CLEVELAND — Some Northeast Ohio veterans noticed a lack of resources for their community, so they took matters into their own hands, creating what started as a peaceful space where veterans could come relax or talk.
That space has grown over time, and now there’s a push for funding to create a housing development for homeless vets at the east side location.
Walter Collins, affectionately known as “Uncle Walt” to many in the community, is one of the veterans spearheading these efforts.
“I’m a 13-year army veteran, 11 years of active duty,” he said.
These days, Collins spends most of his time at RID-ALL, the urban farm founded by his late friend Damien Forshe, who wasn’t a veteran himself, but always fought so hard for their community, Collins didn’t know Forshe didn’t serve until months into working with him.
“I had no idea he wasn’t a veteran because he always worked so hard and talked so hard about veterans that I just assumed he was always a veteran,” Collins said.
Collins said many veterans suffer from “invisible wounds” like PTSD and depression, and it can be hard to seek the help they need, which is why at RID-ALL, they created a space just for veterans to heal.
“A place like this, really helps you,” Collins said. “The colors, odors, it’s meant to help us.”
The mastermind behind that garden space is David Hester, better known as “Dr. Greenhand.”
“The first set of people that came in, I asked them a question. ‘How did you feel when you first came in?’ And, the results were so positive, I said ‘Okay, I’m on to something here. I’m onto something here,” Hester said. “I may not be a medical doctor, but I understand human nature and feelings.”
This space wasn’t always so peaceful.
“We in the middle of what everybody call the hood,” Collins said. “Actually, they used to call this area the lost triangle.”
The 26-acre farm took the place of what was a deserted dump, after several houses burned down and people started leaving trash there.
Forshe saw the forgotten spot as an opportunity to create something healing for the community.
“You have to come here and see this to recognize, somebody special have a hand in this,” Collins said.
Before he passed in 2018, Forshe showed Collins plans for a housing development for veterans experiencing homelessness bearing Collins’ name, as the Walter Collins Veteran Housing and Services Facility.
“Truly, truly honored,” Collin said. “But didn’t know why.”
An ordinance that would allocate $750,000 toward the project has been introduced to Cleveland City Council and is currently under administrative review.
Collins said even though it’s taken a long time to bring the plans to fruition, they’re getting close, and he won’t give up on his good friend’s dream until he sees it through.
“The night before he passed, he was coming down the steps and he said, ‘Uncle Walt, we right there. We almost there,’” Collins said.
The Walt Collins Veteran Housing and Service Center will have 11 units for low-income veterans and families.
Those residents will also have access to urban agriculture training at RID-ALL.
Union Miles Development Company plans to break ground in August.
