LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On Sunday, Veteran’s Club members participated in Operation Jeep Build, an event that allowed veterans to work and train on rebuilding donated Jeeps from the ground up.

The event served as a community-building outreach program as well as an educational and vocational one. Geahr Offroad volunteers and other Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) master technicians donated their time to help lead the event.

“The big-time goal for this is for veterans to build their own Jeep and to leave with their own certification in case they wanted to do this as a career or as a hobby,” said Jeremy Harrell, the founder, and CEO of Veteran’s Club.

Operation Jeep Build has benefited from the kindness and support of the community. The 1997 Jeep that was front and center in the rebuilding effort Sunday was donated by a benefactor in Bullitt County. The community support doesn’t just end in Kentuckiana. Parts for the rebuild were even donated from a company out of Rhode Island.

The support and enthusiasm for this project bring joy and satisfaction to the Veteran’s Club.

“It’s really nice to watch these vets come tougher in the shop,” Harrell said. “To work on something and use their hands.”

Operation Jeep Build is just one of the programming offerings the Veteran’s Club has for Kentucky veterans. The equine therapy program, barbecues, the Jeep off-roading program, and other community-building activities are all about helping build connections and friendships.

“We want to create as many opportunities as we can to stay engaged in front of each other,” Harrell said. “Part of the mission is to get veterans out into the community and meet other veterans."