KIDDER TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- An empty plot of land near Lake Harmony in Carbon County will soon be a place for veterans to "retreat" to.
Officials in Kidder Township gave Valor Clinic Foundation, an organization that helps veterans get back on their feet, the green light to build a camp and retreat facility in this area.
"We are really hoping to be able to reach more vets and this is going to provide us a tremendous opportunity to do that," Mark Baylis said.
Baylis, the founder of the organization, says the land was donated to them.
The retreat will be part of the Veterans Unstoppable program, which holds retreats for veterans wherever space is available.
Baylis says that can be costly, so a place of their own will help.
"We have a great opportunity now to bring the cost down so we can help more veterans on the same amount of money by building our own facility in Kidder Township."
The new facility won't be one building. It will actually be three separate buildings on this piece of land and each one will have its own purpose.
This is a rendering of what the dormitory building will look like.
The other buildings will be similar and have meeting rooms, a cafeteria, and more.
Baylis says they will also offer recreational therapy.
"When they apply themselves, they do very well. We are excited about it and having a place to do it, where it's our place to do it and setting it up like that is what we do, it's a perfect set up for that and it's tremendously exciting."
Baylis says now that they have permission to build the retreat, it's time to put the finishing touches on the construction plans.
There is no set date on when that work might begin.