Blogs

January 25, 2014 - Boulder, Colorado - The Boulder Valley Rotary Club and Art Cleaners teamed up once again for the 24th annual coat drive collection and distribution. With the help of many community members, nearly 1,800 coats and many other winter garments were collected and distributed earlier this winter to people in need through many charitable organizations.

The Colorado State President's Project is the Denver Fisher House(DFH).  DFH serves a nine state area. It opened in 1993 at the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center Campus in Aurora, Colorado as one of the original Fisher Houses.  It is indeed the “Home of the Brave” in many ways.

A long term stay in a military hospital, sometimes hundreds of miles away from home, can easily mean expensive lodging and food costs, not to mention emotional stress on a family. That’s where the Denver Fisher Houses comes to the rescue. It provides a "home away from home" for military families to be close to a loved one during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury. The Denver Fisher House offers a warm, compassionate environment where families find support and encouragement from others in similar circumstances.  The house has nine bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, dining room and outside gazebo area.  It is always full. The average length of stay is 15 days and since the national program began in 1990, more than 142,000 military families have been served. Highly trained staff and caring volunteers are available to assist all the Denver Fisher House guests.

"Operation Second House"

With the building of the new Denver VA Medical Center, the Department of Veterans Affairs has recognized the need for an additional Fisher House in Denver. The "Second House" will be built on the campus of the new VA hospital when it is completed in 2016. The Denver Fisher House Foundation is committed to raising $3,000,000 as their portion of the construction cost.  Your monetary gifts, both large and small, will help to achieve the mission of helping our men and women currently serving and those who have worn the uniform. Thank you in advance for your generous support that makes a difference in the lives of our military families!

Four Ways to Help

Please join the Colorado State Society N.S.C.A.R. in supporting this incredible mission.

1. Make a Financial Donation Checks payable to: Colorado State Society, N.S.C.A.R.  Mail to: Preston Brantmeyer, P.O. Box 350, Niwot, CO 80544   Fisher House Foundation tax-exempt 501(3)(c) EIN 84-1445569

2. Collect & Donate Wish List Items

3. Donate Hotel Points thru Hotels for Heroes on the Fisher House Website - Programs Tab.    www.fisherhouse.org/programs/hotels-for-heroes/how-to-donate-points

4. Donate Meals provide or prepare a meal, please visit:  www.DenverFisherHouse.org and click the meal train logo 

Denver Fisher House Foundation

14001 E. Iliff Avenue, Ste 210

Aurora, CO  80014

Phone: 303.632.7319 Fax: 303.364.4882

Melanie Starkman: Executive Director

mstarkman@DenverFisherHouse.org

Carina (center) with HOPE seniors Zach and Andrea

Phenomenal. Goes out of her way. Nothing but praise. Help them succeed. Nurtured over the years. Helped to turn their lives around.

These are a few of the words and phrases shared about Ms. Carina Garcia Kirk, a mentor at HOPE at Front Range Academy – Broomfield. Ms. Garcia Kirk is a long-time educator with HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op. She’s worked with HOPE’s middle and high school students for the last nine years.

“I enjoy getting to see these kids progress through to graduation,” said Ms. Garcia Kirk. “This work is challenging, but I am doing it for the kids.”  

Ms. Garcia Kirk holds a degree in social work. She was led to HOPE through a practicum she did in college. The supportive staff and what the HOPE model provides students are the reasons she’s stayed.

“HOPE provides kids who don’t fit the traditional school setting a place to find the confidence they need for the real world,” she said. “We provide a personal, caring environment where we can get to know the students and work with them one-on-one on their studies.” 

One of Ms. Garcia Kirk’s students had this to say about her.

“Ms. Garcia Kirk is the best mentor ever! She has been there for me since 8th grade. She really is a big part of who I am today. Before this school I never thought teachers could be as amazing as her. She has given me life advice, and she has constantly proven that she does this job for us. She is always pushing me forward. I was going to get my GED, but she convinced me to stay. Because I know I can amount to better. She has inspired me for the longest time to be a better person and I have become one. She will definitely always be my reason for finishing high school. She loves to help people, and she is like my mother in a way. She pushed me to realize how smart I am, and she is a great mentor.”

Ms. Garcia Kirk says she keeps in touch with many of her graduates and some have even come back to get advice on college or careers from her. This summer she also helped a student and her family with a funeral for their brother/son.

“I’m proud of my students. There are so many great stories of what they’ve overcome to succeed,” she said.    

HOPE at Front Range Academy – Broomfield’s Director, Ms. Dare, says Ms. Garcia Kirk is one of the most sincere mentors she’s ever had.

“She works very hard to ensure that her students are successful in academics and their life skills,” Ms. Dare said.

One of Ms. Garcia Kirk’s colleagues, Ms. Monck, a HOPE Moderate Needs Teacher, is inspired by her dedication.

