Upon the closing of Stratton House nursing home in Townshend, the community and hospital began assessing the need for senior housing and eldercare.

Valley Cares was granted non-profit status, and construction began on our innovative new housing that combined senior care with affordable housing.

In November, the community celebrated as residents moved into the newly completed 24-unit independent living and 28-unit assisted living facility. A bus carried the first assisted living residents from the Heins Home at Grace Cottage to their new home at Valley Cares.

Our senior housing was awarded “Best New Senior Housing Development” in the country by the National Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition.

We expanded our assisted living facility, adding 12 new apartments in the “Bob and Ginna Barrett Wing,” named in honor of two former residents who were especially supportive of our mission. Six of these apartments offer Supportive Programming.

• We introduced our SASH (Support And Services at Home) Program, a free and voluntary service for Medicare-eligible Vermonters. It offers support to help individuals stay safe, healthy, and continue living independently at home.
• Lightning struck the assisted living facility, igniting a fire in the attic. Thanks to the swift response from the community, everyone was safely evacuated. However, one wing of the building suffered significant smoke and water damage, requiring it to be completely stripped and rebuilt.

The COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, with senior living communities among the hardest hit.
This era took its toll on Valley Cares’ residents and staff.

We hosted our inaugural Walk fundraiser at Grafton Trails and Outdoor Center. In the following years, we relocated the event to our community in Townshend.

We undertook a strategic planning initiative that led to the decision to change our name to better align with our services. As a result, in 2024, Valley Cares began operating under the name Valley Village.