DEL NORTE— The High Valley Community Center (HVCC) teen program spent the last week working on a new project to close out the summer season. The teens have been working throughout the summer on several community projects, from gorilla gardening to community “pay it forward” tasks and beyond but wanted to do something to give back to the veterans across the Valley. “We wanted the students to see what they are capable of by giving to a specific cause and they chose to give to the Homelake Veterans’ Center in Monte Vista,” explained project coordinator Kathryn Trujillo.cThe teens, Trujillo and HVCC Director Adrienne Atencio met with Homelake Veterans Center representative Jane Rhett for lunch at the Windsor Hotel in Del Norte on Friday, Aug. 3 to present Rhett with a check for $576 to help with a project that the veteran’s center has been working on over the summer. The center is currently working to restore the administration building on the campus and will be moving a set of plaques that are hanging on the outer wall of the building to a new location by the chapel.
“We are pleased to present this check to the veterans center to help with the costs associated with relocating the plaques. Our teen program worked very hard preparing lunches to sell to local businesses around town and were able to raise $576 to go towards this project. The teens prepared 76 lunches and hand delivered each one with a smile,” said Atencio.
Rhett was presented the check and took a moment to speak on behalf of the Veteran’s center and about the history stating, “Homelake is the first and oldest veterans center in the state of Colorado. Homelake Veterans History Museum is sponsored by the Homelake Historic Preservation and Restoration Foundation and run by volunteers. The museum is located on the 24-acre campus of the former Colorado Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home in the San Luis Valley. The museum exhibits memorabilia from the veterans who lived at the home and veterans from the area. The museum houses artifacts from the hospital and barracks that were on campus.
The home was established by an act of the Colorado State Legislature in 1889 at the behest of the Grand Army of the Republic to provide a home for the aging and disabled veterans of the Civil War. The first resident was admitted in October 1891.
The campus also includes a cemetery which began with the death of Freeman T. Morris, Resident No. 28, on Dec 20, 1891. The cemetery, with its concentric circles around a Civil War/Spanish-American War monument, is the resting place of more than 1,600 veterans from the Mexican War to present. Shortly thereafter a cemetery was established at the home and between 1898 - 1905 the barracks, commander’s residence, administration building and chapel were added to the community. Most of the buildings were built of a rhyolite stone quarried between Monte Vista and Del Norte. The hospital and barracks were torn down in the 1960s, as well as some of the smaller buildings.
In 1995 Homelake was placed on the state’s list of Historic Sites. In 2003 the state legislature named it as the official repository for unclaimed military memorabilia. In 2005 Homelake was placed on the endangered sites list by Colorado Preservation Inc.,”
Rhett continued, explaining that the plaques have moved to several locations throughout the years and would now finally get a permanent home. “We have chosen Quality Concrete as our contractors to build a structure for the plaques near the chapel. This means a lot to us. We really do appreciate your donation that will be spent on the plaque relocation project. Thank you for your hard work.”
HVCC plans to continue future fundraising efforts for organizations throughout the Valley as part of their teen enrichment program next summer.