“Over 66% of nursing care residents receive an average of ONE visit per year. 50% of us will spend some portion of our lives in long-term care.” -Rainbow Bridge 2010

Join Volunteers of America at their February Family Volunteer Event as they throw a Valentine’s Day party for low-income seniors and make their day special!!

When: Saturday, February 11, 2012; 10 a.m.-noon

Where:
1. Volunteers of America’s Sunset Towers, 1925 Larimer Street, Denver 80202
or
2. Volunteers of America’s Montbello Manor, 4355 Carson Street, Denver 80239

Who: You and your family…children of all ages are welcome!

What: Family Volunteers will be throwing a Valentine’s Day-themed party for the residents of Sunset Towers and Montbello Manor, affordable housing apartment complexes for seniors. Age-appropriate activities will include decorating cookies and valentines, bingo, crafts, appetizers and of course, visiting with the residents.

RSVP: Rachel Dolgin, rdolgin@voacolorado.org. Please include the number of people in your family that will be volunteering and your location preference (Sunset Towers or Montbello Manor).

** Please bring your family’s favorite appetizer to share**

Cycling, interpreter, naturalist, swimming and hiking survive, even if other skills — milking a cow, curing meat, hog-tying a burglar with an 8-inch cord — did not. Isabella Ozuna, a seasoned Girl Scout at age 11, is thankful for that.

“I know how to ride a horse,” she said, finding one thing that she would have in common with a 1912 Girl Scout.

And she knows how to sell cookies, that venerable fundraising method that’s paid for countless Girl Scout camping trips nearly since the organization started. Since sales started last Sunday, she and her sister, Daisy Scout Annie Ozuna, have sold two dozen boxes.

Of course, today the cookies are manufactured at commercial bakeries, not made at home from founder Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low’s own recipe.

But, for the first time in decades, customers who buy Girl Scout cookies don’t have to wait.

Just as their predecessors did, this year Girl Scouts finally can hand their customers a box of Thin Mints or Samoas on the spot. Eliminating delayed gratification helps soothe the pain of paying $3.50 for 8 ounces (or less). Another update: Now some of the Girl Scouts take credit cards.

At heart, the mission remains the same, says Girl Scouts of Colorado interim CEO Stephanie Foote, who once was a Girl Scout.

“A lot’s changed from the time when Girl Scouts meant cookies, camp and crafts,” Foote said.

“Now the focus is on leadership and development to help girls discover who they are, their values, their passions and skills, their ability to connect with community and take action, to serve and to work as a team.”

That sounds a lot like what Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low had in mind on March 12, 1912, when she convened the first meeting of what became the Girl Scouts. By 1917, those tenets were firmly in place when 18 Colorado girls gathered in Colorado Springs for the state’s first Girl Scout meeting.

A century later, the Girl Scout law still holds up, defining Girl Scouts as honorable, loyal, useful, friendly, courteous, pure, humane, obedient, cheerful and thrifty.

Not to mention being excellent cookie sales representatives, even if those Thin Mints practically sell themselves.

And now, as then, diversity remains key.

Low made sure that the Girl Scout doors were open to African-American, Native American and Latina girls, and to girls from all income levels. Of Colorado’s 30,000 Girl Scouts, about two-thirds are white, with the rest divided among Asian-American, Latina, African-American and other ethnicities.

Last year, Colorado Girl Scouts took inclusiveness to a new level. One Colorado troop included a transgendered scout — a boy who dresses and lives as a girl.

That provoked some conservatives into calling for a boycott of Girl Scout cookies. But it hews to the venerable Girl Scout law, and it underscored the widely adopted Power Up anti-bullying program that originated with the Colorado Girl Scout chapter.

With that rare exception, most Girl Scouts are girls, but they’re not required to be in a troop.

The Juliette Program, named for founder Low, allows girls to register on their own and do projects at their own pace, avoiding conflicts with soccer and other extracurricular activities. Independent and ongoing programs include projects in science, technology, math and problem-solving.

To celebrate the centennial, and to encourage girls to see themselves as leaders — Foote pointed out that today Congress and boardrooms have fewer female members than in the past — the Girl Scouts are seeking partnership from female state legislators, corporations and businesses.

Sixty Denver restaurants will participate in Dine Out for Girl Scouts on Feb. 2, donating 20 percent of sales (excluding alcohol) to the Girl Scouts of Colorado. For more information, visit bit.ly/DO4GS.

