YMCA organizations across the country are building strong kids, strong families and strong communities.  In metro Denver, the YMCA is strongly supported by Mile High United Way’s Youth Success initiative.  This life-changing initiative empowers at-risk youth to overcome obstacles and graduate from high school.  Mile High United Way is proud to partner with the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver in providing after-school programs to thousands of children in metro Denver. 

A majority of the population served by YMCA of Metropolitan Denver are single parent, low-income families.  Mom or dad might be working a few different jobs to make ends meet, and their children need a safe place to go, especially after school.  Studies show that young people are more likely to become involved in crime, substance abuse and teenage pregnancy during unsupervised after-school hours, especially between 3 and 4 p.m. (National Center for Juvenile Justice, 1999).

YMCA’s hallmark programs center on youth development - their camps and after-school programs are well-regarded throughout the U.S.  Children aren’t just given a safe place to go after school; they are enriched with programs in core values such as caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.  Youth are also given strong role models to help foster positive relationships among students, peers, and adults in addition to having access to organized activities like sports, homework help, health and fitness.  Over 60,000 youth were served in YMCA of Metropolitan Denver last year. 

Jim Hiner, president and CEO, started his YMCA career as a camp counselor and has been with various YMCA organizations for 28 years. 

“Our youth programs are helping children in our community progress in school and in life,” Hiner said.  “It’s truly amazing – even if a child is enrolled in our Homework Help program for a half-hour every day during the week, we see tremendous improvement in grades. We know we are making a difference.”

Only one-third of metro Denver youth who would like to participate regularly in after-school programs are able to do so.  Click here to donate online to Mile High United Way’s Youth Success initiative and create a better future for more youth than you can imagine.  Or, dial United Way’s 2-1-1 to give or get help. 

Mile High United Way’s longtime partner, Lutheran Family Services of Colorado (LFS), works hard to create a better future for vulnerable people in our community with help from our Adult Self Sufficiency initiative.  This life-changing initiative focuses on helping individuals and families achieve a self sufficient and financially stable life.  

Lutheran Family Services of Colorado works with the most vulnerable people in our state, offering services that heal, strengthen and provide hope to more than 16,000 people every year.  The Denver based non-profit organization serves statewide with five core areas of service:  adoption, foster care, refugee resettlement, geriatric care management, and disaster response.

“The depth of need in our community is beyond what most people think it is, and it seems to be on the rise,” said Jim Barclay, President and CEO, “Our strength-based approach attempts to help people move from rescue to sustainable self-sufficiency.  Supported by thousands of donors, volunteers and Mile High United Way, LFS is there for the long haul, helping vulnerable people become safe, supported and fully engaged members of the community.  LFS combines statewide capacity with a local community-centered orientation to connect people in need with people who care.”

At the age of 28, Isabelle was already a mother of five children when she became pregnant for the sixth time.  A hands-on mother, she loved her children very much and wanted the best for the new child she would soon bring into the world.  Thanks to the support of Mile High United Way’s Adult Self Sufficiency initiative, Lutheran Family Services’ pregnancy counseling program worked with Isabelle, free of charge, to discuss all of her options and make the best decision for her child, herself and the children she was parenting. Isabelle chose adoption for her newborn boy, and Lutheran Family Services assisted Isabelle in personally selecting a loving family to become the parents of her baby.  This decision ultimately kept Isabelle, her family, and newborn baby on paths to a brighter, more self sufficient future.

Another Lutheran Family Services’ program supported by the Mile High United Way Adult Self Sufficiency initiative is the Asset Building program for children and youth in the foster care programs of the agency. Based on the 40 Developmental Assets described by the Search Institute as necessary for all children to develop into healthy, caring and self sufficient adults, The Asset Building program of LFS provides training for foster parents and foster care volunteers aimed at maximizing the impact of their interventions for children as they overcome the effects of child abuse and neglect and build self esteem and hope for the future. 

