Veterans Guest House
1990s
In 1993, Veteran Dick Rhyno was volunteering at the VA when he discovered a woman from Bishop, CA sleeping in her car with her two small children. Her husband was in the ICU at the VA, and they couldn’t afford the cost of a motel room. Moved by this experience, Dick and fellow veteran Chuck Fulkerson rallied the Reno community to ensure no veteran or their family would ever again be left without a safe, warm, and clean place to stay. From this shared commitment, the credo “never again on our watch” was born, and so was Veterans Guest House.
2000s
The original 1935 brick bungalow sat at the corner of Locust and Taylor and was called the “Spouse House.” The name later changed to Veterans Guest House. In 2004, a new facility was built at the same site, growing from two bedrooms to six and offering twelve total beds.
2018
Demand continued to grow, and in 2018, Veterans Guest House expanded to a 16,000 sq ft facility appointed with 19 bedrooms and 33 total beds. What started as a small home for veteran spouses has evolved into a lifeline for thousands of veterans seeking medical care in Reno. Veterans Guest House services remain free to veteran families and now include meals, transportation, and post-operative care.
2024
Recently, Veterans Guest House found that Northern Nevada veterans often face the end of life without access to the hospice care they need. In response, Veterans Guest House is launching Veterans Hospice Home—a place where veterans at the end of life can receive compassionate, supportive care that would otherwise be unavailable. This private, peaceful home will be offered free of charge thanks to a shared commitment to those who have served our country.