Needing an outlet for my feelings, I posted the following on my Facebook page immediately after I heard the news:

“I don’t care about winning streaks, national titles, or hollow sound bites. That members of the Penn State administration barely raised their hands when faced with eye-witness actions of a pedophile who was one of their own shows that those individuals have no heart. That Joe Paterno didn’t act to better protect and defend an innocent child who was raped in his ‘house’ proves that he has no soul.”

I was mad.

But now that time has passed and I’ve reflected on the matter, I feel something much more complex.

In that moment, my sentiment was genuine, fueled by real indignation coming straight from the heart. Any parent knows that the passion nourished by this organ is three-dimensional, and beats more ferociously than anything else.

But in pointing my finger at Joe Paterno, I could have just as easily been looking in the mirror at myself.

About two years ago, I was at the grocery store rushing to pick something up that my daughter, Grace, needed the next day at school. It was late, and I was both preoccupied and annoyed. Like most moms, I was running behind a never-ending to-do list that seemed to square itself and multiply whenever I wasn’t looking. Snow swirled outside, it was an unusually frigid Colorado night, and a humid chill was biting, snapping, and pushing people indoors. All I wanted to do was get what I needed, check out, and go home.

Turning down the frozen food aisle, I came upon a young boy, about my son’s age, and an old man. The man was huge, well over six feet tall, unshaven, wearing dirty old jeans, suspenders, and an untucked, long-sleeved shirt.

The boy? Small. Cowering. A little disheveled as he gazed up at the old man while simultaneously trying to avert his eyes.

He reached for a frozen pizza, and the old man smacked it out of his hand, mocked his sagging posture, and demanded, “What do you think I am, an ATM?”

The boy looked down at his feet and didn’t say a word.

In that moment, I knew something was wrong.

I slowed down and watched them, easing up close and trying to make myself known. The old man realized I was there, looked at me, made eye contact, and didn’t smile. I didn’t smile back.

And then he grabbed the boy by the shoulder, threw me a backwards glare, and dragged him toward the door.

I felt a mixture of emotions then…anger, confusion, pain, sadness…but the one that overwhelmed me at the time and now makes me feel ashamed?

Fear.

That old man scared me, and in a split second I used fear to assess and rationalize what I was about to not do…my husband, Scot, was out of town, the kids were home alone, and the storm outside was getting worse. The old man was probably the little boy’s grandfather, unemployed, and having a bad day.

Except my gut told me that wasn’t the case.

While I tried to convince myself I was overreacting so I could get on with my life, my conscience argued the other side. Strenuously.

But I didn’t listen.

In an instant, I made a decision that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

I turned my head. I closed my eyes. I walked away.

That little boy needed help, and I didn’t extend my hand.

For the last two years, my dreams have been filled with that child’s face. He’s calling out to me, screaming my name, and I’m searching frantically, straining to see through the dark and place the location of his voice so that I can pull him toward me and wrap him in my arms.

But I’m never able to find him, and when I wake up and can’t get back to sleep, I see him hovering two inches above me, eyes wide and afraid. And then he’s gone.

After the Sandusky allegations came to light, the dreams got worse, and the little boy’s face became fused with my son’s: at a football camp, trapped in a bathroom, confused and alone, running down a grocery aisle from someone who’s supposed to be a hero but is instead inflicting cruel and unimaginable pain.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but when I wrote the Facebook post about Joe Paterno, I was also writing about myself.

I’d give anything to have that moment in the grocery store back, to actually listen to my sixth sense instead of brushing it aside. To have made a different choice.

But it’s gone.

Mothers make mistakes. Famous coaches make mistakes. We all make mistakes. Unfortunately, we often have no idea in the moment how big those mistakes can become.

Everything matters. The little voice inside your head that won’t shut up? Listen to it. The guy sitting on your shoulder who you’d just as soon leave? Hear him out.

Joe Paterno’s problem wasn’t rooted in the actual commitment of a crime. His mistake was ignoring the voice that must have plagued him in his dreams, or two inches above his face when he couldn’t sleep at night.

Left alone, the voice of indecision becomes that of regret, and it doesn’t go away.

