Colorado Gives Day Update

We live in an amazing state. Not only are the mountains beautiful, but apparently so are the hearts of the people! To close my blog for the semester, I thought it would be worthwhile to go over the results of Colorado Gives Day.

First and foremost, $15 MILLION was raised over the course of one day (yesterday)!! That's a new record for the program. You can read more about that here.

I am so proud to live in a state that cares so much about non-profits and their causes. It inspires me to think that so many people are willing to help others, and it gives me confidence that we can truly COmbat poverty. Thanks for following my blog all semester. Best wishes, and remember even the smallest person can make the biggest difference!

Adopt-a-Family Christmas Drive

The Christmas season is upon us, and for many of us that means the full-fledged pursuit of the perfect gift for family members, friends, and lovers. But for the families who live at "Colorado Homeless Families," a non-profit transitional housing organization, Christmas presents are not in the budget....are they in yours?

The Colorado Homeless Families organization helps homeless families get back on their feet by providing them with a free, temporary place to stay and workshops and classes to develop professional skills. The families are able to save their money over time and will hopefully be able to afford a place to live with their savings. Unfortunately, that means that not a cent can be spared to buy their children Christmas presents. That's why the organization is asking the Colorado community to consider "adopting" a family this Christmas season. Those who are interested will receive a list with the names, ages, clothing sizes, etc. of a family in need. Imagine the difference you could make in the life of a homeless child! 

Last year, The Colorado Homeless Families organization campaigned to collect 100 children's bikes for the Christmas season, and this year their hoping to collect enough gifts for every child to have a great Christmas. So if you are fortunate enough to have some extra spending money, consider adopting a family for this Christmas season. I can guarantee that the gifts you buy will be cherished forever. 

Warm the World: Crafts for a Cause

It's December now, which means that we should be expecting snow and cooler temperatures. And for me, that means it's time to whip out my crochet supplies and make blankets, hats, and gloves to give away as gifts and to relieve stress from finals week! But I wondered, is there something better I could be doing with my craft skills? So I looked into it, and found Warm the World, a non-profit organization based out of Canon City, Colorado.

Every year, this organization's volunteers meet up and create beautiful blankets, gloves, hats, mittens, scarves, etc. to send to children without a permanent home. Their main focus is on foster children, so that they can have an item to take with them regardless of where they live. And as we know, Colorado is definitely a state where you need to stay warm! If you are interested in crocheting or knitting, or if you would be willing to donate yarn to this organization, you can find their website here. 

Colorado Gives Day

Colorado Gives Day is an effort by Community First Foundation and 1st Bank to increase philanthropic giving in the state of Colorado. On December 4, for 24 hours, Colorado residents are encouraged to donate to one of 1,000 participating non-profits! Last year, this effort raised $12.8 million in one day! It is an excellent way to give back this holiday season, and you can choose which organization you want to donate to by visiting givingfirst.org. And best of all 100% of your donation goes straight to the organization-- no exceptions! 

Many non-profits have benefitted from this program in the past including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, Animal House, and Boulder County AIDS project (just to name a few!). It's one day changing thousands of lives. Check it out here! 

Broncos Charity Builds Fields and Hope

Tomorrow is Sunday. That means I'll be sitting on the couch watching football. And while I love the Broncos for their talent and wins (hello Peyton Manning), I also love them for the way they give back to the Colorado community, specifically through their Community Fields Project. For those of you that don't know, every year the Broncos organization selects a Colorado community in need and provide monetary support so that they can build a new youth football field.

The program, which has been helping Colorado communities since 2007, has donated millions to youth sports teams and high schools. By providing a safe place for kids to play football, the program combats childhood obesity and inspires children to pursue their athletic dreams.

So when you're sitting in front of the tube next Sunday, yelling a bogus calls or incomplete passes remember that in one way, the Denver Broncos always deliver!

For more information on the program, click here. 

Improve your vocab...and feed the hungry

If you're anything like me, you will procrastinate on homework by surfing the web, checking your facebook, etc. Suddenly, you look at the clock and hours have flown by. You think, "wow, I just wasted all that time." Sound familiar?

