Darlene Gwin, Founder
About Valor Villages for Veterans
Valor Villages for Veterans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing rent-free tiny homes and holistic support for homeless veterans in Cedar City, Utah. Founded by Darlene Gwin, the organization draws from her personal resilience and commitment to honoring our heroes.
Darlene Gwin: Founder and Visionary
Darlene Gwin's life is a testament to resilience, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to serving others—qualities that inspired her to create Valor Villages for Veterans.
Early Life
Born in a modest house on the side of a hill in Appalachia, Darlene nearly died as an infant and survived a two-year battle for her life. She endured frequent illnesses throughout her pre-teen years before her family moved to the Midwest. There, she graduated high school and began her higher education at Wright State University, where she explored business, education, and fine arts, excelling in English.
Education
Her early career was a mosaic of roles that honed her organizational and interpersonal skills: paper girl, typesetter, sports writer, secretary, bookkeeper, clerk typist, and Secretary II with shorthand in a liaison department. Returning to school, she completed her BA degree with a blend of disciplines—two years in business, one in education, and two in fine arts. A job as a secretary led to an opportunity for a Master's in Landscape Architecture, though circumstances intervened. She later earned a Master's in Education with a focus on Instructional Technology from American InterContinental University Online, graduating with a 3.88 GPA.
Career
Darlene's professional path took her across the country, including a move to the Southwest where she held diverse positions: secretary to labor representatives, secretary in the Classics Department at the University of Arizona, receptionist-turned-project technician at a mining company, administrative assistant, administrator with word processing and computer expertise, secretary at a demographics research firm, campaign assistant secretary, and courtroom clerk in the Juvenile Division. She also attended Multnomah Seminary but returned home due to a family emergency, where she cared for her parents until their passing.
Volunteer Work
Throughout her life, Darlene has been a dedicated volunteer, contributing to Junior Achievement, serving as church secretary to the Music Director, riding in the Fiesta de las Vaqueros Parade, and working with the Fiesta de las Vaqueros Rodeo as a ticket taker and food server. She volunteered with Juvenile Detention, hospitals (with service animal visits), nursing homes as an entertainer, intermediate care facilities as activities director and pastor, and churches as a soloist, choir member, art festival teacher, Sunday School teacher, and nursery worker.
Personal Challenges and Resilience
A survivor of physical abuse, three rapes, a miscarriage, an abortion, nine car accidents (most not her fault), and numerous medical issues, removals, and replacements, Darlene's Scots-Welsh heritage and her father's unyielding fight for what's right have shaped her relentless spirit. As a Christian in the Evangelical Free Church tradition, she draws strength from her personal verse, II Timothy 1:7: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." She is a former Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist.
Skills and Gifts
Darlene's skills and gifts include painting, music (voice, piano, guitar, harpsichord, tambourine, recorder, glockenspiel), music composition, drawing, photography, and a natural affinity for people. She excels in thinking inside and outside the box, managing ideas/projects/small teams, research, generating utilitarian solutions, liaison work, idea development, follow-through, organizing, and computer knowledge (Windows, COBOL, Adobe, databases, Grok/Imagine). Despite ADHD tendencies and a controlled passive-aggressive streak, her dry sarcasm, goal-oriented persistence, and ability to function as a loner in groups make her a unique force.
Founding Valor Villages for Veterans
Darlene's journey of survival and service, deeply inspired by her father's indomitable spirit and his lifelong fight for justice amid his unseen WWII wounds, led her to found Valor Villages for Veterans, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing transitional housing and holistic healing for homeless veterans. His legacy fuels her passion to create a safe space where heroes can heal, rebuild, and thrive—one veteran at a time.
Current Status
As of January 2026, Valor Villages for Veterans is in early development, with a live website (valorvillagesforveterans.com), active GiveSendGo campaigns for Phase 1 funding ($250,000 goal for tiny homes build and $25,000 for Welcome Bear kits), and foundational planning for site infrastructure like the dirt fitness trail. The organization is building momentum through local Cedar City/Enoch business partnerships, in-kind donations (e.g., gym equipment from thrift stores), grant research (e.g., VA Adaptive Sports, UDVMA grants), and volunteer outreach.
Services Offered
Valor Villages for Veterans provides rent-free transitional housing for up to 9 months in private tiny homes, peer-led Hero Hall workshops for mental health and skill-building, self-care services including free barber haircuts, animal therapy with rescue dogs, crisis support via a 24/7 app, and pathways to job training, education (e.g., AI/robotics/drones at SUU), and permanent housing. All services are designed to address physical, mental, and emotional needs in a safe, supportive environment.