Our Vision & Mission
Rooted In Faith. Built For Dignity.
A Home, Not an Institution
Valley to Valley was never meant to feel like a facility. It was always meant to feel like a home.
From the beginning, our vision has been to create an environment where seniors are not treated as patients to be managed, but as people to be honored. Aging adults deserve more than supervision. They deserve warmth, beauty, conversation, activity, and a sense of belonging.
We believe care should feel personal, familiar, and dignified. The goal is not to build an institution, but to cultivate a place where seniors feel known, safe, and valued. A place that resembles home in spirit and atmosphere, not an impersonal system.
Every space, every program, and every decision is guided by that principle.
Preserving Community and Connection
Too often, aging adults are forced to leave their communities in order to receive care. Familiar streets, neighbors, and routines are replaced with isolation and separation.
Valley to Valley exists so seniors can remain rooted in the place they have known for most of their lives.
Our vision is to ensure that aging adults in Salida and the Upper Arkansas Valley can:
• Remain in their community
• Stay connected to familiar faces
• Continue participating in life
• Age with dignity and purpose
We are committed to helping seniors live the later seasons of life surrounded by respect, companionship, and care.
Building for Generations
Valley to Valley is not a short-term solution. It is a calling meant to serve this region for generations.
Our vision is to establish a permanent, stable home where senior care remains accessible, compassionate, and affordable. A place that families can trust, and a ministry that the community can depend on long after any one season has passed.
We are building with the future in mind:
• A place where seniors can gather
• A place where caregivers can find support
• A place where faith is lived out through service
• A place that reflects God’s heart for honoring elders
This is not about growth for growth’s sake. It is about stewardship, faithfulness, and sustainability.
How Valley to Valley Began
Valley to Valley Senior Care Center opened after research was done concerning the aging adults in the surrounding area. Different towns were considered. It seemed two were of concern, Salida and Saguache. Saguache was considered first as the hardship for the county and town were needing assistance, but financing and location were not suited for all the areas in need. Poncha Pass was a concern. Salida became the opening place for helping aging adults and the families struggling.
Yvonne (Eve) Braden, the founder of what started out as “Salida Senior DayCare, Inc.,” realized from her 30 years in nursing, including 6.5 years caring for her own father, that aging adults and their families had only two choices. They could try to manage care at home while working and checking in constantly, sometimes hiring help, or they could move their loved one into a nursing home.
For many aging adults at that time, the nursing home felt like the end of life, but families had no other choice within a 100-mile radius. Eve felt led by God to offer a third choice. A day respite for aging adults that allowed nursing coverage, activities, socialization, assistance with daily living, and transportation to local doctor appointments when needed.
It had to serve with compassion while maintaining dignity, independence, and quality nursing care. The center included RN and nursing oversight, cooks, activity therapy, and socialization by qualified staff. There were many obstacles, difficult decisions, and funding challenges, but Salida Senior DayCare, Inc. opened its doors.
After the first two months, participants did not like the word “DayCare” in the name. Everyone took a vote and came up with a non-conflicting title. The dba “Valley to Valley Senior Care Centers” was born, a name that welcomed everyone without conflict over town or location.
A Calling Rooted in Faith
Rooted in Faith. But for Dignity.
Valley to Valley is founded on Christian values. We believe caring for seniors is a sacred responsibility. Scripture teaches us to honor our elders, to care for the vulnerable, and to serve one another in love.
Our vision is shaped by that calling.
We seek to:
• Serve with humility
• Lead with compassion
• Protect dignity
• Act with integrity
• Trust God’s provision
Every senior entrusted to us is a life of immeasurable worth. Every caregiver who walks through our doors is carrying a burden that deserves understanding and support.
This work grew out of a calling, not just a business plan. From the beginning, the goal was to meet the needs of communities with aging adults, because no one gets any younger, and families deserve a compassionate, dignified option for care.
Giving Seniors a Place to Belong
Rooted in Faith. But for Dignity.
