Marty Weber wanted to honor his late partner with this project, and was able to team up with another local advocate to get the project in New Jersey rolling.
A quiet home in New Jersey is set to be built for homeless veterans who are struggling with addiction and mental illness, and it’s thanks to the kindness of a man who decided to donate 36 acres of land in Barnegat Township to the cause. The place will be known as Jeff’s Camp.
Marty Weber, an Army veteran, wanted to do something in honor of his late partner Jeff Poissant, who was also veteran, that would give back to the community. The pair had been together for three decades, but four years ago Poissant died of bladder cancer at the age of 56.
“I lost my best friend, my life partner of 31 years,” Weber told Inside Edition Digital.
Earlier this year, Weber was asking for a sign to honor Poissant. He said he prayed asking God for a sign, saying “What do I do?”
The very next day, Weber said he found a paper that Poissant had written on. “Help the vets,” it read.
“So here I am, I want to do something for the vets. The government's not doing anything for them,” Weber said.
Once Weber had the idea in his head, someone recommended he got in touch with Paul Hulse, who operates Just Believe, a homeless outreach organization in Tom’s River.
The pair met and Weber showed Hulse his 36-acre property, and at first offered to donate 20 acres of it to bring the vision alive.
The pair came up with the idea of a future property that will have a multi-family home that would serve as a sober living home for seven or eight veterans. Another part of the property will also offer medical services, including detoxification and Intensive Outpatient Therapy resources, through an organization called New Life. A thrift store will also be on the site.
After having several more meetings, Weber offered to donate all 36 acres to the project. Weber and Hulse hope to break ground on the project in the fall, and expect the project to take around three years to complete.
They’re currently in the fundraising stage, as it will cost about $2.5 million to bring the dream to fruition.
“The ultimate hope for the project is to help as many people as possible,” Hulse said. “Once we open the doors to be able to have those services there to provide and help the community. That's the key.”
For Weber, the project feels like a spiritual calling. Weber said if Poissant knew about this project, he would “put his arms around me, hug me, and cry.”
“It means the world to me,” Weber said of the project.
