Veterans nonprofit opens first physical location in Castle Rock (2024)

After six years, a Cowlitz County nonprofit dedicated to connecting veterans to resources has its own physical location inside a row of shops in downtown Castle Rock.

The small two-room space offers room for local veterans to connect with each other, participate in peer support groups, and meet with service providers such as counselors, through the 501(c)(3) HEVIN, which stands for Helping Every Veteran in Need.

“We want to have a place for veterans to come and gather, have coffee, just make connections with each other,” HEVIN founder Rhonda Black said.

The organization doesn’t have set hours today, but operates mostly on an as-needed basis, with Black available to answer calls at any time.

An open house to view the new building, located on 4 Cowlitz St. W., is scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday.

Castle Rock Auto Licensing owner Amy Hair offered to let HEVIN use the space, which is located next door to her own business. The first year of rent is free, and Hair pays for water and power in the space.

Much of HEVIN’s model is built on similar donations and volunteer effort both from community members and from veterans, who the nonprofit has helped in the past and are looking to pay that assistance forward.

“Veterans don’t like help,” said Rich Black, Rhonda’s husband and co-founder. “They’re prideful, but then if you ask them to give back, they’re just like, ‘I’ll be there any time, any day you say,’ because they want to get that monkey off their back.”

Rich Black is himself an Air Force veteran.

Aging population

HEVIN was formed in 2018 by the Blacks after they said a veteran friend was embarrassed to receive aid from the couple to cover expenses. Rhonda Black said veterans’ tough personas can sometimes make it difficult to admit they need help, so HEVIN makes it easier for veterans to accept funds from an organization rather than someone they know.

And veterans at home, like across the country, are aging. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 8,500 veterans live in Cowlitz County, with the vast majority over 50 and many with limited abilities.

About 80% are 55 years or older, the Census reports, and over a third of all county veterans are disabled, compared to 21% of nonveterans in the county.

HEVIN helps veterans by connecting them with other area support groups like the food bank FISH of Cowlitz County, or the Veteran Integration Program through Housing Opportunities for Southwest Washington which helps homeless veterans. HEVIN also provides assistance for veterans applying for benefits and paying certain living expenses, as well as distributing donated items from dishes to used cars.

“I’m really like an advocate for them,” Rhonda Black said. “I’ll call places because it’s hard for them, especially if you’re homeless or you have trauma or stress. It’s hard to concentrate or know what to do, so I’ll be the middle person.”

Having a physical space will allow HEVIN to offer additional services such as a private place for veterans to meet with caseworkers as they work toward acquiring benefits like housing assistance. Some counselors have offered to volunteer their time, and the organization hopes to offer support groups for veterans as well as their family members.

In the future, Rhonda Black said she hopes HEVIN will be able to offer more community events like bowling and hiking days and have regular opening hours at the new location.

One long-term goal is for HEVIN to open a staffed community center in Longview where veterans could access the various resources and services they need in one location rather than having to go to many different places.

“It’s tough now because we’re helping connect them with resources, but they still have to navigate through it all to get to those resources,” Rich Black said. “If it was centrally located, that would make it easy.”