October Peak News
The Operations team were strong contenders at the staff costume contest with their Wordle and Urban Peak-themed group costume.
Happy Halloween from Urban Peak!
Urban Peak youth and staff go all-out for our celebrations, and it’s no different for spooky season! Our staff got together for a competitive costume contest and chili cook-off. Meanwhile, to get youth in the Halloween spirit, peer navigator Vic gathered a group together to visit the 13th Floor Haunted House and had a ghoul of a good time. They also visited Anderson Farms for fun in the pumpkin patch, hay rides, corn mazes and more! Some youth even described it as "the best day [they've] had in years."
We will also be hosting a Halloween party for youth and staff at The Spot this very evening, October 31st. There will be games, good food (and plentiful candy), scary decorations, a fortune teller booth, great costumes (with a costume contest, naturally) and a whole lot of thrills and chills. We can’t wait to celebrate, and whether you’re going spooky or silly with your costume, have a happy and safe Halloween! 👻
Urban Peak Meal Volunteering Update
Urban Peak provides youth with three meals a day, 365 days of the year. Support from volunteers is critical year-round! We now have a new platform for interested volunteers to sign up for meal shifts at Urban Peak. We hope that this will make meal sign-up easy and hassle-free. Check it out at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/urbanpeak_meals. Thank you for considering this opportunity to support our youth with hot meals!
Help Spread the Warmth
Our partners at Faribault Mill, who operate one of the last vertical woolen mills in America, are running their Spread the Warmth campaign all winter long and supporting nonprofits throughout the country!
They chose Urban Peak as their sole recipient in Denver, and we could not be more grateful. For every bed blanket purchased, they’ll donate a high-quality wool blanket to us and other awesome organizations that specifically support youth experiencing homelessness in the U.S.
It’s critical that we all work together to ensure that all unhoused youth can stay safe, warm and dry in the cold winter months. You are the spark that’ll keep youth warm this holiday season!
Peak Spotlight
Urban Peak recently commemorated National Hispanic Heritage Month, which honors the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. Staff members Celeste, Savannah and Rocio pulled out all the stops setting up a celebration for youth and staff at our admin office. We festively decorated in traditional colors and themes, played bingo, made t-shirts, ate delicious food and jammed out to a local band, Tamborazo, who we found through our partners at Denver Municipal Band.
Youth De enjoys her burrito during the celebration.
We want to give a huge shoutout and thank you to one of our preferred meal partners The Culinary Creative Group for connecting us with SEÑOR BEAR, a local Latin-inspired restaurant rooted in the traditions of Central and South America. They generously donated burritos and other dishes for the celebration.
Muchas gracias to all our partners as well as those who attended, and happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
Partner Highlight
For over a decade, Urban Peak and WellPower (formerly the Mental Health Center of Denver) have supported each other in our mutual work to improve the mental health and overall wellbeing of our youth and all Denverites.
Michael Niyompong, Vice President and Chief Engagement Officer at WellPower.
We contract with three WellPower clinicians, made possible through the Healthy Transitions grant from SAMHSA, who regularly meet our youth where they’re at in our housing and shelter sites to provide them with invaluable mental health services, such as individual counseling and group therapy. These clinicians work with Urban Peak youth full-time and are often able to continue working with the same youth as they make their transition through our programs, from shelter to housing to full independence. Not only that, but through their relationships with clinicians, our youth have automatic access to ALL WellPower services!
"Our two organizations joining together to address two of the most complex issues in Denver - homelessness and mental health - has been a win-win for the city and people served through our partnership," said Michael Niyompong, vice president and chief engagement officer at WellPower. "We applaud Urban Peak's tireless commitment to youth experiencing homelessness in our community."
Thank You for An Amazing Urban Nights!
We wrapped up our record-breaking fundraiser, Urban Nights, last month, and we wanted to give another big thank you to everyone who made it the awesome event that it was! Mona Lucero deserves a special shout out for personally designing the gorgeous gown that Urban Peak CEO Christina Carlson wore that evening.
Additionally, we’d like to thank Gina Comminello of The Look Salon & Med Spa for providing “the looks” for the evening and making up all our wonderful fashion models!
Celebrate Pride with the Denver Nuggets
Urban Peak youth will be attending the Denver Nuggets game against the San Antonio Spurs this coming Saturday, in partnership with You Can Play for their Pride Night! You Can Play “works to ensure the safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports, including LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches and fans,” and we are thrilled to support them in this mission. They generously provided our youth with free tickets to the game, and a portion of each ticket sale will go to supporting their critical work. Get your own Nuggets Pride Night tickets here! Each ticket also includes a Denver Nuggets pride fanny pack. Go Nuggets!
Youth Spotlight
Since moving into Urban Peak housing in 2019, Shawnna has been engaged both within and outside of their housing community during their time at Rowan Gardens, whether they were volunteering at Peak Thrift and Earth Link or attending youth groups and outings.
Shawnna is a role model in their housing community and a frequent leader at youth council.
Shawnna’s goal is to become a medical administrative assistant and they are working to reach this goal through the CrossPurpose program, a business that provides career guidance in Denver. They’re currently on track to graduate in March and are committed to demonstrating the importance of education for their daughter, as well as providing a strong financial future for their family. Fun fact: Shawnna loves Halloween and haunted houses. Happy (and spooky) Halloween, Shawnna!
