Colby Keegan was a talented musician. He was also the kind of kid who came home without his shirt or shoes because he met someone who
“army” has expanded to 40-plus active volunteers and currently serves over 100 individuals with physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and socio-economic life challenges. Lisa Wysocky, the organization’s executive director and Colby’s mother, currently works alongside Kim Light, program director, to help people with life challenges through outreach and interactions with animals and nature. Some of the valuable services Colby’s Army provides include homeless outreach and housing support, organic gardening and a food bank that feeds the hungry, therapeutic riding, and other equine-assisted opportunities. “Colby was my son, and my only child,” Wysocky says. “Some volunteers also knew Colby and wanted to help. But even those who never met him become invested in our mission once they see the difference we make. Seeing a nonverbal man improve communication skills through our equestrian programming, or a woman living in homelessness thrive in housing, or a hungry family have food, brings a smile to all of our faces.” And while all success stories bring army members a sense of joy and accomplishment, the journey of Elizabeth Mallard is one that has yielded gains for nearly a decade. When the team at Colby’s Army met her, Mallard was homeless and unhealthy due to a battle with alcoholism. They spent years supporting her by providing food, clothing, medical referrals, and a strong shoulder to lean on. After she was eventually housed, she underwent major surgery that required a month-long hospital stay; when she
needed them more. From an early age, he befriended those who did not have friends, helped anyone he could, and made it his life’s goal to make the world a better place. However, Colby was also a young man who suffered from several mental illnesses. When he aged out of his state covered health insurance at 19-years old, he lost access to his doctors and necessary medication. Colby, like many others in his situation, turned to street drugs to help balance his moods. In 2009, he tragically died of an opioid overdose. From this great tragedy came something profoundly good, though. Shortly after his passing, Colby’s mother and friends founded Colby’s Army, Inc. in an attempt to make the same positive impact on the world young Colby would have made if his time on earth had not been cut short. While Colby’s Army was founded upon great tragedy and a hopeful dream, it steadily grew from a basement-based operation to a five acre farm in Fairview, to where they are now…a 54-acre farm in Ashland City. On a lease-to-purchase option since moving to Cheatham County in 2016, Colby’s Army was able to purchase the farm in just three years with the help of First Financial Bank. Since then, the
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