The Mission After the Mission: Building FOB Pura Vida

This July, a small team of veterans will deploy to a hillside farm in rural Costa Rica.

They’re not going to relax.

They’re going to build something that doesn’t exist yet.

We call it FOB Pura Vida—our dream for a veteran-led permaculture retreat center. A place for service, purpose, and transformationthrough nature and community.

This July’s team is our Advance Party—the first boots on the ground.

Their mission:

• Expand a permaculture food forest

• Build composting toilets and basic infrastructure

• Maintain jungle trails to a remote waterfall

• Share meals with local families

• And begin shaping the future of a space that will save lives

They’ll work. They’ll dream. And they’ll lay the foundation for something that will one day welcome veterans from all walks of life—for healing, for clarity, and for peace.

Why It Matters

At Vital Roots Foundation, our mission starts at home.

We help veterans:

• Reconnect with purpose through service and soil

• Lead community garden projects that feed and inspire neighborhoods

• Access peer support and navigate the often-overwhelming VA system and disability claims process

We know the power of getting your hands in the dirt—and of being seen by someone who’s walked your path.

But we also know that after doing the work in their own communities, some veterans need a deeper reset.

That’s what FOB Pura Vida will be—a retreat earned through service, where veterans can recharge, reconnect, and return with more to give.

We’re not just growing gardens.

We’re growing a movement.

How You Can Help

FOB Pura Vida doesn’t exist yet. But it will—with your help.

The veterans heading to Costa Rica this July are paying for their own travel.

Your support will help fund:

• Tools and infrastructure

• Materials for building and trails

• Meals prepared by local families

• The foundation of future retreat programming

👉 Donate to Roots of Strength:

https://www.givsum.com/opportunities/roots-of-strength-177e76b8f

This isn’t charity. It’s a mission to save lives—and you can be part of it.

The mission after the mission has begun. Let’s build it together.