$2,187,985 raised by 63 donors
73% complete
$3,000,000 Goal
The Veterans Center is a Colorado nonprofit corporation formed to pay tribute to our military services members, past and present, and the rich legacy they have left us. The Veterans Center's purpose is to serve veterans, their generational family members, local community members, and visitors in Northwestern Colorado by maintaining a prominent location in Steamboat Springs where all can celebrate a legacy of service to our country, concern for our veterans and commitment to our community.
Our Vision
To provide a space where all members of the armed forces, past and present, and their families feel welcome, can find social connection, and can have access to the help they need, when they need it.
The Opportunity
Due to extensive smoke damage caused in December 2019 from a fire in an adjoining business, the historic Schubring-Cruse VFW Post #4264 building is no longer usable.
Our Plan
The Veterans Center plans to historically renovate the historic VFW building located at 924 Lincoln Avenue, which will then become a central resource center for veterans and active duty military personnel and their families to:
Additionally, The Veterans Center will periodically sponsor workshops, seminars, training events, fitness and veterans yoga classes, PTSD counseling, presentations and other educational and outreach programs, and activities to support and address the needs of service members and military families, while also raising awareness of the unique issues and challenges they face during military service and successful transition to civilian life.
The Gift
In July 2023, the Schubring-Cruse VFW Post #4264 transferred ownership of their building located at 924 Lincoln Avenue to The Veterans Center. The Veterans Center has accepted ownership and the responsibility for the ongoing and continuing repair and restoration of the historic and venerable, 123-year-old brick building, which has served as the home of the VFW Post since 1948.
Our First Priority
The Veterans Center plans to historically renovate and revitalize the building to make it a more attractive and vibrant place for over 1,200 Routt County veterans, as well as the community at large. The building will then become a central resource center for veterans and active duty military personnel and their families. Construction begins in May 2024 with an anticipated completion date of April 2025.
Those We Serve
There are three (3) veterans organizations serving an estimated population of over 4,000 veterans who live in Northwest Colorado:
Number of Veterans in Northwest Colorado Counties
Our Activities
After the renovation, The Veterans Center will be seen as a central location for assistance that any veteran might need, including medical and mental health referrals, even if that help is simply a safe place to connect and visit with other veterans who have had similar military experiences.
Tax Credits
We Need Your Help
Your donation will go directly to The Veterans Center, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All gifts and donations are tax deductible within the limits of the law.
To provide a welcoming place for members of the armed forces, past and present, and their families, community members, visitors, and those persons needing assistance in accessing community resources, financial support, and community education opportunities; and for those seeking social interaction, encouragement, and physical and emotional support.
When, in December of 2019, the Steamboat Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) building sustained smoke damage from a fire in the building adjacent to it, the VFW, which had occupied the building since 1948, had a decision to make regarding the future of the building.
A group of local veterans believed that the best way the location could serve veterans and the community was to transform the building from a bar into a community center. The first step in the transformation was creating a 501c3 nonprofit, The Veterans Center, which was accomplished in December 2022.
The Veterans Center was created with the mission to assist with meeting the medical, psychological, and social needs of our local veterans, while serving the entire Yampa Valley Community. So, in addition to providing community gathering space, The Veterans Center building will be the central location and resource center for providing those much needed services.
Consider...Many veterans must travel to Denver for specific medical, dental, and/or vision diagnosis and treatment. Those veterans often do not have the financial means or access to an automobile capable of safely reaching that long a distance. There is help available in these cases, but contacting that help requires a series of phone calls that are time consuming and often frustrating. This can be so frustrating that often older Veterans give up and do not follow through. Their health care suffers. The Veterans Center offers help in this area. Calls are made, advice given, and offers of rides to Denver are made. There are also questions some family members have that may seem inconsequential but are important to family members. Recently a young man asked a member of The Veterans Center about getting a military headstone for his grandfather's grave. It was important to this young man, and when he saw The Veterans Center tent at the Farmers Market, he finally received the answers he needed.
Also consider...Veterans who are not maintaining a healthy lifestyle or who have behavioral health issues are not able to thrive in any community. Individuals who receive assistance with their physical and behavioral health challenges are more likely to contribute to the community economically through long-term employment, and those who feel like they are not alone with their challenges will be less likely to choose suicide. According to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Vital Statistics reported by the Colorado Health Institute, people who have died by suicide were reported as having a current depressed mood or a health problem such as depression or anxiety, but less than a third were identified as currently receiving mental health care. Colorado has a higher prevalence of mental health issues and lower rates of access to care. Colorado's ranking, according to Mental Health America, is 47 out of 50 states. Governor Polis' Behavioral Health Task Policy feels this would address workforce shortages. According to the VA, veteran deaths by suicide represent nearly one in seven suicide deaths. Colorado's veteran suicide rate out paces the national average. How many could have been saved by having another veteran to talk to, another veteran to provide assistance with what can seem to be insurmountable challenges to reach help.
In closing...It is a known fact that veterans are under served nation-wide, and veterans in Northwest Coloardo are no exception. Providing a safe place for socialization and easily accessible referrals to local veteran services will help to fill that void. Our mission includes fostering camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts, to serve veterans, the military and our communities, and to advocate on behalf of all veterans.
Organization name
The Veterans Center
2022
Tax id (EIN)
88-4352169
Category
Military & Veterans Organizations, Community Improvement & Capacity Building
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
PO BOX 883323CO, US
Phone
970-846-9746
other
970-819-6210