After the closure of the Victory Center at Jacksonville State, four women veterans made it their mission to establish a regional resource center for veterans in Etowah County, with a long-term vision of creating a community where women veterans and their children can access housing and multiple support services in one location.
In May 2026, after a year and five months of operation, the Victory Center at Jacksonville State University lost its grant funding. The college made the decision to close the center, which had provided services to veterans across 15 counties.
“We are talking 53,000 that we know of with no support whatsoever,” Dr. Shirley E. Johnson said.
So, before the envisioned residential community can become a reality, the organization decided to put all its focus on establishing its first major project: a regional veterans resource center.
The proposed center would serve veterans of all genders and, where appropriate, their families. Organizers hope it will provide a centralized location where veterans can learn about available benefits, connect with resources and receive assistance navigating the systems designed to help them.
The women are working with Three Notch Engineering to develop plans for the resource center. They are also considering a modular building as a way to begin providing services sooner while working toward a more permanent facility.
They hope to begin construction in early 2027, with the goal of opening around April or May.
The resource center is also expected to serve as a starting point for workforce development initiatives. Organizers are exploring a solar energy project that could include training opportunities in electrical work and other related fields.
Johnson has donated 18 acres for the proposed development, designating four acres for services and the remaining 14 acres for housing.
As the founders researched the needs of the veteran community, they became particularly interested in the challenges facing women veterans, whom they described as an underserved and often overlooked population.
“We found out that the women veterans are the fastest-growing veteran population and the most underserved,” Johnson said. “We went together to a conference in D.C. about homelessness. We asked some of the organizations… “what about the females?” “Oh, we don’t do females. They’re too much trouble.” They were serious.”
This is why the foundation is so important, according to Dr. Beth A. Vivaldi, vice president of housing.
“Too many organizations cannot figure out the issues for women,” Vivaldi said. “We’re women. We know.”
“We know,” Johnson added.
“We know the issues,” Vivaldi said. “We know before they walk in the door. We know what they need… Certainly, our focus is on them is totally different from any other veteran organization that is run by the government.”
Vivaldi helped develop the name Sonaga, which the group said represents coming together and gathering as a community. The founders also wanted the organization to have a Christian foundation.
The foundation’s leadership team also includes Ritter who is the vice president of services, and Kamarie N. Cunningham, director of information and communications technology.
The planned program would provide transitional housing for one to two years, giving residents time to regain stability and work toward independence.
Organizers envision offering child care, workforce development, entrepreneurship opportunities and equine-assisted therapy, among other services. They also want to establish a business incubator to help residents develop business plans, explore funding opportunities and pursue entrepreneurship.
“We are bringing up a business incubator,” Vivaldi said. “The business incubator is to teach them how to do a business plan, how to bring a business up, entrepreneurship.”
The group hopes the project could eventually help generate income to support the center’s operations while creating employment opportunities for veterans and other members of the community.
Although the organization is still in its development stages, its founders said they have been accumulating equipment and working to establish relationships with other organizations that can help move the projects forward.
They are now seeking community partnerships, particularly with veteran-owned businesses, local employers and organizations that can help connect veterans with services. Their hope is to build relationships with veterans organizations throughout the region to spread awareness of available benefits and resources.
The founders emphasized that they are not asking businesses to make an immediate financial commitment but would welcome conversations about collaboration and potential ways to help.
“There’s no centralized resources for anything out there,” one organizer said. “A lot of veterans don’t even know what’s available to them.”
The group wants the resource center to help veterans identify the assistance they need, even when those services are not offered directly through the organization.
“If our resource center does not have what they need, we’re going to be able to tell them where they can go,” Vivaldi said. “We’re not sending them home.”
For the founders, the ultimate goal is to create a place where veterans feel supported and have the opportunity to rebuild their lives.
They hope Sonaga Village will eventually welcome women veterans from beyond Alabama, offering a place to establish a new beginning while building connections with others who understand their experiences.
In the meantime, organizers are asking the community to learn more about the initiative, share its mission and consider opportunities to become involved as the projects develop.
