironstone Farm has been offering retreat programs and equine therapy to children with disabilities, seniors, teens, and — since 2013 — veterans.
"The veteran program began in 2013," said Deedee O'Brien, executive director of Ironstone Farm. "It began as a pilot — we had no idea what it would be about or how effective it would be. But our first pilot retreat was so effective that it's become a big piece of Ironstone Farm."
The farm uses equine therapy, the farm environment, and the homes located on the farm to help veterans relax and reconnect with themselves and loved ones. The program also encourages participants to give back to the community. That's how Baecker ended up working to build Ironstone Farm's veteran retreat farmhouse for veterans just like himself.
And Baecker is far from the only Raytheon employee who helps out at Ironstone Farm.
"In June 2019, we ran out of money to build the veteran center. Today, we are relying solely on volunteer labor. And in May 2019, Rayvets became our heroes," O'Brien said. "The Raytheon veterans came in and started to work on Fridays on the house and it's been their labor that's brought it to where it is right now."
Over the past year, more than 100 local Raytheon employees volunteered at Ironstone Farm to help build the center, assisting with landscaping, painting, installing new windows, stairs and a deck.
"I'm really proud to give back in that way and really humbled to be able to serve my fellow veterans by creating this homefront for them, this comfortable safe sense of community and home where they know that they're valued and they're important and they're there to do something really special for themselves which is, in turn, something really special for the communities in which they live," Baecker said.
Recently, Raytheon took their support for Ironstone Farm one step further with a $50,000 grant so the farm can finish the veteran retreat farmhouse.
"Raytheon has come forward with this financial contribution that's going to allow us to hire skilled labor to do that part of the house — putting in dormers, a new roof, everything else we need to complete the building," O'Brien said.
"Being able to know that an organization, a company as big and international and worldwide as Raytheon has taken this on and people from Raytheon work and get into it and feel at home...it just means so much to us to know that there's a company out there that doesn't just talk the talk. This company walks the walk. And it's really fantastic. We've never experienced that," O'Brien added.
To learn more about Ironstone Farm's programs, visit the website.
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