Nonprofit News Your Community Connection
January 2016 • gazette.com/nonprofit Seniors
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Volume 2, Issue 1 • FREE Youth
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Center helps youth achieve education, career goals BY JEANNETTE HOLTHAM Youth Transformation Center
Deerfield Hills Community Center staff is using Youth Mental Health First Aid classes to help better mentor the more than 60 nearby kindergarten through fifth grade students enrolled in after-school programs. Pictured in front, L – R: Youth Program Director Dani Finau, After-School Program Director Lydia Keller, youth leaders Julie Slivka and Chandler Grady. Back L-R: Youth leaders AJ Nesby, Nicolas Lofton, Charles Hazard and Taylor Lofton.
Local nonprofits collaborate to bring mental health first aid to region BY LORI JARVIS-STEINWERT National Alliance on Mental Illness – Colorado Springs
There’s a growing movement of concerned community members in Colorado Springs who are equipping themselves with the knowledge and tools to respond to a substance abuse or mental health crisis. “Mental health challenges are common,” said Rachel Clements, coordinator of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) in Colorado Springs. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in four people will struggle with a mental health challenge in
his or her lifetime, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, eating disorders, bipolar disorder and more — the odds are good that you or someone you know will be affected. Mental illness is not rare, it’s a treatable medical condition, and the prognosis is good with the right treatment and care. Increasingly, experts know it’s important to treat mental health issues at onset rather than letting them go untreated for years — or even a lifetime. The warning signs are there, but most people don’t know what to look for. MHFA and YMHFA are – CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 –
Homefront: Free 6-week program for families, caregivers and friends of military service members and vets with mental health conditions 6 – 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, beginning January 20
Carlos has a big dream — he wants to be the first in his family to graduate from high school. Tamara is putting herself through college, with hopes to join the military. The team at Youth Transformation Center (YTC) is helping them get there. Carlos is enrolled in a school in which he spends half the day recovering lost high school credits and the other half learning the skills of an auto mechanic. Tamara attends school and works in a daycare center where the “little people” hang onto her and don’t even want her to go on break. They are both on their way to achieving their dreams, but, life wasn’t always like this for these young people. When Carlos was only a few months old, his mother dropped him off at an abusive uncle’s house so she could feed her addiction to heroin. For entertainment, his uncle would throw Carlos across the room like a basketball. At age 16, during a Youth Transformation Center Boomerang workshop, Carlos shared his story with tears in his eyes. One year later, he said: “I stopped blowing off homework and handled my frustrations. I’m graduating next month.” Tamara also has a heartbreaking story: “Although I had respect as a leader of my gang, my – CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 –
For more information: 473-8477
namicoloradosprings.org/ education-and-classes/ homefront/ info@namicos.org
THROUGH JANUARY 15:
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JANUARY 6, 2016
EDITOR, NONPROFIT NEWS Hannah Blick hannah.blick@gazette.com
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Last year you helped The Salvation Army
FEED 157,00 meals; SHELTER 65,000 beds; RESTORE 17,000 families.
Pictured L – R: Deerfield Hills Community Center Youth Leader Julie Slivka, AspenPointe Board Chair Camille Blakely, NAMI Board President Dan Zarecky, AspenPointe President/CEO Dr. Mick Pattinson, NAMI Executive Director Lori Jarvis, and MHFA Coordinator Rachel Clements.
Mental health first aid training: CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
changing that by increasing mental health literacy and reducing stigma. The adult curriculum teaches the signs and symptoms of mental illness in adults, while the youth curriculum provides education and tools for helping young people. Both the adult and youth curriculum are eight hours, and participants can become MHFA certified. AspenPointe introduced MHFA in 2009 in Colorado Springs. In 2015, the education program transitioned to a community-driven initiative known as Mental Health Begins with ME, which is now housed at the Colorado Springs affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Since 2009, more than 2,400 people have been trained locally in MHFA
and YMHFA, with nearly 900 people trained and certified in in 2015. A cadre of community members have been trained as MHFA and YMHFA instructors in order to keep up with the growing demand for this timely program. Local organizations, businesses and schools are encouraged to offer MHFA or YMHFA to their employees to increase awareness and to empower them to respond to a crisis. Interested individuals are also welcome to attend a training. Learn more about upcoming trainings at mhfaco.org/find-class, or by contacting NAMI at 473-8477 or info@namicos.org. AspenPointe, a local nonprofit healthcare organization, raised almost $14,000 at its annual Heroes of
Mental Health Luncheon in October to support local YMHFA training in the Pikes Peak region. With donations, eight youth leaders from the Deerfield Hills Community Center took the YMHFA classes to help better mentor the over 60 nearby kindergarten through fifth grade students enrolled in their after-school program. AmeriCorps volunteer and Deerfield Program Coordinator Julie Slivka called AspenPointe for assistance. “With the training on mental health symptoms and services, Deerfield staff now know how to immediately address and direct youth to help and resources,” Slivka said. “We want every student to reach their fullest potential in life.”
