SHELBYVILLE, Ky. – A Kentucky nonprofit started by a medically-retired combat veteran brought home some hardware.

Earlier this month, the Veteran’s Club received the Patriots Award from the American Freedom Fund.

The annual Patriots Award is given to a nonprofit organization or individual that has demonstrated positive, measurable impact in one or more of the following areas: combating the unnecessary criminalization of mental illness and extended incarceration amongst Veterans; facilitating access for Veterans to the legal support and justice they, their families, and their caregivers deserve; and combating the increasing rate of homelessness amongst the Veteran community.

Jeremy Harrell founded the group about two years ago and said that the group has swelled into a community for more than 3,000 Kentucky veterans and their families. They’ve made headlines in the past with their equine therapy program, but offer a whole host of services.

Recently the Veteran’s Club is working on a newly planned development for homeless veterans that’ll be known as Camp Restoration. It will be a place that’ll let homeless veterans turn their lives around for a year. They’ll live in a furbished container home and have access to therapists and professional training.

“I can’t sit around any more big tables and listen to these great ideas and then nobody does the work,” said Harrell. “I want to take a leap of faith and do what I can.”

Harrell said that the community has rallied around the programming and message the Veteran’s Group is all about.

“Since we’ve been doing this, it’s inspired a bunch of other people,” said Harrell. “I hear often, ‘Jeremy you’ve inspired us to want to do more’.”

Harrell said that Camp Restoration hopes to break ground at the end of January.