Welcome Home Alliance for Veterans (WHAFV) has been a lifesaver for Vietnam veteran James Stillwell Smith, 71.

He comes to the Warrior Resource Center (WRC), a welcoming center for vets of all ages and branches of service, for camaraderie and counseling several days a week.

Formerly Welcome Home Montrose, the nonprofit, volunteer-based organization has seen a lot of change in the last couple years in the form of a new name, new leadership and new branding, culminating in their new location at 4 Hillcrest Plaza Way in Montrose.

But none of these changes shake Smith. He’s watched the organization grow and evolve since its inception in 2011 and has seen the positive change it’s made in the lives of local veterans.

Humble beginnings

What began as a grassroots community initiative to welcome home veterans from active duty has become a comprehensive one-stop shop for veterans and their families, offering peer support and networking opportunities, recreation and alternative therapies, support groups and veterans benefits information and resources.

“That’s our primary purpose— to get information to veterans for whatever they need in the world of benefits,” said Executive Director Mike Trickey, 68.

WHAFV has thrived on support from the community, offering recreational activities and services to veterans at no charge. It has registered over 2,000 veterans throughout Delta, Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel counties.

As more veterans started coming to the WRC from outside Montrose, the agency organized activities, such as its popular Thursday morning coffees, in communities such as Nucla and Cedaredge.

That was the catalyst for change.

“We didn’t want our name to be exclusive to Montrose, so about a year and a half ago, ‘Welcome Home Alliance for Veterans’ became our new title,” said Executive Director Mike Trickey, 68.

This one-of-a-kind organization has gained visibility in the VA world, making connections with veterans service organizations nationwide and linking veterans to the information they need.

“We do our best to make sure we direct veterans to the right people and directly to people,” said Trickey. “I think we’ve gained the respect of a lot of organizations within the Veterans Administration arena. They know we’re here and we’re doing a good job of representing our veterans and helping them in the process.”

New beginnings

Since the big move from their rented location on Park Avenue at the end of February, WHAFV staff and veterans have already made themselves at home in the new building.

“They’re giddy,” said Trickey. “It’s exciting. It’s fresh. It’s bright. It represents that we’re here to stay.”

The new facility provides an extra 3,000 square feet of space for the growing organization, according to Trickey, which accounts for additional office and conference rooms, a larger recreation room for alternative therapies and classes, a canteen and kitchen, private rooms for counseling and support groups, a computer room with internet access for veteran use, and storage for adaptive and recreation equipment and donated supplies.

With only two paid staff members, the office space will be shared with the Montrose veterans service officer, who works onsite three days a week. Two counselors from the Grand Junction Vets Center also come down for group sessions every Thursday.

“We’re very fortunate to have folks like that come down and spend time with our veterans,” Trickey said. “That helps a lot of the veterans feel more comfortable when they come in and ask for the things they need.”

Smith confront demons from war in group counseling sessions, but he also pushes them aside as he laughs with new friends he’s met through WHAFV.

Counseling is also what drew veteran Richard Sagran to WHAFV over two years ago.

“My wife at the time worked nearby and knew I had some problems coming out of the military during Vietnam and she thought it might help,” said Sagran, 71.

He came in early one Thursday and joined his fellow vets for coffee and camaraderie.

“I saw a bunch of old guys like myself, and was like, ‘Hey! Those are my peers—they’re my people!” he laughed.

Sagran said it took a couple of months of sitting in on counseling sessions before he ever spoke, but he’s learned some really good tools that have helped him work through some of his problems over the years.

“A lot of it I had no idea had to do with things that happened in Vietnam,” he said. “You get used to thinking that’s the norm.”

Sagran volunteers at WHAFV almost every day. A fly fishing enthusiast, he uses a room in the new building as a work space for building fly rods.

“I like to fish and I got invited to the first meeting of the chapter of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing,” he said. “I learned how to tie flies, made my own fly rod and met a lot of new people. Before that, it was hard for me to get out into the world.”

Like many veterans of his day, Smith’s return home was not so welcoming. He said the main reason he comes to WHAFV is to make sure veterans coming home today have a much more positive experience.

“I wanted to help younger vets coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said.

Trickey said the transition from the military back to civilian life can be daunting and difficult, but because the need is so great, WHAFV only expects more growth in the programs it offers and opportunities that allow veterans to thrive.

“I know we save lives,” Trickey said. “Because of our PTSD program and camaraderie shared through coffee—through all those things we’re able to help with that transition and show them there are people who care and programs that can get you through.”

Community support

WHAFV has received widespread recognition from individuals and organizations wanting to know its secret so they, too, can implement a similar resource in their community.

Trickey credits the organization’s success to community support and outstanding volunteers.

“From day one, the community support has been tremendous and it has continued to build over the years,” he said. “The friendliness toward veterans in this community just can’t be beat.”

Evidence of continued support from community members can be seen in the results of WHAFV’s capital campaign to raise $100,000 to help pay for their new building through the USDA Community Facilities Loan Program.

“We were given the charge at the end of February,” said Trickey. “After we started breathing again, we said, ‘Okay, it’s a challenge. Let’s do it.’”

They’ve raised 80 percent of that goal to date.

Sagran and Trickey encouraged veterans to register at WHAFV and find out about the resources and benefits available—even if you don’t use them.

“Sign up anyway so we can show how many veterans are available for services,” Trickey said.

Visit WHAFV at 4 Hillcrest Plaza Way in Montrose, call 765-2210 or visit www.whafv.org