Youth Transformation Center: CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CARE ABOUT OUR KIDS? To learn more about Youth Transformation Center’s workshops, visit youthtransformationcenter. org, or contact 440-1983 or youthtransformationcenter @gmail.com.
EVERY DAY, THE SALVATION ARMY FEEDS 400 meals, SHELTERS 350 homeless RESTORES hundreds of lives right here in our community.
4 JANUARY 2016 NONPROFIT NEWS
life was going in the wrong direction, and if I hadn’t come to the Boomerang training, I would probably be in jail or I’d be dead now,” she said. Thousands of teens have attended YTC’s Boomerang trainings at their schools — regular kids whose lives are altered in this motivational workshop that helps them rediscover natural gifts and talents and create a compelling life action plan. YTC also works with youth who’ve been suspended or expelled, referred by schools and the courts because of wrongdoing. The overuse of suspension and
Youth Transformation Center work with Colorado Springs youth to build a life action plan and achieve education and career goals. Courtesy of the Youth Transformation Center
expulsion for minor to moderate offenses has led to a national dropout crisis. Schools lose $7,000 – $12,000 for each student who fails to graduate, while taxpayers lose billions in Welfare, incarceration and health-care costs for dropouts struggling with unemployment and poverty. Through YTC, suspended and expelled youth can choose to take responsibility for their actions,
meet face-to-face with those they’ve harmed, listen to how their behaviors have affected others and work together to repair the harm. Thanks to a generous $65,000 grant from Grinnell Memorial Trust and contracts with two school districts, YTC is now helping ten schools in the Pikes Peak region to reduce student discipline issues, keep kids in school, and help them graduate.
‘It was peaceful and instantly felt like home’ An open letter of gratitude from a local recipient of housing assistance Partners in Housing gives homeless families hope and opportunities, providing one-year transitional housing and supportive services, so they can become self-sufficient. One local woman shares her family’s story. The summer of 2012, I woke up to the realization that something had to change. I was 32 years old, had just given birth to my fifth child, ended my second unhealthy relationship, and had nothing in the bank. I heard of the organization Partners in Housing several times over casual conversation. I decided to schedule an appointment and see if they could help my children and me. Everyone there was warm and friendly. As I completed the application and interview process they mentioned it could be months before they had an available home large enough to fit my family. Having to move out by the end of the month we were lucky to have family open their
Rani Archuleta received financial and housing assistance that helped her launch a successful career and provide for her children. Courtesy Partners in Housing
tucked away on the Westside of town. The first weekend we were there my children said to me: “Mom, I feel like we are in a mountain town.” It was peaceful and instantly felt like home. It was amazing to see my home transform with structure. I had many legal issues to attend to as well. Fearing the legal system, I knew it was something that had to be
doors for us to stay temporarily. Shortly after I received a call notifying us that a home had opened up unexpectedly and we could move in within a week. This was divine timing! Driving up to our new home I WITH was nervous and excited. What if it was near a bad area of town or in poor condition? It was the exact opposite. It was a beautiful town house
done. With a case worker to hold me accountable, I filed for divorce, requested child support, and applied for a permanent restraining order. Representing myself and speaking my truth, I was satisfied with the outcome of my court cases. I was feeling more empowered as I took each step forward in clearing the baggage in my life. I still face the same challenges that I did when entering Partners in Housing. However, now I have the tools to deal with them and the mindset to stick with solutions. I have so much gratitude for the time spent in this program and all of the staff who believed in us. Knowing that I am not a victim and that I have the power to change my life, so that I can create a life of happiness and joy is what I learned from my experience with Partners in Housing. Thank you!
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Now more than ever, our neighbors need our help.
