They’re a business of hope

Roxann Scott as well as Duan and Darlene Medaris are in the business of hope.

With the grand opening of the Veterans Center conveniently located in town, they say it will act as a hub with a triage of services to give hope back to those who served.

“For too long people haven’t taken care of our veterans,” said Daun Medaris at the Forget Me Not Veterans Center grand opening on Jan. 8. “What our vision is, is to have like-minded veterans and citizens working together and building a community for our veterans.”

A Facebook live video of the Veterans Center Grand Opening reached over 2,100 views in just a couple days and he’s received phone calls and support from people all over the country.

The event drew in over sixty people in person and Duan Medaris said the support over the last couple of months has been incredible, especially at the grand opening of their Forget Me Not Park on Veterans Day last year.

The Forget Me Not Veterans Center, a non-profit, is located at 705 D California Street in Socorro. They will offer services to help veterans with complicated paperwork and resources. They also can connect them to Dr. Charlene Montoya, a 100 percent disabled veteran, who is a licensed mental health counselor and specializes in PTSD in Veterans.

At the center, veterans can get vocational training and have access to the Forget Me Not thrift store where they can pick out nice clothes for work. They will even be able catch rides to the 24-acre Forget Me Not Park in San Marcial that provides safe housing for homeless vets.

The park will soon have five homes and currently homes two vets and a “gold star mom”, a mother who has lost a child who was serving. It is complete with a chow hall, a church, and other service amenity.

The coming together of the project, which includes the center, a park and thrift store, has been nothing short of dozens of collaborations and small miracles according to Daun Medaris. From Mike and Mary Smith who they bought the property from, to the fundraising of the VFW , donations from the city and many private individuals. He feels that the impeccable timing of the way it’s come together has not been a coincidence.

“This is a bipartisan issue, every person in the United States has a family member who was a veteran. You start taking care of vets … guess what people are going to start to fall in place. That’s where the money needs to be going to the people who fought for the rights that we have.” Daun Medaris said.

For Daun Medaris there are no limitations to this project. He said he could put up to 50 homes at the park with the potential to buy more property given funding.

“I’m sure you can tell we’ve got passion about this.” Daun Medaris said.

The Forget Me Not Veterans Center will be hosting a free veteran tax service in March. For more information about the Forget Me Not Veteran’s Center please call Roxann Scott at 505-980-0370.