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Boulder, CO - The Boulder Housing Coalition (BHC) is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking milestone in Colorado’s housing landscape: Denver’s first permanently affordable cooperative, located in a historic mansion at 1350 Logan St. This stunning 19-bedroom mansion—formerly a butler’s school—has been transformed into a vibrant cooperative known as The People’s Mansion, a sanctuary for affordability and community at a time when both are increasingly hard to find.

For 25 years the Boulder Housing Coalition has provided permanently affordable and radically inclusive cooperative housing in Boulder, empowering low-income families and individuals with a stable place to call home.  This expansion to Denver is a major leap forward for BHC, as well as a triumph for the affordable housing movement, setting a precedent for future co-ops. The People’s Mansion is more than just affordable housing—it’s a living testament to what’s possible when communities come together to create lasting, sustainable solutions.

Celebrate the People’s Mansion with Us!

In honor of this momentous occasion, BHC is hosting two events where community members, alumni, and supporters can celebrate and engage with this exciting new cooperative project.

1. Pies for Justice Fundraiser at The People’s Mansion (1350 N Logan St) – Saturday December 7 2:00-7:00 p.m. MST Love pie and hate fascism? Want to eat your feelings and do some good? This event is for you! Pies for Justice is one part pie baking contest, one part fundraiser. Hosted by Queen City Cooperative and co-hosted by LiveWork Denver and Boulder Housing Coalition.
2. Alumni Reunion & Impact Party (Virtual) – Tuesday December 10 6:00-8:00 p.m. MST. This online gathering will bring together alumni, supporters, and community members to celebrate the new co-op, share stories, and reflect on BHC’s impact over the years. Open to all, this gathering is the perfect way to learn more about the co-op model and the vision behind The People’s Mansion.
   
   

Support the Vision

The BHC co-ops are more than just affordable housing. BHC co-ops are an environmentally sustainable model that foster a sense of community, mutual support, and shared purpose far beyond other affordable housing options. The opening of The People’s Mansion marks the next chapter in this legacy, providing stable housing for individuals who, in turn, contribute meaningfully to Denver and Boulder’s social and cultural fabric.

As a small nonprofit, BHC relies on the generosity of its community to continue expanding its impact and maintaining safe, affordable housing for residents. All funds received between November 1st and December 10th will be boosted by the Colorado Gives Day Foundation. Your donations are a powerful way to champion affordable cooperative housing and help build a brighter, more accessible future for all.

Learn more here: https://linktr.ee/thepeoplesmansion

For media inquiries, please contact:

Lily Kapiloff
Director of Development
The Boulder Housing Coalition
Email: LiLy@bhccoops.org

NEWS RELEASE                                                                                                      April 18, 2022

CONTACTS:        Valerie Lunka (720-379-4630)
                             Debbie Jones (303-868-1804)

DENVER – Among the many organizations providing assistance to families impacted by the Marshall and Middle Fork Fires last December, Clothes To Kids of Denver may be one of the best kept secrets. Now the nonprofit is taking steps to increase awareness of its services among those who need it most and to make those services even more accessible to the fire’s survivors.

Since its founding in 2008, Clothes To Kids has provided more than 82,000 school wardrobes to students from low-income or in-crisis families, free of charge. While the nonprofit originally served only Denver County residents, it has since expanded to cover 28 school districts throughout the entire 11-county Denver metro area, including Boulder County. Students must be ages 3 – 21 and enrolled in preschool – 12^th grade, or working toward a GED.

“All students whose families suffered losses in the Boulder County fires are eligible to receive free school wardrobes from Clothes To Kids,” says the organization’s executive director Valerie Lunka, “and no referral or proof of eligibility is currently required. We hope that schools, faith communities and all those providing assistance to fire victims will help spread the word about the valuable resource we offer kids in their communities.”

