Ten months ago, Bruce Hannon and five other veterans embarked on an effort to create a new community center with programs and services to meet veterans’ needs in Northwest Colorado.

The goal has been to renovate the former Veterans of Foreign Wars building at 924 Lincoln Ave. after it suffered heavy smoke damage from a fire on Dec. 8, 2019, at a neighboring business. However, the effort has been about more than just reopening the doors of the historic building, which has seen limited use since the 2019 fire.

“We began a fundraising drive July 14 of 2023, and as of today, we have raised $2,845,206 of our goal and need of $3,000,000,” Hannon said. “We have had over 350 people and businesses donate.”

Work is expected to begin in early July with hopes of reopening the space in April 2025, and Hannon said the group will continue to raise the remaining $154,794 needed to reach the goal.

“The next two months will be your last chance to get in on the ground floor of this endeavor and donate the last bit of capital and be part of providing veterans services to over 15% of our population, including their families,” Hannon said. “The VFW will always have a home in the building too. We hope we can now attract additional working board members who can volunteer their experience and time to serve all veterans.”

Hannon said the new Veterans Center will become a beacon to veterans living in five counties in Northwest Colorado — including Routt, Moffat, Grand, Jackson and Rio Blanco — and will assist them with service-related needs.

Currently, the Veterans Center is assisting Routt County in hiring a new veterans service officer who will represent the Veterans Administration by helping veterans apply for benefits and offering guidance for other forms of help and services. The group also hopes the veterans services officer will be based in the new Veterans Center, and that funding will be found to expand that role from 20.5 hours a week to a full-time position.

“We just received another anonymous donation of $500,000 Friday via the community foundation with the terrific help of Traci Hiatt and Karen O’Connor,” Hannon said.

He added that a donation comes with a 25% Colorado state tax credit, and the group is also hoping to offer other tax credits under the auspices of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs once construction is complete.

Hannon said he hopes the new Veterans Center will provide expanded services to current VFW and American Legion members in Northwest Colorado, as well as draw younger veterans who have served more recently in places like Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

“We really want to invite all the Afghan and Iraqi vets and their families who live in the five-county area to stop by and see if we can help,” Hannon said. “The thing that’s happening is that most of the (veterans groups) have not attracted younger members from the recent wars. … This is particularly true in the five-county area where they’re all struggling with finances and memberships and they’re all dying out. This is a way that we could service the next two generations of war-fighters below us in age.”

For more, go to SteamboatVeterans.org/the-veterans-center.html.