The 32nd annual Empty Stocking Fund raises money for 20 El Paso and Teller County health and human service agencies on the front lines of helping people in need: ■ American Red Cross, Pikes Peak Chapter ■ Care and Share Food Bank ■ CPCD … giving children a head start ■ Ecumenical Social Ministries ■ Griffith Centers For Children, Chins Up Youth & Family Services ■ Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountain ■ Marian House, Catholic Charities ■ Mercy’s Gate ■ Partners In Housing ■ Peak Vista Community Health Centers ■ REACH Pikes Peak ■ Silver Key Senior Services ■ TESSA ■ The Home Front Cares ■ The Resource Exchange ■ The Salvation Army of El Paso County ■ Tri-Lakes Cares ■ Urban Peak ■ Westside CARES ■ YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region
HOW YOU CAN HELP: FillAnEmptyStocking.org 6 JANUARY 2016 NONPROFIT NEWS
■ Bruni Foundation Match: $10,000 for every $100,000 ■ El Pomar Foundation Match: $1 for every $3
Individual Donation $1,000 $500 $250 $100 $50 $25 Other: $ ___________________ Name: _______________________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________ City: _____________________________________State: ______ Zip: ______________________ Phone: ___________________ E-mail: ______________________________________________
Corporate/Organization Donation
$10,000 $5,000 $2,500 $1,000 $500 Other: $ ___________________ Corporation/Organization:___________________________________________________________ Contact: ______________________________________________________________________ Phone: _______________________ E-mail: __________________________________________
Make Your Donation Today
Telephone credit card or stock donations: 719-476-1673 Secure online donations: FillAnEmptyStocking.org Check donations: Make payable to the Empty Stocking Fund Mail-in credit card donations: Credit card number: _______________________________________ Exp. Date: _______________ Security Code digits (3 on back of Visa, MasterCard or Discover and 4 on front of AMEX) ______________ Signature: _____________________________________________________________________ Donors will be acknowledged in The Gazette. Name(s) as you would like it to appear: _____________________________________________________________________________ I wish to remain ANONYMOUS. Mail completed form and payment to: P.O. Box 910942, Denver, CO 80291-0942. Tax receipts will be sent to the name and address above after the conclusion of the campaign. For income tax reporting, telephone credit card donations must be called in by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, December 28. El Pomar Foundation caps its donation at $200,000. Bruni Foundation caps its donation at $70,000.
EmptyStockingFund
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Manitou makerspace team builds bionic hand for local girl BY CHRIS VESTAL
Pikes Peak Makerspace
The team at Pikes Peak Makerspace (PPM) is putting its technical and creative genius to work for a worthy cause: the group is building a bionic hand for a 13-year-old Colorado Springs girl. Delaney Hurst was born with an underdeveloped right hand, and her family’s insurance won’t cover the cost of a prosthetic. A prototype version of the hand has been in the works at PPM since February 2015. The 3D-printed motorized hand is the focus of 3Ddelaney, a collaborative project made possible by volunteers and donors who want to make Delaney’s new hand at no cost to her family. Prosthetics can be cost prohibitive for many families and children often need replacements as they grow. The team is working to ensure Delaney’s family doesn’t pay anything for the bionic hand and
that she can have her own 3D printer to create larger hands as she grows older. Donations are being accepted to help with the 3Ddelaney bionic hand. Visitors are welcome to donate at the makerspace or mail funds to PPM at 515 Manitou Avenue, Manitou Springs, CO, 80829. PPM is located in the Manitou Art Center’s Spencer Hall. Its facilities include 3D printers like the one used to make the robotic hand, the makerspace woodshop, welding booths, cutting and engraving laser, and more. PPM founders and members are planning a downtown Colorado Springs expansion and developing a scholarship fund. The group is composed of builders, tinkerers, engineers, artists, entrepreneurs, designers and educators revolutionizing creativity in the Pikes Peak region.
3DDELANEY ONLINE
Follow the 3Ddelaney project on Twitter @3Ddelaney and Facebook at /PPmakerspace. Visit gazette. com/nonprofit to see videos of Delaney’s bionic hand in action. Engineers, artists and designers at Pikes Peak Makerspace are building a bionic hand for Delaney Hurst, a local 13-year-old girl born with an underdeveloped right hand. Courtesy of Pikes Peak Makerspace
Providing support for individuals with I/DD and their families for over 60 years.
Lacey models as the mother in the recreation of the famous photograph, Migrant Mother, by Photographer Dorothea Lange, for The Arc Pikes Peak Region’s 2016 calendar, ‘Portraits and Masterpieces’. Lacey enjoys working, working out, dancing and taking her son to the park.
Protection Inclusion Advocacy Guardianship Education Social Opportunities www.thearcppr.org | 719-471-4800 NONPROFIT NEWS JANUARY 2016 7
Nonprofit Events To submit an event for the Nonprofit News calendar, please send details and contact information to nonprofitnews@gazette.com.
January 2
Family Exploration Day: Geology! 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at The Western Museum of Mining and Industry, 225 North Gate Blvd. Included with paid museum admission. Info: wmmi.org.
January 5
Space Story Party: “G is for Galaxy” 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. at the Space Foundation Discover Center, 4425 Arrowswest Dr. Info: 5768000, http://bit.ly/1lc2YAF.
8:30 – 11 a.m. at Fountain Creek Nature Center, 320 Pepper Grass Ln., Fountain. $5 donation for bird seed. Info: 520-6745.
January 12
Special Olympics Colorado Pre-Plunge Party 6 – 8 p.m. at Bristol Brewery, 1604 S. Cascade Ave. Help kick off the Polar Plunge series during Bristol’s Karma Hour. Info: specialolympicsco.org, bristolbrewing.com.
January 13
Monthly Neighborhood Meeting
January 7
Nature Adventures: The Three Bears 10 – 11:30 a.m. at Fountain Creek Nature Center, 320 Pepper Grass Ln., Fountain. $3/family. Info: 520-6745.