Central to the Clothes To Kids mission is its clothing boutique, located in Denver’s University Hills neighborhood at 2890 South Colorado Boulevard. Here, families find a pleasant and dignified shopping experience, complete with assistance from volunteer “personal shoppers” who help the students select from new and quality used clothing. Each student may choose five outfits, a coat or jacket, a pair of shoes, a bra (optional) and five pairs each of new underwear and socks. Extra items, such as pajamas, belts, hats, jewelry, winter accessories, school supplies, books and toys, may also be available. Students may receive one free wardrobe every four months.

“A lack of appropriate and fashionable clothing can make it difficult for kids to fit in with their peers and feel comfortable at school,” Lunka explains. “We make sure the students we serve have the clothing they need to feel confident and prepared to thrive.”

While most families are asked to call the Clothes To Kids boutique in advance to make shopping appointments, the nonprofit is providing drop-in service for families impacted by the fires in Boulder County. These families may shop for student wardrobes without appointments on Tuesdays through Saturdays, between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, through the end of May. For additional information, visit https://clothestokidsdenver.org/ or call 720-379-4630.

 I am involved with an organization called Nurturing Minds whose mission is to support and educate impoverished girls in Tanzania who would otherwise be on the street or living in squalid conditions with no chance for a better future.  Nurturing Minds supports the Sega Girls School, a residential secondary school that houses and educates 180 girls who have been hit with a  reall-life crisis (AIDS, starvation, the  death of a parent) that forces  them to withdraw from classes, usually before even completing elementary school.  

For the past 6 years, the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Nurturing Minds has organized a really fun event called  An African Evening where we raise funds to support critical needs at Sega , such as supplying beds, desks, clean water, a bus and solar power.  This year, we are trying to raise funds for teachers' salaries and to   provide scholarships for 10 girls to attend the Sega School for a year.

Please join me on Nov 15 at our annual African Evening fundraiser. You can purchase tickets here  http://events.readysetauction.com/nurturingminds/rmafricanevening

If you want to learn more about our program and what we are doing, please visit  www.nurturingmindsinfafrica.org.

  Asante Sana! (that's 'thank you' in Swahili

HOME BUILDERS FOUNDATION OF METRO DENVER INSTALLS A LIFT FOR A 12-YEAR-OLD BOULDER RESIDENT

BOULDER, COLO. – August 24^th,  2015 – A two-part accessible home modification project was completed by the Home Builders Foundation (HBF) today for 12-year-old Boulder Resident, Kyla Bursiek. The retail value of this project was over $17,500, but thanks to all involved, all work was done at no cost to Kyla or her family. And, the project wrapped up on Kyla's 12th birthday.

The Bursieks initially contacted the

 HBF for assistance to modify their bathroom so Kyla, who has cerebral palsy and uses a walker to get around, could bathe and brush her teeth independently. The HBF completed the barrier-free bathroom modifications at no cost to the family, approximately a $7,500 value at the end of 2014. However, the family was still in need of a vertical platform lift to enable Kyla to enter and exit her home independently.

Due to the high cost of a vertical platform lift, the HBF spearheaded a fundraising drive to cover the costs of this portion of the project.  Over the course of 10 days in April, the (HBF) raised over $10,000 from generous individuals to purchase and install a vertical platform lift Kyla.

“Granting her these liberties (to enter and exit the home and use the bathroom independently) are a dream come true.” Paul Bursiek, Kyla’s father.

To learn more about HBF and the services they provide, or to get involved with the organization as a volunteer or partner, visit www.hbfdenver.org.

About the Home Builders Foundation

The Home Builders Foundation is a metro-Denver nonprofit that partners with the homebuilding industry to provide home modifications at no cost for individuals with physical disabilities and financial need. Since 1993, the organization has helped more than1,200 individuals with disabilities remain in their homes with dignity and independence as well as access life and their community outside of them homes. For more information, visit www.hbfdenver.org.

