Reserve war vets home considering expansion

Published 12:00 am Saturday, July 17, 2010

By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

RESERVE – With assistance from the state Office of Veterans Affairs, the Southeast Louisiana War Veterans Home in Reserve will undergo renovations to improve the facilities and make things more comfortable for the ever-growing population of retired veterans.

Robin Keller, press secretary for State Veterans Affairs Secretary Lane Carson, said crews will begin work to upgrade the home’s restroom facilities in an effort to make them more handicapped accessible. Keller said the increase in residents over the last few years has made the changes much more pressing.

“We are hoping to see work begin on the project sometime within the next month,” Keller said. “The Reserve home is one of the premiere veterans facilities in the state and is also one of the more popular by virtue of the large number of retired veterans in that area.”

St. John Parish President Natalie Robottom said the renovation work is just the beginning of possible future improvements to the six-year-old facility.

“In my time in Baton Rouge, I often worked with Secretary Carson on a number of projects involving veterans,” she said. “We still talk face to face regularly, and he knows a great deal about the way things stand at the home.”

Robottom said she believes it is likely the Reserve home could see a full-fledged expansion in the coming years.

“Our talks have been very serious,” Robottom said. “Secretary Carson has a strong commitment to all of our state’s veterans, and he is committed to giving them the best.”