January 9
Fountain Creek Winter Bird Count
7:30 p.m. at the Council of Neighborhoods and Organizations, 309 S. Cascade Ave. Info: cscono.com.
8000, http://bit.ly/1x1mULs.
January 14
Twos and Threes Outdoors: What Good is a Tail
Emergency Preparedness Lunch Panel
10 – 11:15 a.m. at Fountain Creek Nature Center, 320 Pepper Grass Ln., Fountain. $3/family. Info: 520-6745.
Noon – 1 p.m. at the Council of Neighborhoods and Organizations, 309 S. Cascade Ave. Parking in garage, bring a brown bag lunch. Info: cscono.com.
January 16
January 20
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Colorado College in downtown Colorado Springs. Free for students and parents, $35 for professionals. Additional $27.50 for graduate credit through Adam State University. Info: educatingchildrenofcolor.org.
5:30 – 8 p.m. at Hillside Community Center, 925 S. Institute St. Hosted by Council of Neighbors and Organizations. Info: cscono.org.
9th Annual Educating Children of Color Summit
Neighborhood Leadership Training
January 22 – 24
The AIR:Shift Workshop
January 13 & 21
January 15
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Space Foundation Discovery Center, 4425 Arrowswest Dr. Info: 576-
6:45 p.m. at 2164 Hollow Brook Dr. RSVP: 426-9305, heather@ hollowbrooksleep.com.
Space Foundation Homeschool Day: “Astronomy”
Monthly Support and Education for Sleep Apnea Sufferers
Your #1 source for arts, culture & fun! 8 JANUARY 2016 NONPROFIT NEWS
January 19
10 – 11:30 a.m. at Pikes Peak Community College Studio Art Gallery, 100 W. Pikes Peak Ave. Hosted by Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region. $275/ person, discounts available via partner organizations. Info: coppercolo.org.
January 23
Grandparents Golf Clinic 9 – 11 a.m. at The First Tee Pikes Peak Indoor Learning Center, 525 N. Academy Blvd., behind Guitar Center. $8/adults, $4/ children. Info: 597-1932, thefirstteepikespeak.org.
Special Olympics Basketball
NAMI Homefront
8 weeks of basketball will be hosted by Colorado Springs Therapeutic Recreation Program. $30/person. Register by January 4. Walk-in registration: 1315 E. Pikes Peak Ave. Info: Jacki Mueller, 385-6965.
6 – 8:30 p.m. every Wednesday, starting January 20. Call 4738477 for location information. 6-week program for families, caregivers and friends of military service members and vets with mental health conditions. Info: namicoloradopsrings.org/education-and-classes/homefront, info@namicos.org.
Drawing Wildlife with Mr. Rick
The First Tee of Pikes Peak Military Family Golf Clinics
10 – 11:30 a.m. at Fountain Creek Nature Center, 320 Pepper Grass Ln., Fountain. $4/ member, $5/nonmember. Info: 520-6745.
9 – 11 a.m. every first Saturday of the month at the Indoor Learning Center, 525 N. Academy Blvd., behind the Guitar Center. $8/adults, $4/children. Info: thefirstteepikespeak.org.
Tesla’s Toolbox: App Development 10 a.m. – noon at the Space Foundation Discover Center, 4425 Arrowswest Dr. $10 workshop fee. Info: 576-8000, http:// bit.ly/1MYNlWd.
January 28
January 30
Family and Caregiver Encouragement Group
Most classes 4:30 – 5:30 p.m., January 25-March 11 at the Indoor Learning Center, 525 N. Academy Blvd., behind Guitar Center. Ages 5-18, all skill levels. $70. Info: 719-597-1932, thefirstteepikespeak.org.
5:30 – 7 p.m., 1st & 3rd Thursday monthly at The Independence Center, 729 S. Tejon Street. Info: 471-8181, theindependencecenter. org/calendars.
NAMI Family-to-Family
10 a.m. – noon every Thursday at The Independence Center, 729 S. Tejon Street. Info: 471-8181, theindependencecenter.org/calendars.
6 – 8:30 p.m. every Thursday, starting January 14. Call 4738477 for location information. 12-week course for family and friends of individuals with serious mental illness. Info: n a m icolo r a d o p s r i n g s .o r g / educat ion-and- classes/family-to-family, info@namicos.org.
Basics of Cast Iron Cooking
NAMI Peer-to-Peer
9 – 11 a.m. at Fountain Creek Nature Center, 320 Pepper Grass Ln., Fountain. $8/member, $10/ nonmember. Info: 520-6745.
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. every Thursday, starting January 21. Call 4738477 for location information. 11 session program for adults with mental illness who are looking to better understand their condition and journey toward recovery. Info: namicolor adopsr ings.org/educa tion-and-classes/peer-to-peer, info@namicos.org.