Phoenix Multisport (Phoenix), a local Colorado non-profit, announces a matching gift challenge totaling $200,000, giving donors an opportunity to double their contributions to help support Phoenix Multisport programming. The mission of Phoenix is to provide a sober, active community for people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

The 2014 Matching Gift Challenge will take place from May 15, 2014 through September 30, 2014. Thanks to a generous donor, the impact of gifts of any size will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $200,000. Gift matching is automatically activated when a contribution is made to Phoenix Multiport.

Since opening in 2007, more than 12,000 individuals have benefitted from Phoenix’s free programming in Boulder, Colorado Springs and Denver. Through pursuits such as climbing, hiking, running, CrossFit, strength training, yoga, road/mountain biking, Phoenix seeks to help members develop and maintain the emotional strength they need to stay sober. All programs are FREE to individuals with 48 hours of continuous sobriety.

To have your gift matched, simply make a donation between now and September 30, 2014. To make a donation visit www.phoenixmultisport.org. Gifts can also be mailed to Phoenix Multisport, 4735 Walnut St., Suite C, Boulder, CO  80301.

For more information contact Tamara Marks, Development Director, at 303-440-0547 or tamara@phoenixmultisport.org.

Longmont Firefighters helping orphans.

The Orphan’s Bridge Shoreline 5K

Two Longmont firefighters are trying to make life better for orphans.Jeff Moll and Jeff Peterson are career firefighters with the Longmont Fire Department.The two firefighters are organizing the third annual Orphan's Bridge Shoreline 5K to raise funds for orphans in need.

Moll, an avid runner himself, came up with the idea for the 5k race as a fundraiser.Moll has run several marathons and even a 50 mile mountain endurance race.He wanted to create a fun race where families could run or walk together and enjoy a great morning around the lake. All proceeds go to orphans in need.

Peterson, his wife Katie and a few family members founded Orphan's Bridge, an orphan relief effort, after a trip to central Mexico in 2007.The idea for the organization came while on a humanitarian trip near the Sierra Madre mountains in Mexico. The group spent three days at an orphanage working on the facilities and playing with the kids. "we warned ourselves not to become attached" Peterson said, but that was impossible.He continued "These bright energetic kids, through no fault of their own, live inside these four grey walls, malnourished and with little chance to ever improve their life.We just wanted to enrich their lives. We want to give them a chance at a successful life".

Orphan’s Bridge provides support for children’s centersin Longmont, Denver and in Mexico."We are looking forward to start working in Haiti in 2013" Peterson said.This race will help reach that goal. A trip to Haiti in 2011 was a life changing event for Peterson "we don't realize how wealthy we are here in the USA, I was able to visit families that lived in an 8 foot by 8 foot tin shed with no furniture or beds.I visited an orphanage where 12 boys slept on a rough concrete floor. They would roll out a rug at bed time and all curl up together to stay warm."Haiti was devastated by an earthquake in January of 2010. The orphan population grew from 300,000 to over a 1,000,000 in that disaster. Progress has been slow in Haiti and only 50 percent of promised aid has been delivered.

The main focus of Orphan's Bridge is education, facility improvements and basic needs.This year they are providing scholarships for students to continue their education, sponsoring a tutoring program to help students prepare for the new school year, plus providing basic needs for the homes such as food and clothing.Orphan’s Bridge hopes to expand their work to more orphanages in needy areas of the world.

Come join us on August 25 at 8:00.Run or walk this fun event located at picturesque McIntosh Lake in Longmont. Help us help kids.You can run or walk and if you want to help more you can collect donations for the cause.Participants can work alone or in groups to raise donations.The person or group that raises the most donations wins a Suite at the Pepsi Center for a Nuggets game or an Avalanche game.The suite holds 20 people and is valued at up to $4,000 dollars.

Registration is at     http://www.runningguru.com/EventInformation.asp?eID=3601

There are trophies for the fastest participants in each category, plus great prizes for those who raise the most donations.

