Valor Ranch is a nonprofit organization in Decatur, Texas, providing temporary supportive housing and a safe place to rebuild for women veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Known as SHEROES, residents typically spend up to a year living independently in furnished cottages while caring for livestock, growing food, and developing the skills and stability needed to transition into permanent housing. Valor Ranch’s mission is captured in its name: Serving, Honoring, Empowering, Restoring Our Esteemed Servicewomen.
Project Overview:
At Valor Ranch, rebuilding means more than finding a safe place to live. Daily life gives SHEROES opportunities to develop practical skills, rediscover a sense of purpose, and become part of a supportive community. The ranch’s Healing Garden plays an important role in this journey, bringing together hands-on learning, sustainable food production, and community connection.
Everybody Solar is partnering with Valor Ranch to explore solar energy solutions for the Healing Garden, with the potential to expand solar power to the ranch’s residential houses as well. The garden’s aquaponics system allows women veterans to care for living systems, develop practical skills, and grow fresh food. By combining fish and plant cultivation in a closed-loop environment, the garden offers both a meaningful learning experience and an opportunity to increase access to fresh produce. Valor Ranch estimates that the garden could eventually provide fresh food to more than 5,000 families each year.
Reliable electricity is essential to keeping the aquaponics system operating. Pumps continuously circulate water, and aeration systems maintain the oxygen levels fish need to thrive. Solar energy could help offset the electricity required to run these systems, while a potential expansion to the ranch’s houses could further support the community’s energy needs.
The project’s final scope, fundraising goal, and anticipated environmental benefits are still being developed. As planning progresses, Everybody Solar and Valor Ranch will refine the proposed solar installation, update the fundraising target, and share confirmed system specifications and projected impact figures, including expected annual clean electricity generation and estimated carbon emissions avoided. These details will be updated as the project design and energy needs are finalized.
By investing in solar energy, this project has the potential to make the Healing Garden more sustainable while exploring additional ways to reduce energy costs across Valor Ranch. Savings on electricity could help preserve resources for the housing, food, and supportive services that empower women veterans to rebuild their lives.
Supporting solar at Valor Ranch means investing in the possibility of a more sustainable future—one that supports women veterans as they build skills, regain independence, and strengthen their community, while helping create a more resilient source of food, energy, and care for years to come.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, women veterans are more than twice as likely to experience homelessness as women who have never served.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA News, March 26, 2022.
"This strategic investment in solar energy not only supports environmental sustainability but also strengthens our financial resilience. It ensures that more resources are available to directly serve those in need—empowering veterans, nourishing families, and building a healthier, more self-sufficient community.", says Keri Anne Wilcox, Executive Director at Valor Ranch
Annual Impact:
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THANK YOU to individuals and organizations who have made contributions to help bring solar to the Valor Ranch!
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