VETERAN’S SERVICES AT THE TEXAS PANHANDLE WAR MEMORIAL
Connecting veterans and their families to local resources
Hatch Homes for Heroes
In May 2024, after over 7 years of fundraising, Homeless Heroes, Inc. purchased the former Astro Motel, located directly across from the Thomas E. Creek VA off Amarillo Blvd.
They are in the process of transforming the 20 motel rooms into 15 one-bedroom, one-bathroom HUD-compliant apartments designed specifically for Amarillo's homeless veteran population. This new service-supported community will be staffed 24/7 and known as Hatch Homes for Heroes.
“Our mission is to create a housing first philosophy based solution to end literal homelessness for our area Veterans. Hatch Homes for Heroes is a strategically located service supported Veteran Community built around camaraderie, resources and hope. Project Astro is poised to have significant and immediate impact to the vibrant tapestry of the Amarillo community.”
CreatiVets’ goal is to offer opportunities for relief and healing for the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country. Their purpose is to use various forms of art, including songwriting, visual arts, music, and creative writing, to help disabled veterans cope with service-related trauma (i.e., post-traumatic stress, or PTS) by fostering self-expression in a way that allows them to transform their stories of trauma and struggle into an art form that can inspire and motivate continued healing. Through compassion, they are helping veterans live again.
VetStar is the veteran’s services division of StarCare Specialty Health System (StarCare). VetStar serves those who served by connecting veterans and their families to resources they need during times of transition.
Their goal is to make veterans successful in achieving their goals. Their staff are veterans and their family who have experienced similar challenges and successes in navigating veteran resources.
The programs and services administered are provided through a variety of private, local, state, and federal funding sources including funding from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and the United States Department of Labor.
Did you know that Amarillo sends over 100 children per month out of the area because there is simply no room to put them? Panhandle Orphan Care Network was started to help kiddos have safe places to be during a time of crises in their lives, and help orphan caregivers provide that stable environment.
We do this in a couple ways:
Moses Closet: We have closets at area churches where we collect new items for children, such as clothing, diapers, wipes, high chairs, strollers, cribs, as well as many other things. We distribute these to the families when the child comes into care, which is called a Placement Package
Date Nights: Orphan caregiving families often find it difficult to find people who will watch their kiddos for a while to have a date with their spouses. This is because it is a rather intrusive process to go through to get someone set up. Agencies have said that because Churches already have background checks on their volunteers, and the buildings are safe as they have kids in them every week, they can host date nights without doing anything extra, which makes a date night one of the best ministries a church can offer to our families.
Amarillo Community Village serves as a bridge between nonprofits and the community, offering a place to learn about services, volunteer opportunities, and other ways our community can contribute/donate to local nonprofits in helping serve those in need in our city.
Inspired by the notion of “one supported professional can positively impact 15 to 30+ lives” on their caseload, this ripple effect motivated one of ACV’s core initiatives to “fill the cups” of those serving on the front lines. By strengthening the resilience of nonprofit professionals, we amplify their ability to serve their clients and continue making a difference in our community.
By uniting as a village, we can share resources, lighten workloads, and inspire transformation—working together to restore hope, strengthen lives, and grow in our God-given identity and purpose.