Lutheran Family Services also partners with Bridging the Gap at Mile High United Way, a project that is developing community resources to assist youth as they transition from foster care to independent living. “LFS is not content with rescuing children when they’re young, only to throw some of them back into harms way when they turn 18,” said Barclay.  “Our asset building programs and partnership with Bridging the Gap are just some of the ways we are trying to help ensure that foster youth will have the tools they need to maintain healthy independence when they exit the system.”

To donate to Mile High United Way’s Adult Self Sufficiency initiative, click here or dial United Way’s 2-1-1 to give or get help.

Together, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Mile High United Way are making sure metro Denver’s at-risk youth overcome obstacles and graduate high school through the Youth Success initiative.  The two substantial non-profit organizations also actively participate in the Youth Mentoring Collaborative, a forum dedicated to expanding quality mentoring opportunities

“I think a lot of people are frustrated as to how they can change our world for the better,” said Dave DeForest-Stalls, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters.  “If you are one of those people, really look at Big Brothers Big Sisters and the ripple effect our organization is creating in the community.  We are measurably changing children’s lives through mentoring.  It’s proven that young people who are mentored have better attitudes towards school, get along better with adults and peers, have better self-esteem, and sense of future.” 

Mentors and youth at Big Brother Big Sisters are affectionately referred to as “Bigs” and “Littles.”  “Bigs” have a choice of community, site or activity based mentoring depending on their interest.  “Mentoring doesn’t mean planning fancy outings or even spending money; it just taking time to share everyday things such as playing or watching sports together.  Most people don’t realize these are everyday people who volunteer,” said Megan Bowling, program director.
 
The youth mentored through Big Brothers Big Sisters are low-income and approximately one out of three “Littles” have a parent in prison.  The youth are usually living with a single parent or grandparent and many are transitionally homeless and receive TANF assistance.
 
One ‘Little’ was living with her father who was a single parent; both her mother and brother were incarcerated, recalled Kendall Cordova, manager of events and communications.  The girl was 11 years old and her father wanted her to have a positive female role model in her life. 

She was matched with a “Big” who met with her every Tuesday night.  Her father became very ill and was bed ridden.  The time with her Big Sister was the only time she had to be a kid because she was taking care of her father and dealing with all the other grown up things in her life.  Sadly, the “Little’s” father died. 

“I can remember her running up to her mentor at the funeral and just throwing her arms around her,” said Cordova.  “At that moment, I realized we provided the ‘Little’ with, really, the only stable thing in her life at that point.” 

This type of support and friendship is what BBBSC seeks to provide for all the children in our community who need and deserve it.
 
Male mentors are in high demand right now.  If you’d like to become a mentor, call United Way’s 2-1-1 to give or get help. 

The partnership between Volunteers of America and Mile High United Way has existed almost as long as the non-profit organizations themselves.

For over 100 years, the Volunteers of America Colorado Branch has adjusted its programs to the ever changing needs of the people.  The Volunteers of America was established in 1896 as they sprang forth from The Salvation Army.  The name of the faith-based organization, Volunteers of America, was conceived by Teddy Roosevelt and is rooted in a military tradition similar to that of The Salvation Army.  In fact, the employees or “officers and soldiers” of the organization had ranks and uniforms up until 1980. 

The Volunteers of America has always responded to gaps in service within the community.  At the time of its inception, the main populations served were those who flocked to Colorado seeking riches during the gold rush.  As history goes, many of these individuals and their families ended up destitute, and Volunteers of America was there to feed, shelter and support.  Today, the organization serves some of the most vulnerable individuals and families in Colorado with a large array of important programs and services. Mile High United Way has been a valued partner in the development and ongoing success of many of these services.

Most Volunteers of America programs fit into one or more of the three Mile High United Way initiatives:  School Readiness, Youth Success and Adult Self Sufficiency. 

