Peak June News
Juneteenth Celebrations
Denverites took to the streets this past weekend to celebrate Juneteenth, which recognizes the day when slaves in Texas were finally informed that slavery had been abolished two years prior, and you can bet we didn’t miss it! Housing and Shelter staff members Sandra and Michaela helped organize a trip for youth to attend the festivities, where they enjoyed Five Points’ music, street food and community togetherness.
At the Drop-In Center (DIC), staff held an informative history class in the dining room about the significance of this now-federal holiday. Afterward, everyone gathered together for a barbecue on the community patio, where Housing Navigator Tamisha delivered a spoken-word piece to honor and celebrate Juneteenth.
Peak Spotlight
Urban Peak hosted our second annual Prom Night at the Shelter this past Friday, and what a night it was!
Born from the idea that many of our youth weren’t able to attend their own high school proms, Youth Council decided to make its own. In preparation for the party, our social-emotional coordinator, Meghan, traveled with youth to Peak Thrift to find some discounted dress clothes and accessories. Youth and staff then spent prom day decorating the whole Shelter patio with balloons and streamers, building space for a photo booth, and excitedly strutting around in their fancy new digs. Even youth who were new to the Shelter joined in the fun, despite not really knowing what was happening.
Joe and Zaya pose for prom pictures. She had no idea he'd be proposing later.
The night finally arrived, and while it started with a lot of wall-clinging as all proms tend to do, eventually more people showed up and everyone really started enjoying themselves. Meghan noted how nice it was to “let loose a little bit. Oftentimes it feels so serious around the Shelter, so events like these really change the energy and bring everyone together.” There was much laughter and dancing, the photo booth was a huge hit (see the photo), and the night ended with a special surprise when youth Joe got down on one knee and proposed to his partner Zaya! She said yes, and thus Prom 2021 came to a joyful end. Congratulations to the newly betrothed couple!
Partner Highlight
One of our most enthusiastic partners is So Delicious, a brand of dairy-free food and beverages belonging to the Danone parent company. Urban Peak has received generous donations from So Delicious every Pride Month for the last six years, not to mention the increased awareness that their social media campaigns bring to our mission. Danone believes in equity and opportunity for all, and their continued support exemplifies those principles.
Recently, our Assistant Director of Development, Lauren, was invited to speak during Danone’s virtual panel on Food Insecurity and the LGBTQ+ Community. We were featured alongside prominent national organizations in the food and housing spaces including We Don’t Waste, the Ali Forney Center and City Harvest. It was a productive and engaging conversation that highlighted both the unique struggles that LGBTQ+ people face and also the deep well of support that exists in our community to help mitigate that struggle.
Interested in contributing to the cause? Email donate@urbanpeak.org or visit our website.
Pride Weekend!
This upcoming weekend is Denver’s Pride Weekend! To prep for the festivities, DIC staff and youth are taking a trip to the dollar store to purchase decorations, art supplies, nail polish, makeup and fun snacks for youth to enjoy. Then on Saturday, everyone will have a nice dinner followed by a history class where our youth will use the facts they learn about Pride to compete in a trivia bingo game with Outreach Case Manager Gabby. They’ll have a chance to win prizes, experience history and reaffirm that at Urban Peak, all are welcome.
Meanwhile, Shelter staff are planning to give youth a rainbow poop emoji piñata to destroy. Happy Pride!
Youth Spotlight
King has been doing an awesome job working toward his long-term goals since he arrived at the Shelter. In addition to meeting with his Housing Navigator to secure community housing for himself, he’s also employed at Pizza Hut and is using that money to save up for his own apartment!
In his free time, King likes to play basketball recreationally and semi-professionally; you can catch him on the court with the Colorado Hoopers!