I will forever be haunted by that innocent child in the grocery store, wondering where he is, and at the same time, who I failed to be. I think, in the twilight of his life, that Joe Paterno must have been haunted too. What at first seemed like a glancing blow likely turned into a fatal wound.

Doctors can try to treat cancer, but they can’t diagnose a broken heart.

If you would like to give a voice to an innocent child, please go to Casa for Children or to the Tennyson Center for Children. Photo

Guest blogger Stacie is a married mother of three animated (as in cartoonish) children living in the sunny suburbs of Denver. When she’s not blogging at Gemini Girl in a Random World, she stalks people in her ginormous SUV who text while driving. So if you’re gonna be on I-25 anytime soon, look out.

I called VOA and signed us up for a Meals On Wheels Route. One child was eager to help, the other was…a little less eager.

Most volunteer activities I’ve found are for 14 years and up – my kids are well under that age. As a homeschooling family, we have ample time for education so why not help others along as part of the process?

My enthusiasm to volunteer is vastly greater than the rest of my family and I find that my eagerness can be dwarfed with the idea of dragging vocally unwilling children across vast distances of the Metro area. The kids have enjoyed every volunteer experience we’ve had, in the end, but not before raising objections and wallowing in complaints.

This summer we planted trees with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation to create an orchard that will be a part of on-going education projects for Denver Public Schools. Click here to read my post about the program.

Driving to the tree planting, the kids were less than thrilled to plant trees with people they didn’t know. When they saw a large farm with animals, dogs, sunflowers, and ducks and they started to warm up to the idea.

Both kids fell in love with a tree and chose a hole in which to plant it. They worked well with the school kids they had never met and most of whom had never planted anything before.

After the planting we walked around the farm and met goats, chickens, turkey’s and a horse getting new shoes. Driving home, my daughter proclaimed that she wants to be a farmer when she grows up.

The kids and I perused the VOA opportunities list together. My son wanted to help wrap donated books but that was already completed. My daughter gravitated to the Meals on Wheels saying she wanted to help people. Meals on Wheels is a national program, each run independently, that provides meals to homebound seniors.

Jay wanted to opt-out saying he would get car sick from all the driving. Yes, he does have a history of car sickness but it hasn’t happened for years.

His favorite summer event is driving up to Evergreen while he and his sister raise their arms over their heads and shout “weeeeeee” on each and every turn of the road. I say he’s pretty much over the car sickness however I recognize that he will pull out the car sick card when he doesn’t want to do something, and doesn’t want to come right out and say it.

I get it. Delivering meals to seniors didn’t inspire him. So I made him go anyway.

Our Meals day was scheduled for the Thursday before Christmas, that Thursday where 10 inches of snow greeted us upon waking. We were able to reschedule for the next day, the day that my husband had to work so Jay had to come with.

Waking my kids early and getting them out of the house by 8:15am has earned me the title of slave driver and meanest mom ever. We got out the door and made it downtown on-time to pick up the food – a Christmas miracle.

In the middle of downtown, the splash-back had turned my wind shield into a wall of mud. My wiper fluid tank has recently developed a hole. I pulled over to wipe down the window and found a dollar stuck in the snow. A good sign that the day would be a success.

The VOA building is located in an up-and-coming warehouse-like neighborhood. Near the offices, I saw a pile of blankets made-up like a bed, in the snow, on a corner and my heart broke. On our way out of downtown, at a red light, I gave our success dollar to a gentlemen bundled up in a collection of drab, ripped shirts and jackets. I wanted to bring every homeless person home and feed them unlimited bowls of hot, nourishing soup.

We were assigned two routes with 12 stops in a retirement community whose snow-covered labyrinth-like streets were in the process of being plowed. At our first stop, the resident wasn’t home which didn’t feel like a successful start.

The snow plows created a two-foot median between the lanes that I just knew my V-6 engine could plow us through. I’ll admit it, I was wrong. We were stuck in the middle of the street with traffic building on each side. Yup, stuck in snow in the middle of a senior community with two grumpy kids in the back. At least the meals would stay cold!

Less than 30 seconds later, the community security officer came to our rescue followed immediately by the snow plow and three shovel-ready workers. In minutes, the four men had dug out and pushed back onto our route. Good karma was in the van with us and we bestowed it on our rescuers.

Note to self: pack a little shovel in the van.

