How it all began…

In August 1969 at the age of 73, Harry W. Dietert purchased the house next door – the Mae Gracey home at 617 Jefferson Street in Kerrville, Texas - for the purpose of setting up a community activity center for senior citizens.

As someone who had personally failed at ‘retirement,’ Mr. Dietert understood first-hand about the limited opportunities for social, intellectual and creative interaction for older individuals in this small, rural community, nestled in the beautiful Texas Hill Country.

Working with Kerrville State Hospital’s Volunteer Services Council, Mr. Dietert organized what would become the Dietert Claim Senior Citizen’s Center. Their goal was to address the challenge of leisure time and the desire of older citizens to involve themselves in helping others.

Borrowing from his successful career in the mining and foundry industry, Mr. Dietert and the staff envisioned the center as a place where older adults in the Hill Country could "stake their claim for the gold of their golden years” in an atmosphere that promoted friendship, support and caring.

The first volunteers were called "Prospectors" and were described by Nell Lenard, Program Specialist at the time, as " special people who want to dig more out of life by giving help to others.  Prospectors seek gold in service, recreation and fellowship, while panning out loneliness, boredom and isolation. "