With over 34 years of experience in the organization, Dianna Kunz has served as President and CEO since 1989.  She is also a volunteer herself.  Every-other Friday she delivers Meals on Wheels to 10 special seniors on the route she delivers with her colleagues at Volunteers of America.  After all these years she still speaks with genuine excitement and fervor about Volunteers of America.

“We offer a wide range of services to people from all walks of life.  Whether it’s providing Foster Grandparents to children failing to thrive, shelters for the homeless, or daycare for children infected with HIV/AIDS, I truly feel that we reach out to those who are in most need of genuine support in their lives.  It’s amazing to see the change in people who come to us for help.  They ultimately change their lives, but we do our best to help them get there.”

One project, in particular, is developing a new model of service to help formerly homeless individuals and families make the leap to home ownership.  It’s called Transformational Housing.  Brunetti Lofts, on the corner of 26th Street and Larimer, is a pioneer project that incorporates support programs that empower residents to become self sufficient, in addition to providing beautiful housing.  Recipients are not only dedicated to creating change in their lives, but have also agreed to complete an individualized training and financial education program and to participate in an organized savings initiative. The end result is that residents are able to save enough at the end of their five-year stay for a down payment on a house or condo.  Through this partnership, between Mile High United Way, the Volunteers of America and many other community organizations,, Brunetti Lofts is now a national model for transformational housing. 

Click here to read a Brunetti Lofts success story.

Click here to donate or volunteer for Mile High United Way’s School Readiness, Adult Self Sufficiency and Youth Success initiatives. Contact Kara at kara.joseph@unitedwaydenver.org  for volunteer opportunities.

Jewish Family Service, founded in 1872, has been strengthening the metro Denver community for over a century.  In fact, the original founders of United Way also have deep roots within the dynamic non-profit organization.

Today, Jewish Family Service and Mile High United Way are working toward systemic change in the community through our life-changing Adult Self Sufficiency initiative.  The initiative will provide over 319,000 individuals with self sufficiency services in the next four years.  Mile High United Way works through Jewish Family Service’s vocational rehabilitation work center, SHALOM Denver, specializing in job training for people with disabilities and individuals transitioning from welfare to work.  In addition, Jewish Family Service also partners with Mile High United Way’s Youth Success initiative which empowers disadvantaged youth to graduate from high school.  Jewish Family Service, with help from Mile High United Way, provides  school-based counselors to 19 public schools in the metro Denver area.

The biggest misconception about Jewish Family Service is the name itself.  Only 50 percent of the population served is of the Jewish faith.  “What people don’t realize is that we serve the disabled, mentally ill, elderly and refugee populations.  You absolutely don’t have to be Jewish to receive our services,” said Yana Vishnitsky, president and CEO.

Yana is also a former client of Jewish Family Service.  “I was resettled in America by Jewish Family Service in 1978 from the former Soviet Union.  This organization helped me get acclimated in the US with everything from ESL classes to employment and healthcare.  I’m grateful to this organization and feel it is my social responsibility to develop programs and services that offer care, compassion and a high level of professionalism to every single client, no matter who they are,” she said.

Jewish Family Service touches the lives of over 21,000 people every year and continues to respond to the emerging needs of the community.  Decades ago the agency was a safe haven for Holocaust survivors; now it addresses the needs of refugees from Somalia, Burma, Iraq and other individuals and families fleeing the persecution of their homelands.  

The stories are overwhelming.  One man in particular, who received help from Jewish Family Service’s Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Food Pantry, left a lasting impression.  “This man came in and he was so hungry.  He sat on the floor weeping and eating at the same time.  He couldn’t stop crying; he was so grateful.  The next day I saw him in the lobby playing his guitar.  He told me he wanted to pay us back for the food he received,” said Yana.

Click here to donate or volunteer for Mile High United Way’s Adult Self Sufficiency and Youth Success initiatives. Contact Laura at laura.hendrick@unitedwaydenver.org for volunteer opportunities.