Statements

Mission

To help people with life challenges through outreach, and interactions with animals and nature.

Background

We are founded in loving memory of Colby Keegan, a talented young Nashville artist and musician, who left us all too soon. Colby's wish was to change the world, so his friends and family founded Colby's Army, to continue the work Colby can no longer do. Now, we are committed to educating people about sustainable practices such as recycling and repurposing. We deliver food, clothing, toiletries, and street supplies to the homeless, and educate them on better nutrition and health/sanitation, such as best COVID-19 prevention practices. We also provide post-housing supportive services and peer support for our homeless and newly housed. Through our PATH therapeutic equestrian program, we teach life skills to those who deal with mental illness; to veterans who struggle after returning to civilian life; and to children and adults with disabilities. We help our most vulnerable through our empowering life skills programs in hopes that all will reach their full potential. And some of our participants, and even our volunteers, are formerly homeless.

Impact

Accomplishments:1. For 10 years we had an annual distribution of more than 1,000 backpacks stocked with toiletries to men and women who are homeless
2. Now, we serve an average of 65 homeless individuals several times weekly with supplies.
3. Being chosen 2018 best nonprofit organization in Cheatham County by readers of the Cheatham County Exchange. Our corporate offices and homeless outreach efforts are solidly in Davidson County, while our learning center, and equestrian and gardening programs, are in Cheatham County.
4. Our organically-grown produce has won many blue ribbons at previous Cheatham County Fairs (not held in 2020) and the produce feeds our homeless.
5. Our float, designed and built by volunteers and participants, has won annual awards in in the Ashland City Christmas Parade.
6. Our therapy horse, Tessie, was named the 2017 PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) Region 5 Equine of the Year, and our volunteer, Robert Light, was named the 2017 PATH Region 5 Volunteer of the Year.
7. Adding three full time employees in the past two years.
8. In 2019 we purchased the learning center property we had leased since 2016 with the help of First Financial Bank.
9. Despite a difficult economy, in 2020, we hired a program director and built a new tack room and a new homeless outreach supply area.
10. In 2021-22 we added a dedicated outreach building and a greenhouse, purchased a truck to haul our outreach trailer, upgraded one bathroom to include a shower, purchased a tractor with a bucket on the front, and are making a large, covered addition to our building to add more functionality.
Goals:
1. To make lighting and other upgrades to our farm facility, as well re-floor one bathroom and add a protective finish to our main barn floor.
2. To expand our therapeutic equestrian and organic gardening programs, since these therapeutic activities are also healing and empowering. To do this, we need more trained volunteers.
3. To increase donations to our homeless outreach program so we can serve more.
4. To add an admin staff member.

Needs

Our main need is financial--to make physical upgrades for improved safety to the farm facility we purchased in 2019. To do this we need another $25,000. We also need laptop computers and iPads for our interns, participants, and volunteers, in-kind donations for our outreach (see a list of items on the giving page of our website), volunteers to organize donations and to help at our farm facility, and a reliable workhorse of a color printer that will work with older Mac and PC computers. Plus, financial gifts to help with hard costs such as utility bills, horse care, insurance, and mortgage payments. Thank you so very much for considering us! We appreciate you!

CEO Statement

Colby was my only child. When he was twelve we were driving down West End Ave. in Nashville and he asked me to stop at McDonalds. I thought he was going to spend his $5 allowance on a meal, but instead he bought four cokes and gave them to four homeless men who were sitting on a nearby rock wall. Colby often came home without his shirt or his shoes because he found someone who needed them more than he did. Later, after he learned to play guitar and harmonica, he'd go to Centennial Park and play for the homeless there, because he felt sad that they rarely got to listen to music. By the time Colby reached his late teens he had been diagnosed with several mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, yet through it all, he always had a smile for his friends. The last six months of his life Colby was so ill he felt most comfortable living on the street. Our three areas of interest: animals, the environment, and people (mental illness, special needs, veterans, and homelessness) were things Colby was passionate about. He so wanted to make the world a better place--and he did. Everyone who knew him was brightened by his presence. But we now want to do more. Much more. We hope you will join the army by sending a financial or in-kind gift, or by sharing our mission among your social networks, or by coming out to our farm facility to volunteer, or help with homeless outreach. We'd love to meet you! Individually we can make a difference. Together we will change the world. Lisa Wysocky, executive director

Board Chair Statement

I became involved with Colby's Army because I saw that this was a small nonprofit that was making a huge, hands-on difference with vulnerable populations. Over the years I have been so proud to sit on the Board and help guide as the organization grows, and I encourage everyone reading this to make a donation, or get involved because at Colby's Army, your dollars truly make a big difference.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Human Services  - Developmentally Disabled Services/Centers
Secondary Category:	Environment  - Environmental Education
Tertiary Category:	Food, Agriculture & Nutrition  - Agricultural Programs

Areas Served

We primarily serve Davidson, Cheatham, Sumner, Robertson, and Montgomery counties, with an emphasis in Davidson and Cheatham. But, our Facebook and other social media pages give updates to supporters across the country. Our farm-based learning center is near Ashland City, and we serve homeless in Davidson County. Participants and volunteers come from eight local Middle Tennessee counties.

TN - Davidson

TN - Cheatham

TN - Dickson

TN - Robertson

TN - Rutherford

TN - Sumner

TN - Williamson

TN - Montgomery