May Peak News
Earth Day Cleanup
This past Earth Day, our social-emotional coordinator, Meghan, went with Urban Peak youth to clean up trash around the Platt Park neighborhood for our second annual Community Cleanup.
Youth introduced themselves to neighbors, planted a tree in the shelter garden and had a barbecue with our youth of the month, Hunter, as grill master. Helping the community is always a great way to create self-determined, fulfilled lives.
Peak Spotlight
Urban Peak’s Young Professionals group, Ignite, met to prepare and serve a socially distant dinner to Shelter youth this week. Ignite’s focus is to support Urban Peak’s mission and increase awareness of youth homelessness among other young professionals. Urban Peak believes in engaging the next generation of community leaders, as we know the impact they can create is fantastic! We are currently welcoming new professionals to join the group.
“It is critically important for professionals of all ages, but especially young professionals, to engage with Urban Peak, said Ignite Chair, Samantha Nuechterlein. “It’s imperative that we lift up everyone in our community, especially youth who face barriers to living self-fulfilled lives. We must understand the issues Urban Peak youth face if we hope to change their reality and ensure all who come to us have the support and resources to achieve their dreams. All of us are the future.”
Want to find out more about Ignite or volunteering? Email Lauren Cassidy!
Partner Highlight
The pandemic hit hard and hit fast, but we’ve been lucky to have partners like Jen and Josh Wolkon, owners of Secret Sauce Food & Beverage, supporting us and our youth throughout the highs and lows. Secret Sauce is the parent company of Steuben’s and Ace Eat Serve, two local restaurants that are long-term partners of ours. They have hosted and catered events with us for years, provided our Shelter youth with weekly meals and set up a GoFundMe at the start of the pandemic that allowed people to donate more easily to local nonprofits.
When the Shelter had to shut down for two weeks late last year because of an outbreak of COVID-19 and all our youth and staff moved to a motel, Secret Sauce provided hot dinners every single day for the whole shutdown period. Their support has been incredible and even more so in this time of urgent need, especially considering the difficulties involved in trying to keep their business running smoothly during a pandemic. Josh co-wrote an article for 5280 magazine about the struggles of staying afloat for the last year and how we can all help by changing just a few behaviors. Check it out, and please show them some of the support and gratitude that we’ve felt so strongly over the years.
Youth Spotlight
Hunter has been doing an excellent job staying motivated as she takes on new responsibilities. In the past few months, she has enrolled in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity program, obtained a job, and received an acceptance into MSU Denver!
She is great at communicating and advocating for herself and is a pleasure to have in the classroom.
Hunter is planting great seeds for her future.
Being a member of the Urban Peak family is a tremendous privilege. I have learned about generosity, resilience, vulnerability, fortitude and hope. I continue to be inspired by the resiliency of our youth and the dedication of our staff.
Another benefit of being involved with Urban Peak is that I’ve been able to involve my children. John, a sixth-grader, and Samson, a third-grader, are also members of the Urban Peak family. Pre-COVID, they often tagged along with me and were “put to work,” as they say, doing dishes in the Drop-In Center.
The fifth- and sixth-grade students at their school have been studying homelessness, and John’s teachers reached out and asked if I would come talk to their classes about youth homelessness.
Of course I asked John first because I expected that, as a self-described tween, he would be mortified. However, he said it would be great and he gave me lots of feedback on what to talk about. He wanted me to explain why youth experiencing homelessness are vulnerable and why people should support Urban Peak. Samson did chime in by saying that he likes doing dishes at Urban Peak because the youth deserve clean plates and hot meals. I fully agree on all counts.
I am very grateful that my kids get to “go to work” at Urban Peak so they can see firsthand the lifesaving work we do. As always, thank you for all you do to support Urban Peak, our youth and our team. You are also a part of the Urban Peak family, and we are glad to have you in our lives.
Gratefully,
Christina Carlson, Chief Executive Officer
