Our Work

We Build Victory Gardens for Community and Veterans

Our mission is to coach Veterans while providing farming opportunity in safe and supportive environments where they can achieve wellness themselves and produce healthy food for our nation. Through our Victory Gardens, we offer therapeutic horticulture which uses plant- and nature-based activities to work toward the psychological, physical, cognitive, social, spiritual, and vocational goals of our participants.

VetREST currently has three Victory Gardens in operation. The Bomber Restaurant in Milwaukie, St. Johns Village in Portland, and our Flagship Garden at Bybee Lakes Hope Center in North Portland. Additional Victory Gardens are currently in the visioning and development stages.

Learn more about our Bybee Lakes Hope Center Victory Garden.

Metro Central Victory Garden at St. Johns Village

Metro Central Victory Garden photo with volunteer watering some plants
In 2022, a new Victory Garden at St John’s Village in North Portland was envisioned and planned. Chartered through a Metro Central Enhancements grant, this place of peace brings refuge and rest to the participants of the host village, a 19-unit transitional housing supportive community led by Do Good Multnomah. The Garden features various trees, plants, a one-of-a-kind handmade bench, and a tranquil water feature. Three Veteran-owned companies were utilized in the creation of this Garden.

Recent soil enhancement project at the
VetREST Bybee Lakes Hope Center Victory Garden

History: Why a Victory Garden? (courtesy HistoryChannel.com)

I Want to Volunteer!

Our Projects and Events

  • Cut Flower SubscriptionsCut Flower Subscriptions
    Flowers for Peace ~ Thank you  2026 Subscribers! We wish to thank our inaugural Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Subscribers to our Cut Flower Bouquet program based at the Bybee Lakes Hope Center Victory Garden. We had fun crafting cut flowers into beautiful floral bouquets that we offered during the summer of 2026 to our subscribers and ...
  • Bybee Lakes Victory Garden Volunteer DaysBybee Lakes Victory Garden Volunteer Days
    Join us every other Wednesday, April through September, as we volunteer in the Garden to provide food for the BL Hope Center community.
  • Bybee Lakes Victory Garden EventsBybee Lakes Victory Garden Events
    We are winding down our 2026 harvest and want you to join us Saturday, October 17, in celebrating!
  • BLVG Mason Bee EventBLVG Mason Bee Event
    Learn how mason bees are helping out our Victory Garden in more ways than one.
  • Therapeutic HorticultureTherapeutic Horticulture
    VetREST’s Therapeutic Horticulture series aims to bring the healing power of working and tending the land to Veterans in the Portland Metro area.
  • Cathedral Park Planting with Portland Parks & RecCathedral Park Planting with Portland Parks & Rec
    Thank you for joining us Friday, November 7, 2025, for our recent planting at the Cathedral Park Nature Patch. Photos now posted + see progress since April
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