Finding Peace from the
Hidden Battle
Our mission is to mentor Veterans while providing farming opportunity in safe and supportive environments where they can achieve wellness themselves and produce healthy food for our nation.
More about the mission and value of VetREST: helping Veterans navigate their return to civilian life through mentoring and hands-on small-scale farming.
Upcoming Events
- Bybee Lakes Victory Garden Harvest Workdays 2025
Join us Saturdays: * August 16, 2025 (Summer Harvest) / * October 18, 2025 (Fall Harvest & Clean Up), 10am – 1pm, Bybee Lakes Victory Garden
- Cathedral Park Planting with Portland Parks & Rec
Come join us April 18, 2025, to spruce up the Cathedral Park Nature Patch under the majestic St. Johns bridge in N Portland.
Help us Mentor Veterans with Our New
National Mentoring Program
VetREST seeks to create, develop, and implement a national mentoring program to help our Veterans goal set, plan, and face life's challenges with healthy mechanisms and resources.
Our goal is to assist 50 Veterans across 10 states. Learn how you can sponsor this important endeavor and help our nation’s heroes.
About Our Victory Gardens
VetREST in the News
What people have to say:
Give Back to the Community
It has been a privilege to be part of Victory Garden projects with VetREST. As a Veteran myself, I really enjoy my time helping in these outdoor projects. It provides a way to give back to the community, to learn about gardening, to relax, and to engage with other people that are looking for peace in their lives.
Supportive Atmosphere while Providing a Peaceful Environment
I am both an Army Veteran and serve as the Metro Administrator for the Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA chapter of Team Rubicon, a humanitarian and disaster response non-profit that is founded and led by Veterans. My team has established a local relationship with VetRest in the Greater Portland Metropolitan Area that has produced positive results for all concerned over the past four years. I have also found their positive mission of mentoring Veterans in a supportive atmosphere while providing a peaceful environment within which to serve the community one that resonates personally, and which aligns well with the value set of my fellow volunteers.
Building a Sense of Ownership and responsibility
From the very beginning of our work together the [VetREST] team were both intentional and inclusive. At our visioning session VetREST made sure that all voices were represented, most importantly the folks that were going to use and share the space most. They built a sense of ownership and responsibility within this community which is priceless for people experiencing houselessness.
Teaching the Public about Plants
VetREST and the Victory Garden at the Bybee Lakes Hope Center help support our primary mission to educate Oregonians about the art and science of growing and caring for plants by providing science-based information about the benefits of sustainable gardening.
More than Just a Beautiful Place
With hours and hours of hard work, events, and strategic planning from Bybee Lakes Hope Center and VetREST, we have accomplished so much. This Victory Garden is more than just a beautiful place, it is a place that provides nutrition, life skills, community, support, encouragement, growth, volunteer opportunities, education and so much more.
Give Back to the Community
It has been a privilege to be part of Victory Garden projects with VetREST. As a Veteran myself, I really enjoy my time helping in these outdoor projects. It provides a way to give back to the community, to learn about gardening, to relax, and to engage with other people that are looking for peace in their lives.
Supportive Atmosphere while Providing a Peaceful Environment
I am both an Army Veteran and serve as the Metro Administrator for the Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA chapter of Team Rubicon, a humanitarian and disaster response non-profit that is founded and led by Veterans. My team has established a local relationship with VetRest in the Greater Portland Metropolitan Area that has produced positive results for all concerned over the past four years. I have also found their positive mission of mentoring Veterans in a supportive atmosphere while providing a peaceful environment within which to serve the community one that resonates personally, and which aligns well with the value set of my fellow volunteers.