June Peak News
Youth Spotlight
Isaac had to grow up too quickly after losing his parents at a young age, but with support from his older siblings he grew into an incredibly self-sufficient and kind young man. After moving to Denver and growing tired of sleeping on friends’ couches, he found his way to Urban Peak, where he now stays at our overnight shelter. Isaac has been making steady progress toward his goals: he found a great job as a welder and now he’s using his earnings to shop for an apartment!
Isaac is one of those people who’s always willing to lend a hand wherever help is needed, and other youth have expressed that he’s been a positive influence on them. He loves music (particularly Juice WRLD, r.i.p.), playing basketball, and can often be found cooking meals for his peers at The Spot. Isaac is super passionate about shoes and clothing and wants to own his own clothing company someday. He even helped one of our staff pick out “cooler” shoes! One day, he hopes to be well-off enough to give back to the community, or maybe even buy Urban Peak and fund it himself. Good luck sir!
2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration!
Urban Peak youth and staff were thrilled to come together at Mestizo-Curtis Park for our second annual Juneteenth celebration, commemorating the day enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free, two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
Youth and staff enjoyed trying (mostly failing 😝) to jump in from the outside
Juneteenth represents hope for achieving freedom and justice, but it also serves as an important reminder that many freedoms have been delayed for certain groups of Americans, and that we each have a duty to strive for equity for all.
Our celebration included lunch from our partners at Saucy’s Southern BBQ, who served up delicious ribs and several kinds of chicken, mac-and-cheese, beans, bread, and other southern comfort goodness!
Our staff likes to go all out for these big gatherings, setting up several stations for activities ranging from jumping rope (double Dutch for the experts), to smashing volleyballs and piñatas, even getting haircuts. Mix in some sweet tunes and it was nothing but good vibes all around. 🎼
Peak Spotlight
Jaylen, Dee, Rayven and Noah looking their best and having a good time!
✨ Two Magical Summer Nights ✨
This spring was extra special for Urban Peak as we celebrated not one, but TWO prom nights highlighting inclusivity! The first of these fabulous proms was a fundraiser put on by our partners at Queer Prom Denver, with half of all proceeds going to Urban Peak programs. The other prom was hosted by our very own staff at the Drop-In Center, just for Urban Peak youth.
For many in the LGBTQ+ community, including a sizeable portion of our youth, attending prom as their authentic selves with a date of their preferred gender was never an option due to discrimination, safety concerns, and other reasons. So it’s pretty darn magical that the generosity of Denver Queer Prom attendees and allies wound up providing funds for us to throw our own prom party for youth, LGBTQ+ and all. Queers helping queers, we love to see it! 🏳️🌈
The prom playlist ended with a bachata song (a common dance style in Latin culture), resulting in a group of Latinx youth teaching their peers and staff how to dance to it. Our social-emotional coordinator, Manon, shared that “it was such a wholesome and communal moment for everyone who attended, and it ended the night on such a positive note.” 💃
Later, everyone voted on “Urban Peak Royalty,” our version of prom king and queen. Dajanae and Jayonte had never attended prom before, so seeing the looks on their faces when they won was absolutely priceless. 😁👑
Partner Highlight
7th Annual Pride Party!
For the seventh year in a row, Urban Peak was honored to receive 100% of the proceeds raised at the annual Pride party hosted by our longtime friends and community leaders, Mike Orr and Bryan Fleming.
Amazingly, the two of them have successfully topped their previous total every year since the party’s inception. This year was no different, as they surpassed last year’s total of $32,000 and raised almost $40,000 for youth experiencing homelessness!
Cumulatively, the Pride parties Mike and Bryan have hosted have raised almost $200,000 for Urban Peak youth!! The magic that can happen when we come together as a community to support the most vulnerable among us truly is incredible. HUGE thank you to Mike, Bryan, and the Denver queer community – and HAPPY PRIDE!
Urban Peak family, you are loved and always welcome with us. 🏳️🌈
Mothership Highlight
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
We are just under one month away (how?!?) from the grand opening of Urban Peak’s innovative new campus that we affectionately call The Mothership. The four-story building will co-locate all our programs on one campus and offer progressively independent levels of housing. Can you believe it’s almost here?
One of the most creative components of the new shelter is what we’re calling “neighborhoods,” which will provide transitional space for youth between the stabilization of a shelter bed and long-term, independent housing. There are six neighborhoods with 84 beds set aside for youth who are ready to take the next step in their housing journeys.
Similar to a college suite, each neighborhood will be equipped with five, seven or nine dorm rooms (two beds per room), a large community room, a kitchen and a smaller community room.
The neighborhoods were intentionally designed to not only provide youth with an opportunity to learn life skills and form community among their peers, but also to be flexible in how they’re used.
How Affinity Groups Pave the Way for Community and Flexibility
Six “affinity groups” provide the core concepts behind neighborhood designs. The idea is to group together youth with similar life experiences into one neighborhood, allowing them to connect with and support peers who are likely to be going through similar things. Staff with specialized training also can be directed to support youth with specific needs.
When the Mothership first opens, the six starter affinity groups will be:
Pregnant and parenting youth
Youth in recovery (from substance abuse)
Youth who are working or attending school
Newcomer youth
Youth with developmental delays
Youth who’ve exited foster care
The neighborhoods offer flexibility to change the affinity groups based on need and shift accordingly. Likewise, youth won’t be tied to the neighborhood they first move into and may shift between neighborhoods as they grow and find community. Depending on what youth need most, Urban Peak is prepared to respond no matter what may arise.
Urban Peak's new shelter "The Mothership" on Acoma St.
With such an exciting new chapter for Urban Peak coming in less than a month, we need your help to ensure that youth like Isaac can get the support they need during this transition. For $30/month, you can provide a hearty dinner for 70 young people. Will you commit to becoming a recurring donor and help support unhoused youth in our community?