Glass Slipper Ball 7 p.m. – midnight at DoubleTree hotel, 1775 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd. Benefiting local and global women’s initiatives. Info: glassslipperball.com.
ONGOING
Host an international student through CIEE Welcome a CIEE high school student into your home and form a bond that lasts a lifetime. CIEE is the world leader in international education and exchange since 1947. To learn about hosting, contact your local representative, Elizabeth Young at 9343438 or elsabet80@gmail.com.
10:30 a.m. – noon every Monday at The Independence Center, 729 S. Tejon Street. Info: 471-8181, theindependencecenter.org/calendars.
The First Tee of Pikes Peak Winter Program
Reaching for Tomorrow 6 p.m. silent auction, 7 p.m. dinner and program at Antlers Hotel, 4 S. Cascade Ave. An evening of remembrance on the 30th anniversary of the Challenger space shuttle tragedy. Benefiting Challenger Learning Center. Info: vivian@teets.net.
Living Well With a Disability:
NAMI Basics 6 – 8:30 p.m. every Thursday, starting January 14. Call 4738477 for location information. 6-week education program for parents and family caregivers of children and teens who are experiencing symptoms of a mental illness or whom have already been diagnosed. Info: namicoloradopsrings.org/educ at ion - a nd - cla s ses/ba sic s, info@namicos.org.
Employee Retention & Being Successful at a Job
Doors of Colorado Springs Poster Sale, benefiting The Resource Exchange Posters available for purchase at TRE, 418 S. Weber Street, and Pikes Peak Association of REALTORS, 430 N. Tejon Street. Info: tre.org.
CALL FOR VENDORS & PARTNERS
The Gazette Employee Volunteer Program is looking for nonprofit partners in need of volunteers. Send volunteer requests to ivy. morris@gazette.com or rhonda. vonluhrte@gazette.com. Please include an event or service project description, number of volunteers needed, and contact information. For more information, call Ivy Morris, 636-0308, or Rhonda von Luhrte, 636-0209.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Leading with Love, a Guide Dogs for the Blind puppy raising group,
is seeking volunteer puppy raisers to open their homes to raise and socialize puppies who will become Guide Dogs. For more information, contact Holly, haluta4@ hotmail.com, or visit the Leading With Love Facebook page. Lucky Dog Rescue is in need of administrators, dog holders/walkers and foster homes. Info: luckydogvolunteer@gmail.com, bealuckydog.com/rescue. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, the nation’s largest free, volunteer-run tax preparation and assistance service is seeking volunteers across the state to help Colorado taxpayers who are seeking assistance preparing and filing their 2015 tax returns. Volunteers do not need to be an AARP member or retiree to participate. Tax-Aide is particularly in need of volunteers who are bilingual in English/Spanish to support the increasing number of Spanish-speaking taxpayers seeking assistance. Visit aarp.org/giving-back or contact Kathy Martz, 303-683-9524, for information. The American Red Cross will make a major push to save lives through the Home Fire Campaign that strives to reduce fatalities caused by home fires. Volunteers, along with 600 cadets from the Air Force Academy, will be out testing smoke alarms and installing free smoke alarms in homes throughout El Paso, Teller and Pueblo Counties. Volunteers from the community are needed to help with this effort. Red Cross is also looking for people to loan small ladders and portable drills to help with the installations. Please contact 303-607-4753 if you are interested in volunteering or want more information. The Youth Transformation Center is planning its 2016 Fall Talent Show. The committee is forming now! Whether you want to serve as a talent scout, a program designer, a sponsor sleuth (for ads in the program), a ticket taker, a greeter, a stage manager, a coach, or a judge for this blockbuster event, contact YTC at 440-1983 or youthtransformationcenter@gmail.com.
NONPROFIT NEWS JANUARY 2016 9
A rendering of the St. Jude Dream Home house shows off its external features. Courtesy St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude constructing Dream Home in Banning Lewis Ranch to give away BY JAYMIE HARDTARFER
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Covington Homes broke ground on the Third Annual St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway house on November 13. Courtesy St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
WIN YOUR DREAM HOME!
Tickets for the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway will be available starting March 23, at dreamhome.org or by calling 800-379-5217. Only 8,500 tickets for the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway will be sold. For $100, reserve a ticket to win the home as well as other high-end prizes.
Now offering Kitten Kindergarten classes on how NOT to ruin your kitten. Please call to reserve your space!
A rescue & adoption center for homeless cats & kittens.
