A Berks County nonprofit organization geared toward helping veterans is looking for homes to rehabilitate in Schuylkill County.

The Rev. Randolph Simmons, president and founder of We Agape You Inc., spoke Tuesday night to the Tamaqua Area School Board about his mission, work elsewhere and what he’d like to establish in the area.

“We’re able to come in to any neighborhood and rehab the properties, and from the properties, we create employment, we create housing, we create business startups, peer education groups, as well as training,” he said. “The solution is in the houses.”

Unlike other nonprofits, Simmons’ group provides work through rehabilitating blighted homes in communities, creating places to live and offering counseling services.

“I had the traditional nonprofit,” he said. “A veteran told me, ‘Don’t come back here with that food, come back with jobs.’ ”

“I give them a reason to get up every day and come to work with us.”

Some homes provide housing for multiple people, some are rented out, some sold and every year the group gives away one home to a veteran, Simmons said.

Board President Larry Wittig asked how homes are the solution for veterans dealing with homelessness and mental illness, other than providing them with a better place to stay at night.

WAY also provides counseling, Simmons said.

“We learned that we have to create a counseling service wherever we go to do a house,” he said. “That’s what we’re looking to do here.”

Simmons said that he’s looking for properties, possibly one to serve as a base of operations and headquarters, and seeking tax forgiveness on the properties it plans on rehabbing.

Superintendent Ray Kinder wanted to know other places where Simmons has done work to check references and see how the program works there.

Simmons said that he previously worked with Wells Fargo and its community giving program, where numerous houses were donated to the group. The bank handled the contacts, he said.

“This is a first for us,” Simmons said. “We never had to do this prior to COVID. Now, everyone wants to be a real estate investor, because the cost of houses went up. So, this is our dilemma. We never had to go before school board like this to request tax forgiveness.”

The board, if it chooses, could provide tax forgiveness, solicitor Erik Helbing said, and the individual or group comes to the board with a property in mind.

Helbing suggested that Simmons talk to Tamaqua’s borough manager about potential properties.

Simmons provided board members with a copy of his book, “Breaking Chains,” and told them that he would be at the Walmart in Hometown on Friday and Saturday if they want to talk or learn more about his nonprofit and what it does.