Valley to Valley Senior Care Center exists because our community believes seniors deserve dignity, connection, and compassionate care. For more than two decades, families across Salida and the Upper Arkansas Valley have relied on this ministry to help their loved ones remain active, safe, and part of the community.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. That means our ability to serve does not depend on profit, but on faith, stewardship, and the generosity of people who believe in this mission.
Every day, we serve seniors who:
• Need supervision or assistance during the day
• Live with dementia, chronic illness, or physical limitations
• Want companionship and meaningful activity
• Desire to remain in their own homes rather than enter a nursing facility
Many of the families we serve are doing everything they can to care for a loved one. Some cannot afford private care. Others are veterans who rely on community-based support. Your generosity makes it possible for us to remain accessible to those who need us most.
For more than 20 years, the center has helped over 200 families, allowing aging adults to maintain family connections and remain in the communities where they spent most of their lives. The center has served Cotopaxi, Howard, Saguache, Moffat, Buena Vista, and Centerville, as well as visiting families who wanted their loved one cared for while they spent time together in the area.
A “Support a Senior” program was created to assist families with financial challenges. The organization has also pursued Medicaid approval and is seeking VA approval so more seniors can be served.
Why Your Support Matters
Rooted in Faith. But for Dignity.
Today, Valley to Valley is at a crossroads. A Saguache facility is needed so aging adults who want to remain in that valley can continue their country way of life. The new location will provide day respite services and assisted living in the near future.
At the same time, the Salida facility must relocate. Both temporary and permanent locations are needed, and without support, services may have to close. The Saguache facility requires $150,000 to complete and open, and approximately $750,000 is needed to acquire a permanent location in Salida.
Valley to Valley is more than a care center. It is a place of refuge for seniors and a lifeline for caregivers.
Your support helps provide:
- A safe and welcoming environment for aging adults
- Professional caregivers and nursing oversight
- Meals, activities, and enrichment
- Dementia and specialized care
- Access for families who cannot afford private services
- Continued service for veterans
- A safe and welcoming environment for aging adults
- Stability for a ministry that has served this region for over 20 years
We believe seniors should remain in their community, surrounded by familiar faces, trusted caregivers, and a sense of belonging. Donations allow us to keep this vision alive
Rooted in Faith. But for Dignity.
Leaving a Living Legacy
Rooted in Faith. But for Dignity.
There are many ways to leave a legacy. One of the most meaningful is to help ensure that seniors in our community are never forgotten or displaced.
By supporting Valley to Valley, you become part of a story that reaches beyond a single moment. You help create a place where:
- Seniors are honored
- Caregivers are strengthened
- Families stay whole
- Dignity is preserved
- Faith is lived out through service
Your gift becomes a lasting investment in people, not buildings alone. It becomes a testimony that this community values its elders.
How You Can Help
Rooted in Faith. But for Dignity.
There are many ways to participate in this mission:
- Make a one-time donation
- Become a recurring monthly supporter
- Sponsor a senior in need
- Give in honor or memory of a loved one
- Share our mission with others
- Volunteer your time or talents
Every gift, large or small, matters.
Continue the Legacy of Care
Your donation helps Valley to Valley Senior Care Centers continue providing safe, compassionate services for seniors in our community. Every gift supports nursing oversight, assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), engaging programs, nutritious meals, and dependable adult day care in a welcoming environment.
Your generosity also helps families receive the care and support they need, while helping us expand our locations in Saguache and Salida to serve more seniors for years to come.
An Invitation to Be Part of the Story
Rooted in Faith. But for Dignity.
The future of Valley to Valley is not written by one person alone. It is shaped by every family, volunteer, donor, and community member who believes seniors deserve to be honored.
Our vision is not merely to exist, but to endure.
Not merely to serve, but to bless.
Not merely to operate, but to reflect God’s heart.
If Valley to Valley has touched your heart, we invite you to become part of this work.
Your generosity helps ensure that seniors in Salida and the Upper Arkansas Valley always have a place where they are known, valued, and cared for.
Together, we can continue honoring seniors and strengthening families for generations to come. Be a part of a legacy and help Salida and Saguache maintain locations for serving a special group of adults.