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Date: 8/22/2023
HOLYOKE — The Holyoke Veterans’ Home was the site for a groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 14 to mark the start of work to transform the home into a new state-of-the-art facility.
Gov. Maura Healey spoke to family members in private before addressing a crowd filled with veterans, family members who lost loved ones during the coronavirus outbreak inside the home, staff of the facility and government leaders both local and statewide, to announce the transformative act.
Back in 2020 during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, 84 veterans lost their lives as the virus spread within the facility. Dozens more were also sick, along with many staff members. The outbreak has since become a symbol and example of the toll COVID-19 had on certain vulnerable demographics.
The site, formally known as the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, received a $263.5 million federal grant for construction last year. The new planned state-of-the-art facility will cost $483 million and will have the capacity to serve 234 residents and offer day health programs for veterans still in their homes.
The new Veterans’ Home will gradually replace the existing Soldiers’ Home facility through phased construction and is projected to be replaced by 2026, with complete site restoration anticipated by summer 2028. The 350,000-square-foot building will come with other features including outdoor gardens, a greenhouse, a veterans memorial and a pavilion. Costs for the project will be paid for by state and federal funding.
“They’ll be getting the respect they not only need but so richly deserve,” Healey said.
Healey highlighted the staff and their work throughout this period and added the new project was done in the spirit of the loved ones so many have who end up staying at the Veterans’ Home.
“This is about the spirit of the loved ones, like the spirit of all our veterans. That spirit endures and our obligation is to work every single day to honor them, to honor all who have served, and who serve today. All of the resources, the care, the collective determination that goes into building this facility and rebuilding this facility, is done in their memory. All of our investments in veterans support and programming across the state moves forward in their memory,” Healey said.
Healey introduced herself to veterans in attendance prior to taking the podium.
The new building will represent major changes in medical policy and infrastructure prompted by the shocking number of deaths from the home three years ago. The tragedy spurred an overhaul of governance for the state’s veteran services arm. This included the addition of a cabinet-level secretary of the Executive Office of Veterans Services Dr. Jon Santiago, who spoke at the announcement as well.
In the formation of his new position for the state, Santiago credited the advocacy of the people and the state’s veteran community for their desire to make sure that veterans get the attention and resources they deserve.
“For those of you who may have lost a loved one here at Hoyoke, or even a part of yourself, know that we stand with you. We hear you, we see you and we honor that loss today. And although we can’t change the past, we can shape the future, and that’s what today’s about,” Santiago said.
State Sen. John Velis (D-Westfield), chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, and a combat veteran with a tour in Afghanistan, offered an impassioned look back on the crisis and how the state has battled out of it.
“I remember feeling weakened, emasculated. I didn’t know how to help. I remember reaching out to the home, asking, demanding to come in here. I don’t know why, I just wanted to enter the fight, to do whatever could be done and I take honor in that,” Velis said.
Velis shared during one of his original visits he stopped to talk to a resident of the home who was in his full Air Force uniform and as Velis approached him to speak, the resident went into attention and rendered a salute to the state senator.
“That’s what we have here. The quality of the person that we have in this home,” Velis said.
Carrying the motivation to continue helping the veterans in the midst of crisis, Velis began informal family listening sessions where he met with families of those impacted and got feedback from them on what happened and what could be done to hopefully prevent anything like it from happening again. He added credit to the staff of the home for their commitment to their work.
“This is so much bigger than us,” Velis added.
In closing Velis noted the low enrollment rates in modern day for the U.S. military, saying less than one half of 1% of the country is serving. He added recruitment is at its lowest since post-Vietnam.
“What kind of message are we going to send to a young man, a young woman who’s contemplating service if we don’t do stuff like this,” Velis said. “Massachusetts is the best place in the nation to be a veteran but make no mistake about it, if we rest on our laurels that will be surpassed by everybody.”
State Rep. Patricia Duffy (D- Holyoke) added it was the honor of her public service career to have worked in the group effort of getting a new facility of veterans.
U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-Springfield) told the crowd that the groundbreaking would be ushering in the local veterans’ community out of a dark era.
“You can’t ignore the tragedy of what happened here, and part of our sense of renewal today is based upon their determination through what were very grim days when we got together, but you’re here today. It’s a renewal,” Neal said.
Neal credited Healey for leading the charge in this project and being committed to the project since taking office as governor.
Holyoke Veterans’ Home Superintendent Michael Lazo credited the community and state effort for making great strides over the last three years leading up to the groundbreaking.
“Today marks the culmination of a lot of hard work and planning. It’s great to be at the point of construction of the new Home that will serve as a constant reminder of our commitment to Massachusetts veterans,” Lazo said.
Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia, who was sworn in in the midst of regrouping efforts for the Soldiers Home, thanked the state and local parties for their commitment to making a real change for the future following the tragedy.
“This afternoon, as we commence construction of a new home for those who have served their country, we renew our commitment not only to their health, but also to their safety and their dignity,” Garcia said.
Garcia continued, “I want to thank everyone for coming together in support of our veterans because that’s what we do. We come together, not just in time of need. We keep putting our heads together to understand where are the gaps, and there are gaps. We’re not perfect, and we learned that quickly in April 2020, but how quickly everyone came together to bring some resolution, although it’s not going to bring back those that we lost during that time. And I’m so sorry for you lost ones during that time. I’m so grateful and honored to live in the commonwealth of Massachusetts, a place where people come together.”