CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Tucked away just off the 63rd street corridor in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood, there is a community of veterans and their families.
"We serve those who served," said Nestor Zavala, Program Manager, Hope Manor II, Hope Manor Village. "We provide affordable housing for veterans. We have five townhouses. We have about 136 units.
"Our goal is to empower veterans to transform their lives in the most positive way possible."
The Volunteers of America of Illinois Hope Manor II is one of the first large-scale, supportive housing developments in the country specifically designed for head of household veterans and their families. The campus-style development, which is home to 73 veterans and their families, was built on land donated by the city of Chicago with low income tax credits for construction and development and has been very intentional and purposeful about adding green space to the property for veterans to use.
Also inside the three to four block radius, is a garden, complete with 16 beds.
"We have individual planters. We have strawberries, cherries, kale, peppers, tomatoes, bird baths, a composting pile. We try to incorporate programming here too," said Zavala, who said it's become a bit of a sanctuary for Hope Manor residents.
"I do the day to day maintenance, but people can adopt a bed and plant what they want. Beautification tends to decrease crime. That's the first thing. People are looking for a tranquil spot, it's outdoors and it's open and they can make it their own."
"We have individual planters. We have strawberries, cherries, kale, peppers, tomatoes, bird baths, a composting pile. We try to incorporate programming here too," said Zavala, who said it's become a bit of a sanctuary for Hope Manor residents.WBBM Newsradio/Lisa Fielding
Studies show there is a startling lack of green spaces in communities of color compared to predominantly white neighborhoods. Nationally, 78 percent of people of color live in census tracts considered "nature-deprived," compared to 21 percent of white residents.
For veteran Jennipher Buckner, Hope Garden has become her favorite place to escape and recharge.
"It's my peace garden," she laughed.
But things weren't always so peaceful for her and her three kids. She enlisted in the U.S Air Force at age 19. Five years later, she was making the transition back to civilian life.
"I was the first woman in my family to enlist into the military. Life after the military is difficult, and adjusting to civilian society is not easy," Buckner said.
After struggling with three jobs, her mental and physical health deteriorated.
"I didn't have resources available to me, I started spiraling down. I was homeless," she recalled, shaking her head.
For veteran Jennipher Buckner, Hope Garden has become her favorite place to escape and recharge.WBBM Newsradio/Lisa Fielding
Zavala said Hope Manor and Hope Garden is designed to help veterans with employment and specifically mental health.
"As program manager, I focus on the therapeutic benefit from these gardens. Planting is one thing, but it's also beneficial for someone who doesn't get involved in any other activity here. It's about setting goals and planning things out. That's what is often missing for our residents. They get a lot of poetic perspective from this," he said.
Zavala said Hope Manor and Hope Garden is designed to help veterans with employment and specifically mental health.WBBM Newsradio/Lisa Fielding
Buckner said Hope Manor, and now the Hope Garden, has literally saved her life, a resident now for four years.
"This place is a blessing. It is a beautiful community in the middle of Englewood. You would not expect this to be here, but the neighbors and camaraderie and the military families that are here, we are each other's support system. The love that has developed in this community is remarkable," she said.
Bucker said being a resident at Hope Manor is her first step toward recovery.
"I take it day by day. It's great for now, but I want my own home. I hope to move me and my children to Hawaii. A place that's my own kind of paradise," she smiled.