Orphan's Bridge

PO Box 223

Louisville, CO 80027      303 665 2863         www.theorphansbridge.org

Jeff Moll Longmont 720 652 6406

Jeff Peterson Lafayette 720 323 2422

Fifty teen Girl Scouts learned that leadership is about a lot more than what you do; it's how you do it - and they learned this first-hand from spending the day Nov. 13 connecting with 15 of Denver's top female leaders, all Women of Distinction. The Women Workin' It event was cosponsored by Girl Scouts of Colorado and the Women's College of the University of Denver.

"This is a good opportunity to talk to successful women, which is great because I hope to be a successful woman one day too," said Katie Lillard, 16, of Highlands Ranch. These elite women leaders shared life lessons about their professional and personal paths.

Gay Cook, vice president of programs at the Colorado Trust said, "I wanted to be here today because a passion of mine has always been women's leadership, and I've devoted my entire volunteer life to it. Plus, there's nothing more fun than spending the day with a bunch of smart girls."

The event, held at the Women's College at the University of Denver, began with a thought-provoking ice breaker where women and girls speed-shared their thoughts on topics as significant as who has been the most influential person in their lives to as silly as the unique contents of their purses, all in one minute interchanges.

In addition to sharing the stories of how their careers have evolved and the moments that have shaped them, the Women of Distinction also had discussions with the girls on bullying, female images in our culture and how far women have and haven't come in society. When one girl shared that she feels invisible at school, Sandra Scanlon, president of Scanlon Szynskie Group advised, "Who you are comes from inside of you, not how other people define you."

"It was really fun to have these discussions with a group of girls and to be around so many women who want to make our community better," said Saranya Budangunta, 14, of Longmont.

The girls selected three out of 12 career exploration sessions that most interested them. "I learned a lot about environmental science and why water is so important from Mary Gearhart," said Srishti Singal, 14, of Colorado Springs. "I saw a strong connection about how we can use environmental engineering to help others." Gearhart is a senior vice
president at Brown & Caldwell.

Several of the leadership lessons learned were unexpected. "I learned that even the littlest things you do can make a big impact on the world," said Amanda Powell, 14, of Colorado Springs. "I'm going to be more conscious of making people feel good in little ways like giving compliments and opening doors. Maybe I can start a chain reaction at school."

Some of the life-changing experiences the women related made a strong impact on the girls. "Katherine Peck has an amazing job because she makes a huge difference in people's lives," said Emily Beckman, 17, of Colorado Springs. "She got to be present when President Obama signed into law
the Hate Crimes Prevention Act that she helped create." Peck is senior vice president for programs at the Gill Foundation.

The Leadership Class from The Women's College of the University of Denver led the girls in activities designed to help them identify their leadership style, connect with and communicate their passion and take action for their future.

"The leadership styles workshop taught me that people can be a leader in a lot of different ways than just what you normally think of," said Kathleen Whalen, 13, of Centennial.

"I love giving back to Girl Scouts and sharing what I've learned in all of the positions I've had in my career, so I'm thrilled to be here with the girls today," said Toya Nelson, executive director of the Governor's Commission on Community Service.

The other Women of Distinction who participated in this event are: Dr. Julika Ambrose, a retired private practice dentist and professor; Sheila Bugdanowitz, president & CEO, Rose Community Foundation; Toti Cadavid, president, Xcelente! Marketing & Advertising; Lynn Gangone, dean, The Women's College of the University of Denver; Maureen McDonald, executive director, Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation; Myrna Mourning, retired vice president of human resources, Time Warner Cable; Linda Strine, president & CEO, Infinite Link, Inc.; Mary Petryszyn, vice president, mergers and acquisitions, Raytheon; Kristy Schloss, owner, Schloss Engineered Equipment; and Jill Tietjen, president & CEO, Technically Speaking.

The Women of Distinction are committed to supporting Girl Scouts and the organization's leadership programs. Their support helps the young leaders, the Girl Scouts, see that their future can be anything they make it.

Photo courtesy Girl Scouts of Colorado: Environmental engineer Mary Gearhart shares ideas with Kirsten Hollister and Kayla McCullough, both from Broomfield, Colo.