Old schoolhouse to be a homeless shelter for veterans

It doesn’t look like much right now, but Mark Baylis is hoping the old schoolhouse on the corner of Ohio 79 and Ohio 586 will become a sanctuary for homeless veterans in central Ohio.

Baylis, a co-founder of Valor Clinic Foundation, obtained the old schoolhouse from his godfather, who had owned the property for several years. For weeks, Baylis and volunteers have been gutting the interior of the building, fixing the ceilings and pouring new cement steps that lead into the structure.

“It’s very physical and very dirty work,” said Barbara Hoopes, a volunteer on the project.

Hoopes, whose brother is a Vietnam veteran, became involved with Valor Clinic Foundation because she found its work to be needed in the community.