One Man's Story Of A Fifteen Year Journey Coming To Its Success !

This story is absolutely not mine alone. It involves many others who shared the journey. I named them all at the end of this article and you can read their bio on our web site. www.rocklandhomesforheroes.org.

The pre-story began more than half a Century ago when I was part of a group of visionaries whose passions were bringing forth appropriate homes for our intellectually disabled and mentally ill in our county being discharged from the local State institutions of Letchworth Village in the north County and the Rockland Psychiatric Center in Orangetown.

The first was Camp Venture, which I did not have a hand in its creation, but served as its President for 42 years. It is still serving our intellectually disabled so very admirably. Soon after I was just one of five who created "Loeb House Inc." to provide appropriate homes for our mentally ill and now is Rockland County's largest provider of more than 150 beds. I served its as President for more than 3 decades. Here is its record.

Loeb House, Inc. Established in 1982

Davis House: 14-Beds

Lukens House: 12-Beds

Monsignor James Cox Apts.: 30-Beds

Keahon House: 12-Beds

Supportive Housing: 63-Beds

Take Five Respite Program: 2-Beds

TOTAL BEDS = 186

Joseph’s Home, Inc. Established in 1997 {Named after my late Brother]

Adult Home: 86 Beds opened in 1995

Missing In America (MIA): 26-Beds opened in 1997 [for veterans]

Maggie Conway House: 20-Bed opened in 1997

Fred Hecht Drive: 24 Units opened in 2002 [for the homeless]

After these wonderful experiences, I decided to ask "Loeb House, Inc." to help me do something for homes for homeless veterans and "Rockland Homes For Heroes" was born in 2009.

"Rockland Homes for Heroes Inc." is a Not-For-Profit 501[c]3 charity. It consist of just 7 people who are the unpaid volunteers on the Board Of Directors. We have no staff. We contract for our services from "Loeb House, Inc.', which is also a Not-For-Profit 501[c]3 charity with decades of experience. Duplication would just cost money much needed.

We were ready and determined. Our 15 year journey/vision began. Our first success was securing a lease on a parcel of the historic "Camp Shanks" in Tappan, which was declared surplus only for its use to serve the homeless. Before you know it we built 8 permanent affordable supported apartments on the former Rockland headquarters of the former 1950 Nike Missile Program right on Western Highway in Tappan, Orangetown.

The financing came from the Federal Government and the Project Manager came from our County Government. The public embraced the Project and became an every day "Christmas Day" with contributed food, meals, clothes, gift cards and help with the landscaping. It was so successful for almost ten years "Rockland Homes for Heroes, Inc." decided to build 14 more apartment homes on the second tier of the site on former Nike Missile headquarters and class rooms.

This was made possible by "Loeb House Inc.", the New York State Homeless Housing and Assistance Program [HHAP] of the State Office of Temporary Disability Assistance [OTDA], with financial help of the NYS Homes and Community Renewal [HCR] and Leviticus. We also enjoyed advice from the NYS Energy Research & Development Authority, the result of which we earned national attention. There were many others also. What was more than magically and still is - the generosity of the people and businesses of Rockland. See for yourself by visiting the website www.rocklandhomesforheroes.org DONOR Wall. Two businesses worthy of mention are Home Depot and Raymour & Flanagan Furniture/Mattresses. The web site is worth visiting.

We were also blessed by the daily"" hands-on" design by Architect Toni Arwen Knowledge of the Ives Architect and built by Keith Tibolt of the AHC LLC Construction Company, both of whom have the passion for serving our veterans and created a prize winning model.

Well, we are getting ready to identify the 14 homeless veterans who qualify for a permanent home apartment that is equivalent in design to the commercial market. Equally the models are in a lovely location on Western Highway in the hamlet of Tappan.

We intended and are a model to set an example vis a vis to contribute vacant unused government property to willing builders of homes like ours, not institutions, for our homeless veterans.

A home is as necessary as clothing, water, food, all of which must be heathy for body, mind and happiness. God bless everyone who helped made our dream come true and made a permanent home for someone who wore the uniform of protection of America around the world.

Please visit our web site or reach out to murphy6288@icloud.com. And think about making a contribution.

The unsalaried volunteer members of the Rockland Homes for Heroes Inc., Board of Directors

in alpha order are

John Manifold [Army Veteran with Purple Heart], Carlos Martinez, Tom Micelli [Army Veteran], John Allen Murphy [Marine Veteran], Monica Toscano, Will Warren, Marty Wortendyke