Well, you're welcome Colorado residents because I have come across a fabulous website that helps you procrastinate in a charitable way...and you may actually be SMARTER when you're done.

freerice.com is a wonderful website that gives you a word, and a list of synonyms. For example:

Quiet Means:
       1. bad
       2. chubby
       3. silent
       4. not good

You choose "silent" and BAM! 10 grains of rice get donated to a starving country. The words get more difficult as you go on, too. So next time you're looking for a way to waste time, consider wasting it in a way that feeds the hungry!

Fort Collins Habitat-Long Post

It’s taking some serious elbow grease for the local chapters of Habitat for Humanity to combat the ailing economy this year. Fortunately, they specialize in getting the job done.

Candace Mayo, Executive Director of the Fort Collins chapter, says that all non-profit organizations have taken a hit from the poor economy.

“While donations aren’t down too much, we know that our sponsored families are starting to have problems making house payments.”

This poses a problem because the money received from those payments funnels directly into sponsoring construction of the next local house.

Since it’s inception in 1993, the Fort Collins chapter has built 43 homes in the area. And for every home built locally, the sector builds another home overseas. So in reality, the chapter is losing funds for two houses at a time.

“[The economy] also makes it hard for applying families to qualify for a home,” Mayo said.

In order to be eligible for a Habitat for Humanity house, the family must have good credit, be able to make a $1000 down payment, and must contribute 300 hours of sweat equity into their home. 

“Lower income families are, understandably, getting deeper into debt so they become ineligible for a home,” Mayo said.

Even though the economy is not on their side, the Fort Collins chapter is still working hard to raise money.

“We’re hosting a gala on April 10 at the Embassy Suites, that’s the big thing. We also send out direct mail to the community, and we get regular donations that way,” Mayo said.

The Fort Collins chapter also gets help from the Habitat Home Supply Store located at 4001 S. Taft Hill Road.  Profits made from sales at the store go towards the organization’s cause and also to help pay the employee’s salaries.

“The store is really great because it works as sort of an advertisement, it let’s people know we’re here,” Mayo said.

With awareness comes sponsors, and Mayo says that often times people are excited about the houses that their donations of money and time have helped to build.

“Many of our homeowners tell us that cars will drive by and the people inside are smiling and pointing at the house. Ours is a great non-profit because you can see where your money is going.”

The Colorado State University chapter is hoping to help build a house of their own. At the beginning of the year, the club set a goal to raise enough money to co-sponsor one house build this year.

“It costs anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 to co-sponsor a house. We still need to raise about $5,000 to reach our goal,” Laura Bowman, President of CSU Habitat, said.

The club has hosted a benefit concert along with smaller functions such as gift-wrapping sessions and RamRide to raise money in the past. Recently, with the economy taking its toll, they have decided to put together a community yard sale instead.

“This year is a new beginning for our club and we decided our annual fundraiser needed to be redone as well.  We wanted something that would have a connection to Habitat and the homes we build.  The club thought there is nothing better than home furnishings to help fill your house,” Bowman said.

The CSU chapter is currently working with churches and the campus parking services to try and reserve an empty parking lot to hold the sale. Additionally, the club members will design advertisements, pitch the sale to local neighborhoods, and provide pick up of donated goods before the event in early May.

“It is a great cause, and while it takes a lot of effort to pull something like this off, I think in the end we will be very proud of what we accomplished and excited to put the money directly towards building someone's new home,” Ashley Johnson, secretary of CSU Habitat, said.

Founded in 1976, the International Habitat for Humanity organization has built over 350,000 houses around the world in over 3,000 countries.  Those homes have provided 1.75 million people with affordable housing. With this kind of reputation, local affiliates remain optimistic.

“We will bounce back, we’ll be ok,” Candace Mayo, Fort Collins Executive Director said.  “This is a good cause.  Our homeowners remember how their house was built and the people that helped build it, and that makes them cherish it even more.”