Save the Date for Maverick Thinkers!

After a long, four-year hiatus, we are thrilled to bring back Maverick Thinkers, a fundraiser to support Urban Peak. Save the date for Wednesday, July 12th at 6pm in the Seawall Ballroom at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) as we honor longtime Urban Peak legends Dick and Karen Thomas as well as David Jennings!

All funds raised at this celebratory gala will go directly to support Urban Peak’s programs and, most importantly, the young people we serve. For more information on sponsorships or to purchase tickets, please visit our website or contact Alicia Economos at alicia.economos@urbanpeak.org. We look forward to seeing you there!

Tailgate for a Cause 😎

Urban Peak is thrilled to partner with Centennial 38 (C38), the official supporters’ group of the Colorado Rapids! Last year the C38s generously hosted an underwear drive on our behalf.

Supporters of Urban Peak pose with donations from a recent CO Rapids tailgate.

This year, C38 reached out to let us know that we were chosen as their featured charity of the month and invited us to represent Urban Peak with a table at four separate home games, where sports fans can learn more about our programs and support us with donations during the tailgate festivities. We’ll be there repping Urban Peak at the next game on Saturday, April 1st, so to any soccer aficionados out there, stop by and say hello! Go Rapids!

Peak Spotlight

March is Women's History Month AND National Social Work Month! To celebrate, let’s take a journey back in time to learn more about the women whose activism and advocacy efforts helped establish the foundation of social work upon which we base our programs and services today.

First, what is social work?

Per the International Federation of Social Workers, social work is “a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people.” Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work practices.

Traditionally, social work has been a very woman-dominated field. In fact, women make up more than 80% of all social workers in the United States [from the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE)], which makes sense considering the historical beginnings of the field.

Who paved the way for the work we do today? Here are a few names to know:

Mary Richmond, “the founding mother of social casework” – As the author of two influential books on social casework in the early 20th century (Social Diagnosis in 1917 and What is social casework? in 1922), Mary Richmond was instrumental in developing the scientific methodology used in professional social work today. She was one of the first caseworkers to focus on the interaction between an individual and their social environment.

Frances Perkins, the first female U.S. cabinet member.

Frances Perkins, “the woman behind the New Deal” – Having started her career as a teacher and social worker in the early 1900s, Frances Perkins eventually went on to become the first female cabinet member in the U.S. when President FDR appointed her as the Secretary of Labor in 1933. With her background in social work, Perkins is considered the driving force behind many of the New Deal laws passed in response to the Great Depression, including the Social Security Act of 1935 and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (established minimum wage, maximum work hours and banned child labor).

The field of social work has been built and shaped by women. We are lucky to have learned from them and benefited from the change they have created for decades. Happy Women’s History and Social Work Month!

Partner Highlight

Comcast has been a wonderful partner to Urban Peak for over two decades. From supporting us as event sponsors, to dropping off Christmas Day in-kind donations, to volunteering with us and more, Comcast consistently shows up for our youth where they are.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Comcast has partnered with Urban Peak to provide free internet access for our clients through LiftZones. Recognizing how the COVID crisis put many low-income individuals and families at risk of being left behind in the digital age, Comcast equipped nearly 100 locations across Colorado (including The Spot!) with WiFi-connected Lift Zones that provide free hotspot connectivity for students, youth and adults to get online, participate in education and access critical resources.
Most recently, our partners at Comcast dropped off a generous donation of ten brand-new Dell laptops for our youth to use! This incredible gift, along with the LiftZone device, is part of Comcast’s larger efforts to promote digital equity across the nation, known as the Xfinity Internet Essentials initiative. This allows individuals and families who make less income than the national poverty level or receive government assistance (such as SNAP and Medicaid) to apply for free or reduced-cost internet service, as well as other benefits.

The COVID pandemic laid bare our wireless internet infrastructure shortcomings, particularly among low-income communities. Through our partnership with Comcast, Urban Peak is able to serve as a hub for the young people we serve to access consistently reliable internet service. Access to the internet is essential to navigating a self-determined and fulfilled life in the modern world. We’re thrilled to partner with Comcast to ensure digital equity for all unhoused youth.

Youth Spotlight

Nyx (they/them) brings a lot of light to our space! They want people to know they are a queer, neurodivergent person who enjoys meaningful conversations with anyone and everyone at Urban Peak.

They enjoy reading, writing and self-improvement. During their time at Urban Peak, they have been working diligently on earning their GED, creating connections for selling their art (check out Nyx's zine at Mutiny Cafe!) and building their chosen family. Currently, Nyx is co-facilitating a mixed media art class at The Spot with our social emotional coordinator, Manon. Nyx is heading the curriculum building of this course and creating a safe space for fellow youth to express themselves!
Nyx specifically requested that we ask any of our readers with connections to art to come down to The Spot and seek them out. 🙂

The last few months at Urban Peak have been a whirlwind as we have planned for the future by breaking ground on the Mothership.

While we are excited about looking ahead, our shelter is full and our youth are struggling to break the cycle of homelessness. Their everyday needs are intense and continue to grow.

Part of how we meet this challenge is by establishing and cultivating strong partnerships across our community. As an example, two doctors volunteer their time to work with our medical services manager, Stephanie, and provide care and assessments that lead to low-barrier medical services. Clinicians from WellPower (formerly the Mental Health Center of Denver) provide ongoing mental health intervention and treatment on site at Urban Peak. Together, these resources result in a comprehensive behavioral health program for our youth that is accessible, developmentally appropriate and trauma informed.

Please join me in thanking Dr. Ly, Dr. Burns and WellPower for supporting Urban Peak and most importantly our youth. Their work and the work of our many partners and volunteers provide our youth a pathway to self-directed, fulfilled lives.

Gratefully,

Christina Carlson
Urban Peak CEO