1412 S. 21st. Street • Colorado Springs, CO 80904 719.635.5000 • www.HappyCatsHaven.org 10 JANUARY 2016 NONPROFIT NEWS
Covington Homes broke ground on the Third Annual St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway house on November 13 and, in just weeks, the house has gone from dream to reality as construction is well underway. Covington Homes is coordinating construction on the brand-new house, along with support from local trade partners and sponsors. The home is located in Banning Lewis Ranch, which boasts a beautiful Ranch House, parks and trails throughout the community and a K –8 charter school. This is the first year that Covington Homes will be the builder of the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway house. “We are truly humbled and honored to be the Southern Colorado St. Jude Dream Home Builder,” said Grace Covington with Covington Homes. “Our entire Covington Team is looking forward to helping in this very worthy cause and contributing whatever we can to help fight childhood cancer.” Tickets for the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway will be available starting March 23, at dreamhome. org or by calling 800-379-5217. Only 8,500 tickets for the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway will be sold. For $100, reserve a ticket to win the home as well as other highend prizes.
The giveaway benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which occasionally treats Colorado Springs children at its location in Memphis. Sponsors of the campaign include KKTV 11 News, Covington Homes, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Banning Lewis Ranch, Y96.9 FM, Colorado Homes & Lifestyles, Furniture Row and Hanson HotSpring Spas. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent, and won’t stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — because all a family should worry about is helping its child live.
arc Thrift stores enable staff to employ, advocate for local disabled, refugees BY TONIA NIFONG
The Arc Pikes Peak Region
An employee at arc Thrift stores, Sara has six years under her belt as an Arc Ambassador, a program designed to help individuals with disabilities gain self-respect, self-determination and independence in their communities and professional workplaces. The Arc Ambassador program is an excellent picture of the relationship between arc Thrift stores and chapters of The Arc, including The Arc Pikes Peak Region (The Arc PPR). Though both organizations serve unique functions in the community, they share a common goal: developing a thriving community in which those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are embraced and respected. Advocacy provided by The Arc PPR is largely funded by arc Thrift stores. The I/DD population lives with a variety of disabilities including, but not limited to, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism. As part of its work in the Colorado Springs community, The Arc PPR provides educational and judicial advocacy and guardianship, as well as a wide variety of social opportunities. Every time you donate to arc Thrift stores, you contribute to a worthy cause. “The Arc PPR is an amazing resource for my family. We have a son with autism, and The Arc PPR provides an advocate at no charge, but not just any advocate, a highly-qualified, smart, kind, and tenacious advocate that helps us to get our son the services that he needs for school,” said Rebecca, a local parent of a child with I/DD. “In addition to a wide variety of items and excellent customer service, arc Thrift stores are also one of the largest employers of individuals with disabilities and other significantly challenged populations like refugees, people from substance abuse and homeless programs and women from safe houses,” said Johanna Fehrs, The Arc PPR development fellow. Like other participants in the Arc Ambassador program, arc Thrift and The Arc PPR celebrate Sara’s unique talents. In addition to working at arc Thrift stores, Sara recently
We provide high impact training and tools for prevention, intervention, and inspiration. PLEASE HELP YOUTH TRANSFORMATION CENTER Raise the bar on school safety! Inspire youth to stay in school and graduate! Help youth create powerful action plans for life!
“They helped me not only figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life but also what I need to do to get there,” program participant
CONTACT US NOW! www.YouthTransformationCenter.org • youthtransformationcenter@gmail.com (719) 440-1983
719.439.7647
Jeff@AnyHomeNow.com AnyHomeNow.com
Real Estate
Arc Ambassador and arc Thrift Store employee Sara recreates Johannes Vermeer’s famous oil painting, “Girl with a Pearl Earring” for The Arc Pikes Peak Region’s 2016 calendar “Masterpieces and Portraits.” Visit thearcppr.org/2016-portraitsand-masterpieces-calendar to see more iconic images recreated. Pick up your copy for a $5 donation at 12 N. Meade Avenue or call 4714800. Courtesy of Zaira Aleman, ZA Photo
DONATE TO ARC THRIFT STORES Have gently-used items that you’d like to donate? Contact arc Thrift stores at 392-5263 to schedule a pick up.
modeled in The Arc PPR’s 2016 calendar, “Masterpieces and Portraits,” in the recreation of artist Johannes Vermeer’s famous oil painting, “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” The Arc PPR looks forward to expanding its advocacy efforts in 2016. “We plan to renovate our office building and the adjacent office building to create a community center and administrative offices,” said The Arc PPR’s Executive Director Wil Romero. “This community center will offer opportunities for us to collaborate with community organizations while providing ample room for educational opportunities.” To learn more about the advocacy provided by The Arc PPR, visit thearcppr.org or call at 471-4800.
JEFF GADDIS
Working with Families, Attorneys, Estates, Trusts and Conservatorships since 1999 to Realize Fair Market Value on Real Properties in Our Community.
