Urban Peak has been a staple in my life for over a decade. My passion for Urban Peak grows out of my personal experience. My parents served as foster parents for several children, and from an early age, I have been keenly aware of the need for young people to have a safe and stable place to heal and call home.

Now, 25 years later, we are under construction on the Mothership; our vision for a transformational campus that supports youth transitioning off the street to a supportive home with the opportunity to achieve self-sufficiency and success.

2021 was another year that tested Urban Peak: our youth, our team and our entire community. We witnessed firsthand the devastating, ongoing impact that the pandemic had on our youth and staff.

The challenges we have faced over the last year have been significant. However, the hope that permeates our programs is contagious. For me, hope comes from the resiliency I see in the rearview mirror and, more importantly, the opportunities on the road ahead of us.

2019 was a year of unprecedented growth for Urban Peak. We made exciting and dramatic progress expanding access to our most intensive services for youth experiencing homelessness throughout the Denver metro area.

Every day, I am in awe of the powerful work done by our staff and am deeply humbled to witness the path our inspired young people walk.

Urban Peak is a shelter from the storm, a first home, a passion project and a calling. For many in our community, we are a vital piece of the city’s fabric. To me, Urban Peak represents what is best in all of us.

1 in 5 youth experiencing homelessness in the Metro Denver area are living on the streets and the rest reside in shelters or other transitional housing programs.

It is estimated that 1.6 to 1.7 million youth experience homelessness each year, approximately 15% have lived on the streets for more than six months and 5,000 unaccompanied youth die each year as a result of assault, illness, or suicide.