BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV) – The 50 Mile March Foundation purchased 7 acres land in Bellevue for the Community of Hope Campus. The campus will include a community center and resources for veterans and their families.
- 50 Mile March Foundation purchased 7 acres in Bellevue for The Community of Hope Campus project.
- Campus will feature a community center and housing for veterans and families.
- Services will include mental health and addiction recovery support.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The 50 Mile March Foundation Purchased 7 acres of land near 36th Street and Caphart Road to create the Community of Hope Campus, a place for veterans to connect with resources and their community.
Jay Miralles, co-founder of The 50 Mile March Foundation and a veteran himself, said he wanted to create a safe space for veterans to find any resource they may need.
"I wanted a centralized function, coordinated services where I could show up, meet other people where it didn't feel like I was under a microscope and I could be with people who were of me, like me,” Miralles said.
The foundation focuses on bringing awareness to veterans experiencing homeless and mental health challenges. And what started five years ago as a march from Lincoln to Omaha, has into a plot of land that will soon become a campus for veterans to connect.
“It almost unbelievable to think was in place that I really needed this place now to a place where we are going to be able to provide to our brothers and sisters to who need this the most,” he said “It means the word to us.”
Brianne Schuler, executive director said the foundation felt strongly about putting the Community of Hope Campus in Sarpy County.
"We have such beautiful veteran community here, we really want to be of the community we know there's a huge upswelling of support here but there also a need,” Schuler said.
The campus will be open to all veterans and their families.
"Camaraderie is the core of the military and I am telling you they are going to find camaraderie here,” Miralles said.
The foundation hopes to have the community center completed by 2027, followed by housing.