415 S. Sahwatch St. 719-577-4556
ENROLL NOW FOR SPRING 2016 AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS CSCONSERVATORY.ORG
Nationally recognized – Instruction, performance opportunities and private lessons. Instrumental music, vocals, theater, dance, recording arts, composition, humanities, jazz, opera, film scoring and more. Ages 4-19 – all skill levels welcome
NONPROFIT NEWS JANUARY 2016 11
“There are no words to express my sincere gratitude for assistance. The services you provide help meet needs but also help those in need maintain a sense of dignity.” “My experience with The Home Front Cares was incredible and I could not thank you enough. I applied to many agencies for assistance, but they required over 1 month to be processed.” “While I was not suicidal, I really didn’t want to live with all the issue and problems I was having. I have since found a job (making $9.00/hour) and although I am in physical pain, I am working very hard to bring in a paycheck. I feel better about myself when I work. Thank you again so much for your help – it matters. ”
-Quotes from Colorado Veteran Clients
Season’s Greetings, These are perhaps our greatest fears: not being able to provide for our family, being homeless, being hopeless. At The Home Front Cares, we encounter clients with extreme needs every day. Established in 2003 to support Colorado military families impacted by deployment, we have been privileged to assist thousands of Colorado military and veteran families in need over the last 12 years. A mistaken perception exists that as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, the needs of our veterans and their families are decreasing. The reality is just the opposite: The need is increasing as thousands of military veterans transition to civilian life. This transition is not an easy one for multiple reasons. Many veterans suffer from physical and mental wounds, ranging from loss of limbs to PTSD and traumatic brain injury. And, unlike generations before them, they are being released from military service in record numbers, meaning that they will not have the opportunity to finish their service and retire from careers for which they’ve already sacrificed greatly. The military “drawdown” is effectively casting these brave men and women adrift without any safety net, to suddenly navigate civilian life including job searches, housing, bills, and health care on their own. Don’t they deserve more? As we face new threats from terrorist around the world, we must never forget the multiple tours of duty, lengthy time away from children and loved ones, and life-long injuries sustained. We owe it to these heroes to repay the sacrifices that they have selflessly made to give us the gift of our American freedoms. We owe it to their children – who are watching us. Here is our holiday wish: That we all remember our active duty military, veterans, and their families throughout the coming year. That we give generously, with time, money, and voice, not just during the holidays, but also year-round. Please help make life better for those who defended us. That will be the greatest gift we can give this year. Best Regards,
April Speake Executive Director p.s. we are proud to note that, according to GuideStars “U.S. Veterans Organizations by the Numbers”, The Home Front Cares rates in the top 10% of organization that grant a minimum of $250,000 (last FY we granted approximately $425,000 in emergency grants.
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‘The people who stick around’: Mentors make a difference in lives of local youth by showing up Boys & Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region offers more than 30 national programs within five core areas: education and career development, character and leadership development, the arts, health and life skills, and sports, fitness and recreation. One local staff member shares his story. I guess the best way to explain the purpose of The Boys & Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region is to share my own “why” — why I started volunteering, why I decided to join the staff, why I couldn’t leave my heart and my emotions out of the work. It’s easy to look at children and see nothing but, children, really. They’re everywhere: whining in the store, tugged hopelessly along by sleep-deprived parents who fantasize the hooligans will grow exhausted and go straight to bed as soon as they get home — knowing it’s wishful thinking. You see them running off to the bus stop, bustling with laughter about who knows what, on the playgrounds, corralling around the monkey bars, in the sand pits intensely creating, what seems, simple piles of sand. We see them, but we don’t really see them, just as we really don’t see people around us, not deeply, as each of us deserves to be seen. Children are often invisible, though each one has a story, a past, a view of the world as it is, and scars. What ails you certainly ails them; and just like you, they have no idea how to deal with it. This loneliness can creep in on us even when surrounded by people who care, or — a harsh reality for some — when we realize no one wants to help. So often, as a boy, I wanted to be known by and valuable to someone. Now, as a man, these same thoughts and feelings come, and I go to the Club and remember I’m not the only one who feels this way. I’ve found that as I choose to be vulnerable with the kids and help them work through their issues, I’ve had to confront my own areas of weakness, learning to accept I’m unable to always be right. Many of my kids’ truths are
Boys & Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region staff member J. Daniel Cruz plays with two of the youth he mentors at the Club. Courtesy of Boys & Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region
harsher than mine. They are sons of gang violence, daughters of addiction and destitution, children who wander in search of a family for warmth that’s deeper than the covers can give. At the Club, we give those children a voice, a platform to tell the world their stories. The staff at the Boys & Girls Club care, and are the people who stick around throughout their lives. We’re not going to abandon them or let them feel alone, degraded, or
worthless. They mean the world to us, each knob-shaped head, toothy grin, and play-dirty shoes that walk through our doors. This is who we are and why we stay at the Boys & Girls Club. It’s impossible for this to be just a job, this is a family. It’s a place where all of us belong, and believe that we’re all worth fighting for.
GET INVOLVED Every day, hundreds of Colorado Springs youth are looking for a mentor — you could be that influential person. Visit bgcppr. org/get-involved to learn more about volunteer opportunities at The Boys & Girls club of the Pikes Peak Region.