“Ms. Garcia Kirk is a top-notch HOPE mentor. She does everything she can to help our students. Parents have nothing but praise for her work,” she said.

This is just one example of the outstanding staff HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op has across the state. HOPE is a blended online public k-12 charter school which delivers its curriculum through community-based Learning Centers from Denver to Greeley, Fort Collins, Leadville, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Students attend Learning Centers five days a week and rotate between online lessons and face-to-face classroom instruction. The award-winning curriculum exceeds state standards. HOPE also offers low student-educator ratios and is an accredited high school diploma program, with graduates going on to attend college at institutions from the University of Denver to the University of Northern Colorado and beyond. Additionally, HOPE provides character development programs, including physical education, music, the arts and extra-curricular activities such as competitive sports, specialty clubs, talent shows and more. Enrollment for 2015/2016 is starting soon. For more information, visit hopeonline.org or call 720-402-3000.

Be Ready Longmont:

Taking the first steps to “Be Ready” for disaster.

Written By: Kimberly Smith

I confess. I’m a Prepper. Not an “End of the World, Build a Bunker, Learn Wilderness Skills and Survive the Zombies” type Prepper, but a “Be Ready and pick up a few extra items at the grocery store” Prepper. I have been affected by several types of disasters - riots in London, hurricanes in Cayman, earthquakes in San Francisco, severe winter weather in Arkansas and floods in Longmont - and my “Be Ready” style of prepping has kept my family and I fed, warm and safe.

During the 2012 floods in Longmont, my teen daughter and I went without power for three days and were unsure about the safety of our water. Yet we remained comfortable and healthy because our "Be Ready" closet was stocked months before the event. We had a camping stove and fuel to cook up hot meals and three 5 gallon jugs of water to drink and wash.

I admit that by day 3 I was tired of cooking on a camping stove and taking sponge baths with lukewarm water. My teenager was bored and every towel we owned (all 6) were filthy after using them to clean up wet dogs, muddy floors and ripping out the wet carpet in our basement.  We knew little about what was going on around us and gleaned information speaking to a few neighbors and, when my cell phone was charged, calling my husband serving in the Guard.   

It wasn't until after our power was turned on that we realized how extremely lucky we were. Watching local news we understood our few days were spent in relative comfort compared to so many others. We didn't spend time waiting in long lines at grocery stores for water or being hungry or cold and in the dark. Even our short evacuation was spent in relative comfort at friends who welcomed our four pets (although the cats would disagree as we had to cram all three into one cage in order to fit every soul into the car).

What made us different? We were prepared. 

Granted, we were not directly affected by raging flood waters. There’s little one can do when they get hit head on by the disaster other than have your insurance policy at hand and a place to go. But otherwise, we were prepared to stick it out at home with a long-term power outage and no running water. Why were we so prepared? Because it is our way of life.

I grew up on a farm in Arkansas. Winters in Arkansas could result in snow/ice storms that resulted in ice forming on tree limbs and breaking power lines. Out in the country, we could be without power for a week or more. But our pantry was always stocked, wood stacked up by the fireplace and my cousins and I snug and warm in old blankets, wearing socks for gloves, and cooking hotdogs and burning marshmallows over the fire in the living room fireplace.

I recall meeting up with a fellow Arkansan years after a particularly bad winter ice storm.  I reminisced and said, “Oh that storm was so much fun.” She looked at me in horror, “We almost STARVED.” I was stunned. She told me that after 3 days in their house without food and electricity, how she and her brother managed to walk to the grocery store only to find it closed.  Of course it would have been closed, I thought. Employees could not get to work and trucks could not make deliveries. I was stunned by her assumption that businesses and shops would still be operating normally in such a storm.

I then worked in San Francisco. Luckily I never experienced a major earthquake but when my business moved into a high rise building in the Financial District, the building management required we take an earthquake preparedness session. We were advised that if all of the glass in the windows shattered during A Big One, there would be 17 feet of glass surrounding the building and it would be several hours if not days before an overwhelmed fire department could rescue us and we could leave the building. We were then provided with instructions on what to have on hand (food, water, first aid kit) and how to stay warm (cut up the carpets if necessary and wrap up). 

When living in London, I experienced being stuck on the train (underground) and heard of instances where some people were trapped for hours – sometimes in darkness. Not a disaster, but not comfortable either – especially in summer when the heat can be unbearable. So when I took the Tube to work I always travelled with some granola bars, a bottle of water and flashlight “just in case”. 

During some riots in London, my colleagues and I were forced to "shelter in place" at the office for a day due to violence on the streets outside our building. Being one who usually went out for lunch and a quick Starbucks, I was grateful to our office manager who had boxes of ramen noodles and bottled water stored for just such a situation.  (We also drank the bottles of wine left over from a Christmas party but that's another story.)

