Blessed To Be Offering Others A Second Chance
At the Everett Ranch company in Palmer they are building more than great looking landscapes.
Rich Everett and his wife Vicki are helping others build lives, particularly military veterans and folks in recovery from substance abuse rehab.
Why do this? There are a variety of reasons, but Rich said the main reason is simply, “I would say is it’s just what we are supposed to do. I love it,” he said. “Watching them expand and to learn something new is awesome. Most of them are city folk, so they really learn a lot.
“We repurpose everything. From broken branches because of a storm to ruined plants from a freeze. If it’s edible for the goats and donkeys to compost we use it.”
Rich and Vicki have a lifelong respect for those who have served the country in the military. Between them, their families have served in all branches.
“They all crack on one another. Branch to branch. But they all stick together,” Rich said.
“Hiring our military vets requires an understanding and respect. They have seen things. They have done things. Heck, they signed their name on the line to give everything that they have so that we can have what we have.
‘An Honor To Work With Those That Have Served’
“The problem is sometimes when they come home they struggle fitting in. They feel like no one hears them, no one is listening and we don’t care about them or their struggles. These men and women need that freedom that they fought and served for.”
And that’s where Rich and Vicki and Everett Ranch come in. They help provide that opportunity for struggling veterans.
“Working with these men and women is an honor. I wouldn’t know much if my grandpas did not teach me,” Rich said.
Helping those from rehab started when their own son went to a facility, Rich said.
“When he finished I thought he was coming home, but he then went on to a clean living facility where they are allowed to work and drive and so on,” he said. “Often, they are jobless and can’t find work to accommodate their tight schedule of doctor visits, psychiatrist and group meetings. So I began to give them a shot, and it has blessed me tremendously.”
From The Northwest to the Southwest
The Everetts’ adventure in Texas began in 2007 when they moved across the country by way of Illinois. They have been together, however, since high school.
“No more south side for us. No more burbs,” he said.
Two years later they began their ranch with the hopes and dreams of having a family ranch and business. But on July 14 of 2011 they lost everything they had acquired in a house fire.
“I remember it like it was yesterday. God pulled us through that. We temporarily lived in an RV on our land until our home was rebuilt,” Rich said.
“Our adventure called life continued on. A wonderful older couple taught us the inside and outs of the dairy goat business. Excavation and landscape was work I did.”
The company is dedicated to Rich’s grandfather.
“He accomplished a lot. So have many others in our family,” he said.
“My life’s learning moments were most defined in the men and women who came before me. I remember hearing grandpa say one day, ‘You don’t act like that we are Everetts. It stuck with me.”
Also, they are hiring, so if you are looking to work outside in the dirt, having fun while helping others give Rich a call at 972-825-1304.