The first floor of stop number three had the most amazing smells. It was like Thanksgiving and Christmas were all being prepared on the same day at each apartment with turkey and stuffing and pies and cookies. The lobby was decorated with a Christmas tree and little vignettes of red and green baubles.

Mable* was waiting for us in the hallway (we called ahead). She was as tall as my son (age 11) with short, dusty-colored hair. We were invited in to set the box on her brown and avocado green kitchen chair, circa 1970. Mable was so thankful we made it through the snow to bring her food, she said she was completely out.

All the seniors were thrilled to see us but some didn’t remember they were getting a package of food even though they had been on the program for months, or years. Two seniors said they had been sick lately and these meals really helped them through.

Two meal boxes were left over from residents who didn’t answer the door and couldn’t be reached by phone. VOA called us back and said the left overs should go to any resident we chose. We chose Mable.

Mable was in the hallway again when we brought the extra meals. We put the boxes on the same kitchen chair. Mable hugged us each and couldn’t stop saying thank you. We guessed that all the meals together would last her a full week. She told us that sometimes she’s in so much pain that it’s hard to bring herself to the stove or microwave to heat up the meal but knowing that she had food available to eat made her feel much better.

I asked Jay what he thought about the experience. “Well, you know how I didn’t really want to go? I did have fun. I think the part I like best was seeing the neighborhood.”

Individually, we can’t help everyone but we do our best to help as much as possible. If everyone gave a little, it would add up to a lot. Our little adventure brought us joy and a reason to continue helping even if we can impact only a few people in a small way.

*Names have been changed.

January Volunteer Opportunity: Join Volunteers of America in helping prepare for their 27th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner! This dinner feeds 1,700 homeless men, women and children.

 Photo credit: worradmu

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?”

Each year, Americans across the country answer that question by coming together on the King Holiday to serve their neighbors and communities. The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday has been marked as a day to turn community concerns into citizen action. Join Volunteers of America in helping prepare for their 27th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner! This dinner feeds 1,700 homeless men, women and children.

When: Saturday, January 14, 2011; 10 a.m. – noon
Where: Volunteers of America’s Sunset Park Senior Center, 1865 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202
Who: You and your family…children of all ages are welcome!
What: Preparing for Volunteers of America’s 27th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner. Age-appropriate activities will include decorating placemats, assembling silverware sets, preparing hygiene kits and sorting gently used donated clothing from ARC Thrift Stores.

RSVP: Please RSVP to Rachel Dolgin rdolgin@voacolorado.org. Space for this project is limited. Sign-up is on a first-come first-served basis.

** Please bring at least one hygiene product with you on January 14th. This could be a small bottle of shampoo, some toothpaste, or any unused travel size item you may have. Your donations will be distributed at the MLK Jr. Dinner** Photo credit

The University of Northern Colorado sophomore is majoring in special education with an emphasis in teaching English as a second language, bilingual/bicultural and Spanish. She is the first in her family to attend college.

She credits Smart-Girl, a mentoring organization dedicated to empowering teen girls, with moving her toward better self-esteem and self-awareness. The group’s support in turn helped her launch her college career.

Smart-Girl is one of several organizations that have received funding through Denver Post Charities’ Season to Share.

Sully still recalls one particular activity that her Smart-Girl mentor conducted with her group.

“We decorated a blank white mask,” she said. The outside was to be painted to express how others see you; the inside was to express “how you really are.”

The face Sully presented to the world was “dramatic, happy, stress-free, making people laugh.” Inside, she harbored different and conflicting emotions, ranging from “mad, shy and worried” to happy.

The session, with eight girls ages 13 to 18, was enlightening for her. For the first time, she was able to acknowledge that she has trouble saying “no,” that she always aims to please others.

“We cried, we laughed, we vented and worried all together. They didn’t give me advice. They listened. And made me think twice before taking action,” Sully said. “I was able to build my confidence, inside and outside.”

Smart-Girl bills itself as a prevention and enrichment program, designed to develop adolescents’ “social-emotional intelligence.” In addition to stressing the importance of staying in school, the groups cover topics such as media literacy, critical thinking and anti-bullying.

The local group, founded in 1999 by four Denver moms, is poised for expansion, according to executive director Karen Silverman. Smart-Girl serves more than 1,200 girls a year. The group hopes to roll out a companion boys program next fall.

