Article: “Restoration nears goal following MCO donation” in The Mountain Mail

The total collected for restoration of the Chaffee County World War II Honor Roll wall reached $22,185 Wednesday with a donation of $1,000 from Monarch Community Outreach.

“This leaves us just $2,815 from our goal of $25,000,” said Dan Johnson, World War II veteran and member of the “wall committee.”

The veterans applied for funding for the wall, and Monarch Community Outreach (MCO) agreed it was a good community project.

“The community is behind it, and part of our mission is to be behind the community,” said Susan Boucher, MCO board member.

Monarch Community Outreach was started in 2003 and is a nonprofit organization that obtains monthly donations from paychecks of Monarch Mountain employees. Monarch matches the donations dollar for dollar. Since 2003 MCO has donated $144,000 in the community.

A new website can be found at monarchcommunityoutreach.com. Those wishing to apply for funds can fill out an online application on the website, and donations can also be made on the website. So far in 2016 MCO has given $12,500 to applicants, with a goal of $20,000 for the year.

Donations for the restoration of the World War II Chaffee County Honor Roll wall can be sent to Salida Elks Lodge No. 808, P.O. Box 967, Salida, CO 81201 or dropped off at F Street Five & Dime at 147 F St. Checks can be made payable to WWII Chaffee County Honor Roll.

Photo by Arlene Shovald

Donation to the Chaffee County World War II Honor Roll restoration fund

Monarch Community Outreach presents a $1,000 check to the Chaffee County World War II Honor Roll restoration fund Wednesday. Salida Elks and veterans accepted the donation. From left front are Carl Hasselbrink, Elk and veteran; Harold White of Monarch Community Outreach; Connie Biederbeck and Linda Lafford with Chaffee County Quilts of Valor; and Dan Johnson, veteran. Back: Leo Gardunio, Elk and veteran; Jim Preston American Legion; Jack Shaw, Elk/veteran; Sam Johnson, Brenda Vasilak, John Wenstrom, Chris Ordaz, Angelina Sanchez and Karen Hasselbrink, all Elks; Susan Boucher, Monarch Community Outreach board; Harold Lofgren, Elk/veteran; Gregg Wolfgang and Rick Boucher, Monarch Community Outreach board.

Photo by Arlene Shovald

Chaffee County Quilts of Valor

Members of Chaffee County Quilts of Valor display one of the quilts presented to veterans at the Chaffee County World War II Honor Roll restoration gathering Wednesday, when Monarch Community Outreach donated $1,000 toward the restoration project. Chaffee County Quilts of Valor makes quilts for veterans, most of them in the PTSD program at the Denver VA Hospital. So far they have given 780 quilts to veterans in Chaffee County. Each quilt costs about $75. Pictured with one of the quilts are Connie Biederbeck, left, and Linda Lafford.