About the Founder

Robert “Clay” Flick is a disabled U.S. Navy veteran, master carpenter, and peer recovery leader whose life journey embodies resilience, service, and transformation. After navigating his own path through trauma and recovery, Clay founded Warrior in the Garden Foundation to provide transitional housing, advocacy, and holistic support for justice-involved veterans.

Clay’s leadership is rooted in lived experience. His years of military service taught discipline and sacrifice, while his recovery journey instilled empathy and a deep commitment to peer-led healing. As a carpenter, he understands the power of building—whether it’s restoring a home, repairing trust, or reconstructing a life. That same spirit drives the Foundation’s mission: to help veterans rebuild with dignity, purpose, and community.

Beyond his professional expertise in nonprofit formation, legal advocacy, and vocational rehabilitation, Clay brings a philosophy of transparency, ethics, and generational healing. He is proud to involve his children, Zachary and Natali, in the Foundation’s leadership, modeling how service and recovery can ripple across families and communities.

Clay believes that every veteran deserves more than survival—they deserve the chance to thrive. Warrior in the Garden Foundation is his way of ensuring that those who have served our nation are never left behind, but instead are empowered to stand tall, heal deeply, and grow stronger together.