In Cayman, we could sometimes wait for days to see if we would be impacted by a hurricane heading our way. Windows were boarded, boats moored in harbors and cars taken to higher ground just in case. In 2004 Cayman took a direct hit by Hurricane Ivan and, although I personally did not experience it, many friends and colleagues went for weeks without power, air conditioning and running water. Most want to forget the days after the hurricane because they were so awful. I particularly recall the story about the toilets. With dozens living at the shelters (usually office buildings) and no running water, the sanitation and smell was apparently unbearable before they figured out to use trash bags over the toilet seats which were then disposed of later.

Regardless how well prepared everyone was in each disaster, there was still some discomfort and some unpleasantness experienced. But I can only imagine how much worse each situation could have been had someone not had the forethought to “Be Ready”.

To become a “Be Ready” prepper does not require a drastic change in lifestyle or mentality.  Being ready for an emergency is already a way of life for you if you think about it. When you take your dogs for a walk I'm betting you take doggie bags. You probably also make sure you have enough gas in your car to commute to work. Parents of young kids I suspect carry juice boxes and snacks for the children and extra diapers and wipes for the babies. You get vaccinations and health checks and you probably ensure there's enough milk left for breakfast in the morning. So you already plan ahead for little emergencies.

To “Be Ready” for disaster is just taking those same skills and applying them for bigger emergencies. You don’t have to get extreme and build an underground bunker. And definitely don’t try to start out by thinking of every possible disaster scenario – especially the “end of the world” thinking. Just think in terms of no power and no running water for a few days. Start there. Consider what YOUR family needs for a short-term power outage and gather the supplies you will need to ensure you are comfortable and safe – and work the preparation into your daily life. 

After the floods, I participated in The City of Longmont’s CERT program and learned even more useful tips for anticipating and preparing for possible emergency scenarios. The CERT training made me realize how many possible disasters we could face here in Longmont – from a train or semi accident, a chemical spill, tornados, a pandemic, winter weather or even more flooding.  The CERT training helped me understand not just what could happen, but what I could expect and for how long.     

So, sign up for an upcoming CERT class through the Office of Emergency Management at (303) 651-8438 or email them at oem@longmontcolorado.gov. You can schedule a BeReady presentation for your office, school or community organization to help you learn how you can Be Ready by contacting Michelle Cherniske, The City of Longmont’s Public Safety Education Coordinator, at the Department of Public Safety. You can reach her by calling (303) 651-8432 or by sending her an email at Michelle.Cherniske@longmontcolorado.gov.

The popular TV sensation, Dancing with the Stars is about professional dancers and amateurs learning dance routines for a series of judges. Whether you like that reality show or not, you might try galloping over to An Evening of Dancing Horses at the National Western Stock Show with The Denver Brass on January 21 and 22 at 7:30 PM. Use promo code: DENVERBRASS at NationalWestern.com or call 303-295-2979, for a $19 ticket.

The difference between Dancing with the Stars and An Evening of Dancing Horses is that Dancing Horses has lots of professionals – the riders, the horses and The Denver Brass - no amateurs. Once again, The Denver Brass has found a way to showcase the talents of its musicians by becoming part of one of the West’s most popular events, the National Western Stock Show in An Evening of Dancing Horses.

The Denver Brass has been wearing boots, jeans, wide brim hats and big belt buckles since 2008 while providing music for some of the world’s finest horses and riders. From the precise art of dressage to death defying bareback gymnastics to heart stopping reigning, An Evening of Dancing Horses becomes even more enthralling when the music is added.

Adding music isn’t just about playing anything in the Brass’ repertoire and letting the horses do their thing. Here’s the poop (not literally although, there is some of that, what with the horses and all). It is a yearlong process of communicating with the riders about length of routine, tempos, styles, dynamics and moods. On the Brass side, the effort is led by Associate Director of the Denver Brass, Becky Wilson.

Becky must learn about all the characteristics of each routine from the riders themselves and she often studies video of the horses performing, too. Then, the task of finding pieces that work well for the horses as well as putting together a musical presentation that stands on its own, for the audience and musicians alike – no small task. Once the music is chosen and the show is shaped, the whole thing is turned over to world renowned rodeo announcer and cowboy poet, Dr. Lynn Phillips in conjunction with Denver Brass conductor, Warren Deck.

 A three-hour rehearsal, 9:00PM till midnight, the night before the show puts it altogether and it is up to Warren to rhythmically become one with rider and horse as he leads the powerhouse brass ensemble through the show. For the Brass, it’s a killer! Non-stop music for an hour and a half with a short intermission is not easy on the face and those lips do get saddle sore!

So, that’s the inside scoop. It is an equestrian delight and family-friendly show from start to finish. There is a great showcase for the young riders of the Westernaires and some humorous routines as well. Those horses can do incredible things and watching how riders connect with their horses is always an amazing sight and thanks to the Denver Brass, an amazing sound as well!