Sully was able to become a facilitator, or “guide,” for Smart-Girl after completing a 22-hour training course on cultural inclusivity, group facilitation and leadership. The training, conducted by college professors and practitioners, entitles participants to undergraduate and graduate level credit.

She now uses her Smart-Girl training in her job working with younger girls in Weld County.

The Smart-Girl program’s most pressing need is “to train volunteer mentors who can work with the middle school girls,” Silverman said. “The demand for the program is growing, and recruitment and training of volunteers is our biggest cost.”

Joanne Ostrow

==================

Smart-Girl

6825 E. Tennessee Ave., Suite 637, Denver, CO 80224

In operation since: 1999

Number served last year: 1,184

Staff: Three

Yearly budget: $273,756

Percentage of funds directly given to clients and services: 77 percent

Some arrive with only a plastic bag, filled with a few clothes and maybe a favorite toy. They are scared and afraid they will be rejected again, said the home’s director, Sister Amy Willcott.

“We don’t know all of what they’ve gone through,” she said. “We have some pretty darned challenging kids.”

Mount St. Vincent Home is one of several organizations that has received funding through Denver Post Charities’ Season to Share.

Mount St. Vincent was opened 128 years ago by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth as an orphanage for boys.

Today, 44 children live at the non-denominational school, and 50 others are there for day treatment. Two thirds are boys, and the others are girls. They come from throughout Colorado.

The goal is to help abused, neglected and mentally ill children function fully in their homes and society.

“All the kids want to belong and be a family,” Willcott said.

By the time they reach the home, the children often have been so traumatized that they are behind in school and have poor social skills. Boys usually act out under such stress, Mount St. Vincent spokesman Dennis Kennedy said, and girls often “go into a freeze mode and withdraw. It’s their coping mechanism.”

The aim of the program, Kennedy said, “is to heal brains.”

Treatment is based on information gathered from those “in the child’s circle” before they arrive at St. Vincent, but teachers and therapists also take cues from the kids as they get to know them.

Many are so accustomed to chaos and sensory overload that they sometimes create chaos because that’s what they’re used to. When that happens, the child is taken to the “de-escalation room” to talk to a counselor.

They are taught in brightly painted classrooms, many decorated with pictures painted by the children.

The residential children all have their own bedrooms, a stuffed animal and an afghan.

One child was always hoarding food, so staff members put snack food and fruit in his room.

Each child is given a bicycle and helmet, which are theirs to keep. There is a soccer field and exercise machinery “to help work out their turmoil,” Kennedy said.

-By Virginia Culver

=========

Mount St. Vincent

4159 Lowell Blvd.

In operation more than 128 years

Number served each year: 200

Staff: 140

Budget: $6.1 million

Percentage of budget going to client services: 86 percent

But here’s the problem: Most community organizations have a minimum age requirement for volunteering and young children don’t usually make the cut.

That’s why I’m thrilled that Mile High Mamas is teaming up with Volunteers of America to regularly post volunteer opportunities the entire family can enjoy together.

Why do it? Not only does it feel great to help others but it strengthens your family bond, creatives a sense of responsibility in children, teaches tolerance by exposing kids to diversity and most importantly, it is FUN!

The holidays are right around the corner and there are many people in our community who would be grateful for your help this season. Check out the list of volunteer opportunities to find out how to get involved:

The 23rd Annual Basket of Joy

Your entire family can bring holiday to senior citizens by delivering fruit and chocolate baskets and homemade cards. The event is on Saturday, December 10th; 9-11 a.m. and baskets will be picked up from the Denver Mattress Factory Warehouse. Volunteers will be assigned a route (first come, first served) in a neighborhood in the Metro Denver area. If you would like to volunteer, please sign up online or go to their Web site, www.voacolorado.org.

Deliver Thanksgiving Day Meals on Wheels

Thursday, November 24th between 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (Various locations across Denver)

100 volunteers are needed to assist the MOW program by delivering a hot nutritious meal to a homebound senior on Thanksgiving Day. Individuals, groups or families are welcome. This usually takes about 1-2 hours to complete. Contact Bradley Gulley at 303-297-0408 X 13113 to volunteer.