– J. Daniel Cruz, Boys & Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region
NONPROFIT NEWS JANUARY 2016 13
READY TO FLOURISH? For more information about Flourish’s Community Arts Program classes, auditioning for Flourish Dance Co. or gallery events, please contact Maria at info@flourisharts.org. Zimbabwean band Chihera performs at the Flourish Arts “Shine Like Stars” exhibit in downtown Colorado Springs. Photos by Colleen Briggs, Flourish Arts
Nonprofit mixes arts with social advocacy BY TONIA NIFONG Flourish Arts
Young dancers practice ballet as part of Flourish Art’s Community Arts Program. The program offers dance and art instruction to ages 3 through adult at nominal cost.
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Exploring the intersection of the arts and social advocacy, Flourish is an arts nonprofit committed to loving the city through creative expression. Comprised of three areas of focus — dance, fine art and community outreach — Flourish is dedicated to promoting the generative potential of the arts in life-affirming community. “In ten years with the Community Arts Program, I have found a mother, sisters and a family who dance through life with me,” said Evelyn Wyss, dance instructor and member of Flourish Dance Co. “And, as a teacher, I can pass that same involvement and acceptance to young girls who need the embrace of community and creativity in their lives.” Harnessing the power of the arts to invade an unjust world with truth and beauty, Flourish is active in the Colorado Springs community through a Community Arts Program (art and dance classes), gallery events and dance presentations (Flourish Dance Co., ages 18-adult, by audition). Set in an inclusive, welcoming
environment with a focus on developing both heart and skill, Flourish’s Community Arts Program offers dance and art instruction to ages 3 through adult at nominal cost. Gallery events like the “Shine Like Stars” installation, recently hosted by Flourish in downtown Colorado Springs, are known for infusing messages of hope and renewal into difficult life realities. Flourish partnered with orphan care nonprofit Hope’s Promise to display art created by Kenyan orphans, as well as original works by artist Colleen Briggs. The gallery conveyed stories of courage and hope, while providing a glimpse into the dreams of orphaned children in Kenya. “Inherently a hopeful act, art is a powerfully transformative force, as it speaks of all that is mysterious, beautiful, confusing, inspiring and sometimes sorrowful,” said Maria Pompea, Flourish founder and director. “Invading our lives that are often ensconced in the matrix of comfort and mediocrity, art offers the potential to stun us out of complacency, urging us to rise up and be more.”
Serving individuals, medical practices, “aging at home” groups, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospice agencies. We
also serve veterinarians and pet owners.
We offer the same or lower cost as the big chain stores! Great Clips stylists in the Pikes Peak region raised nearly $54,000 for Children’s Hospital Colorado in November. Courtesy Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation
Great Clips raises recordbreaking $53,836 for Children’s Hospital Colorado BY MONIQUE MCCOY
Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation
With each snip of their shears, Great Clips stylists are giving local kids the gift of a healthier, happier future while giving their customers fresh new looks. Once again, Great Clips customers throughout the Pikes Peak region responded to their stylists’ request to support the annual Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in-salon fundraising campaign benefiting Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs. In the early days of the partnership, the local Great Clips salons were proud to hand over fundraising totals of $12,000, but as the years passed the goals increased. This year, the salon managers designated their efforts in support of the new Cleft Palate Clinic at Briargate, with a goal of $50,000. The Cleft Palate Clinic provides comprehensive care and leading-edge treatment for children with cleft lips and cleft palates. Since its inception in February 2015, this new clinic has seen continued growth, which also uncovered some needs. One important need identified by clinic staff was a panoramic X-ray machine. This machine would allow oral maxillofacial surgeons and orthodontists to image patients on site, providing critical information and improved clinical diagnosis, patient experience and workflow. “Each year we set out to make a tangible difference in the lives of local kids,” said Great Clips franchisee Frank Evans. “When we
heard of the increasing demands on this clinic and their need for a panoramic X-ray machine to better serve their young patients, we knew we could band together and raise the funds needed. We’re very grateful for the generous support of our customers and extremely proud of the efforts by our stylists and managers, who embraced the goal and brought it to reality for the clinic.” Through customer and employee support at 15 salon locations throughout El Paso, Pueblo and Teller Counties, the annual fundraising campaign raised $53,836 for their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. This sixteen percent increase over the 2014 fundraising total made 2015 the highest fundraising year to date for Great Clips in the Pikes Peak region. To assure that 100 percent of the funds collected benefit the hospital, the local Great Clips organization covers all costs of the campaign. Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, a national nonprofit, operates on the principle of raising funds for local use. All the donations raised from the Great Clips campaign will stay local and help create miracles by funding needed medical care, equipment and therapy programs that save and improve the lives of children; 1 out of 10 of which are treated at a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital every year. Through grassroots community support, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is able to provide $6,500 in charitable care every minute in the United States.
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