Adopt-a-Family Project

Working with Volunteers of America’s Transitional Living Program, Transformational Housing and Head Start Program, individuals or groups are needed to “adopt-a-family” for the holidays by supplying the family with holiday gifts. Note: There will be no direct client contact due to confidentiality. A profile of the family is provided for gift selections. Please Contact: The Holiday Coordinator at 303-297-0408 or holiday@voacolorado.org

Book Wrapping Party

When: The first 2 weeks in December

Volunteers are needed to help wrap over 300 books! These Scholastic Books will be given as presents over the holiday season to low-income families, children and teens. Individuals, groups or families are welcome. Contact Rachel Dolgin at 303-297-0408 ext: 13310 to volunteer.

Christmas Adopt a Family – Gift drop off and pick up

Adopt a Family Donors will drop off gifts on Thursday, December 15 from 7 a.m. – noon and Friday, December 16 from 1-6 p.m. at the Volunteers of America Mission located at 2877 Lawrence Street. Volunteers are needed to assist in collection, tagging and organizing gifts on both days. Please contact: Erika Nelson-Conrad at 303-297-0408 ext: 13309 to volunteer.

Adopt a Family Recipients will pick up the gifts on Tuesday, December 20 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Wednesday, December 21 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Volunteers of America Mission located at 2877 Lawrence Street. Volunteers are needed to assist in greeting and processing the recipients, and distributing the gifts. Please contact: Erika Nelson-Conrad at 303-297-0408 ext: 13309 to volunteer.

Deliver Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Meals on Wheels

Saturday, December 24 or Sunday, December 25 between 9:00am – Noon (Various locations across Denver)

100 volunteers are needed to assist the Meals on Wheels program by delivering a hot nutritious meal to a homebound individual on Christmas. Individuals, groups or families are welcome. This usually takes about 1-2 hours to complete. Contact Bradley Gulley at 303-297-0408 X 13113 to volunteer.

Service-Learning At Home

Can’t make it to this month’s Family Volunteer Project but would still like to help out? There are plenty of things you can do on your own time to support others. Here is this month’s project idea:

Winter Wear Share

This winter your family can keep families and children in your community warm by sharing (actually giving away!) winter wear that is in great condition but just doesn’t fit your family any more. New and gently used winter coats, fleeces, winter boots, hats and mittens are always in demand. New items, especially hats and mittens are always appreciated. Donated items can be dropped off at The VOA Misson at 2877 Lawrence Street, Denver, to benefit low-income and homeless individuals and families.

New or gently used materials needed:
Coats
Jackets
Fleeces
Sweaters
Boots
Scarves
Hats
Mittens

Steps Involved:
*Connect with an agency (like The Volunteers of America Misson) that can use your winter wear, such as homeless shelters, low-income pediatric clinics, youth shelters, transition homes, and women’s and children’s shelters.

*Ask the agency what it will accept. Will they take gently used coats, boots, fleeces, sweaters, hats and mittens? Are there certain items that must be new?

*Search your closets. Wash all items. Do not give coats or any other items with broken zippers, rips or stains.

*Think about doing a neighborhood drive or teaming up with family friends to collect items. Your family can make flyers (list the receiving agency) and designate a pick up date. List the items that you need and that all must be clean and in great condition. No rips, stains or broken zippers. You can attach the flyer to a large plastic bag. Neighbors can deliver the items to you or if appropriate, you can ask them to leave the items wrapped securely in a plastic bag and labeled “Winter Wear Share” outside their door.

*Deliver your items to the agency.

That’s where Growing Home comes in. Founded in 1998 by Kathleen Drozda, a nurse at Saint Anthony Hospital North (she remains a board member), the agency has a three-part mission: serving as a safety net for people facing homelessness, feeding families and helping kids succeed.

“Our mission is to guide children and families to a bright future,” said executive director Teva Sienicki.

Growing Home is a past recipient of funding through Denver Post Charities’ Season to Share.

Rooted in the Adams County Interfaith Hospitality Network, Growing Home confronts the fact that poverty and homelessness are found in the suburbs.

“It can be hard for some people to believe it exists, but it does,” Sienicki said.

The agency operates on a $1 million annual budget, with 18 staffers and about 1,200 volunteers. One of its critical missions is serving as a safety net for people who are about to lose their homes.

This includes people facing foreclosure and, just as importantly, folks facing eviction from rental housing. “We deal with a lot of people who call us up crying because the sheriff is going to come tomorrow and they’ll be out on the street,” Sienicki said.

The agency steps in and helps with the rent, a far cheaper option than setting them up with new housing. Counseling on financial planning is offered, a skill often lacking among the clients.

Growing Home operates a facility with 20 units of affordable housing and hopes to acquire another. There is also a shelter, staffed by volunteers who cook meals and prepare the rooms.

But with limited resources, Sienicki said, “We turn away way more families than we can help.”

The agency operates a food pantry. As of Sept. 30, the agency had distributed more than 4,100 food boxes this year. September also saw a 25 percent increase in the number of families the pantry served over the previous September.

Children are a major focus.

“What worries me is the generation cycle of poverty,” Sienicki said. “For kids who live in poverty, by age 4 they are often 14 months behind developmentally.” That’s a huge gap.

To combat that, the agency provides home visits that help flag developmental concerns and route at-risk kids into special care, such as speech therapy. There’s also a “Sprouts” program for children ages 5 to 8 and an “Incredible Years” child-rearing class.

“We’re all about helping parents, too,” Sienicki said. “They want to be the best parents they can be.”

William Porter

About 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. Besides skin cancer, it is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women.

If you are at high risk for breast cancer due to family history, genetics, or previous cancer diagnosis, there are many things you can do in order to stay healthy and help prevent breast cancer.

Get Informed

Yearly mammograms are your friend! The procedure of mammograms is used with a machine that can help find 80% of all types of lumps, even those that are benign. Many doctors suggest to start getting mammograms at 20 years old. Self-exams in the comfort of your own home can help too. Gently, yet firmly feel both breasts each morning as you take a shower, or even when you are getting ready for bed. Take note of swelling or bumps, rashes, unusual pain and/or nipple discharge (not breast milk), and make an appointment immediately.  Be responsible, get checked.

Eating healthy and staying active is an important way to help prevent breast cancer as well. Limit your fat intake and consume nutritious vitamins and minerals each day. Daily fruits and vegetables, yogurt, protein, etc. can help achieve good levels of nutrition.

Making exercise part of your daily routine is important as well. Around 30 minutes of exercise four to five times a week can help maintain your healthy lifestyle. It can also keep you energized and more efficient throughout the day.

Get Involved

Joining neighborhood or national organizations can help you keep up with breast cancer donations, new researching results, and progressive treatments to find a cure for this horrible disease.

There are thousands to choose from:

Colorado Breast Cancer Resource Directory is a great way to obtain some answers to your many questions, such as:

Who can I talk to who has been through breast cancer?

How will I pay for treatment?

How will I cope?

Find local doctors, support groups, and so much more. You can also learn about cosmetic services, survival stories and even transportation options for those who may need to travel out of town for medical treatment. To find out more, visit http://www.breastcancercolorado.org/index.aspx

Be Bright Pink is an educational organization to help promote breast cancer awareness. Whether Breast Cancer has hurt a friend, family member, or loved one, give yourself a peace of mind by living a beautiful and fulfilling life. Educate yourself and become a bright pink girl. You can receive invitations to events around the nation to help support survivors and those that are still fighting. Learn more at www.bebrightpink.org.

Susan G Komen’s Walk for the Cure, a large foundation for care, treatment, and research for breast cancer, has showed tremendous results with over 50,000 walkers and runners invading the streets of downtown Denver this past October 2^nd; they raised over $3 million dollars!

There are many other breast cancer foundations you can contribute and be a part of as well.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is not only a walk, it is the progress women are making together to save lives and end breast cancer.  They have nearly raised $400 million dollars towards breast cancer research since 1993. Become involved, volunteer, and learn with this ACS (American Cancer Society) foundation. Learn more at www.makingstrides.acsevents.org

Pennies in Action is a nonprofit organization created by Olympic athlete Uschi Keszler, a two-time breast cancer survivor. This month, Pennies in Action is currently raising funds for Breast Cancer Vaccine Research headed by Brian J. Czerniecki, M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. To donate and learn more, visit http://www.penniesinaction.org/index.htm.

Being a woman is an extraordinary thing. Wear your pink this month to help honor, remember, and celebrate those who never stop fighting. Stay strong, fight, and take care of yourself.

“It’s not enough to be aware. To save your life you must take action.” Nancy G. Brinker, CEO and Founder of Susan G. Komen Foundation