Advocates – Crisis Support Services
Moffat County, Colorado

Advocates-Crisis Support Services is a private non-profit organization that provides crisis/victim services in Moffat County. ACSS is committed to the empowerment of individuals and to the elimination of emotional and physical abuse. ACSS currently has five programs that fulfill the organization’s mission. We offer a domestic violence program, a sexual assault program, a trauma/crime victim program that partners with local law enforcement agencies to help people, a teen-driven prevention program for teens and a Latino outreach program.

This year, ACSS used funding from the RMC for client services that included the following: safe shelter, transportation, meals, crisis counseling, 24-hour crisis line, 24-hour program accessibility, personal and judicial advocacy, protection order assistance, follow-up, information, referrals, support and weekly counseling groups.

With your help, ACSS has been able to assist 236 new clients and 21 continuing clients for a total of 257 since January 1, 2005. Thank you for your help, it is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Shelly Spackman, Latino Coordinator

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Aurora Interchurch Task Force
Aurora, Colorado

The sole purpose of Aurora Interchurch Task Force (AITF) is to provide substantive emergency assistance to the needy residents of Aurora. We currently provide emergency food, clothing, transportation, (including bus tokens and gas vouchers), pharmacy assistance, housing, and utility assistance. Aurora Interchurch has never charged a fee or assessment to anyone requesting assistance. Help is given on the basis of need alone, with no regard to race, creed, age, religion, sex, or any other criteria.

Emergency Assistance
Aurora Interchurch, primarily a food and clothing bank, helped a total of 14,791 Aurora residents in 2004. Over 7,700 people were assisted with food and over 3,800 were given clothing and household items. Each family receives enough food to feed their family for approximately seven days and receives toiletry items including toilet paper, hand and dish soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, to othbrushes and toothpaste. Each family receiving clothing assistance is allowed to select five changes of clothing, from underwear to outerwear, for each member of their family. In 2004, over $546,000 worth of food and clothing items were given to needy Aurora residents by AITF.

In 2004, Aurora Interchurch provided almost $53,000 of emergency housing and rental assistance to 891 persons. We provided utility assistance of almost $115,000 to 1,041 individuals. Aurora Interchurch received a large grant from Energy Outreach Colorado which allowed us to pay more money towards a family’s utility bill. In addition, we provided $2,700 of transportation assistance, primarily bus tokens and gasoline, to 955 persons and $2,800 worth of prescriptions and other medications to 163 persons.

Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels (MOW) has been sponsored by Aurora Interchurch since 1975. The Volunteers of America prepare the noontime meals and volunteers organized and supervised by Aurora Interchurch deliver the meals to homebound seniors and other medically needy individuals. An average of 75 hot meals per day, Monday through Friday, is delivered from two sites in Aurora. Currently, 75 additional people are delivered 5 – 7 frozen meals each week, an increase from 40 people in 2001.

Karen Hahn, Executive Director

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Caring Ministries of Morgan County
Morgan County, Colorado

The mission of Caring Ministries shall be to coordinate the outreach ministries of local churches, to serve those in need in our community with the compassion and dignity of Christ himself, to help them obtain their greatest level of self-sufficiency.

Last year in 2004, Caring Ministries literally help thousands of people. The food pantry served 1370 families consisting of 5355 people for a total of 98,111 meals.

The new CHARA house has been open one full year, 146 people received shelter for a total of 1672 nights. The basement at CHARA is in the process of being completed, and we look forward to being able to house even more homeless in our community. The pantry also supplies two meals a day for the CHARA house. CHARA is a Greek word, meaning “peaceful” or “joyful”, which I hope our clients feel while staying there.

Caring Ministries housed 253 nights in local motels. The ministry helped 59 families with rent and 94 families with utilities. The clothing bank gave away 33,445 pieces of clothing and household items. A total of 6866 people were helped in 2004!!!! In addition, Caring Ministries also has ‘The Santa Shop’ at which 182 families received gifts and a food box.

It astounds me that God enables Caring Ministries is able to serve so many people, it also saddens me that their is such a need for a ministry like ours. I see Gods hand move daily in this ministry, and I will continue to see His mighty hand as long as we continue to do his will.

Thank you for letting me share with you; if you need anything else please do not hesitate to let me know. Also thank you for helping us help others in His name.

Bobbi L Meng, Executive Director

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Colfax Community Network
Denver, Colorado

The purpose of the Colfax Community Network is to provide children and families residing in low-income, transient housing (primarily residential motels) along Colfax Avenue in Denver with information, programs and services that will strengthen and improve family and community life.

In 2004, Colfax Community Network was able to serve 2,301 individuals through our eight programs! These programs include: Family Nights once a month, the Children’s After School and Summer Camp program, Teen Girl’s Support Group, Moms and Toddlers Group, the Athletics Program which includes 2 basketball teams, the Access to Services Project, the Emergency Food Pantry, and the Housing Partnership Program.

Our newest effort, the Moms and Toddlers Group, is becoming a lifeline for moms who need knowledge of local resources, information of appropriate child rearing, and companionship. Their toddlers also are beginning to show the benefits of early, supervised socialization and relaxing time with their mothers. For just pure fun, though, nothing beats lunch with the moms and toddlers after the group meets. There are always birthdays to celebrate and good food to share. Toddlers look at cupcakes with wide eyes, and moms share recipes and clean-up with a spirit of friendship and community. It is a time the whole staff enjoys.

When asked how we observe God’s hand in our work, I am tempted to answer that there is never a moment when we do not see and feel God’s touch. From the miraculous changes in behavior that we observe in our children in the after school program to the laughter and warmth that permeates each Family Night - God is present. Our program space, the donations we receive, and the volunteers that share their love and care with our kids - all are gifts from God.
Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.

Maggie Tidwell, Executive Director

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Community Ministry
Denver, Colorado

Community Ministry’s mission is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ by helping to meet the needs of the people within the community who are experiencing economic hardship and related problems both physical and spiritual.

This is accomplished through Community Ministry’s distribution of food, clothing and other outreach services. CM is made up of 28 member churches that provide financial, in-kind and volunteer support to the outreach ministry. CM relies on the member churches as well as the community at large to assist with its mission of serving those in need within southwest Denver.

Last year, more than 22,400 individuals came to CM for food assistance. This was a 29% increase from the year before. Last fall, like many food banks and pantries throughout Colorado, CM experienced a drastic increase in the number of people in need of our food bank services because of the CBMS computer problem. This is the State of Colorado’s new computer system that is used at the county level to assist individuals with food stamps and other government programs.

There were and are still problems with the new computer system so the counties were referring their clients to the nonprofit sector for assistance because many were not able to receive food stamps. Fortunately, we were able to provide assistance without cutting back on what we provide through our food bank. Luckily the number of people in need of our services has subsided and we’re not seeing record numbers like we were in the fall otherwise we could be in trouble financially.

Last year, we also became a satellite location for one of the federal commodities programs. Every Friday, Food Bank of the Rockies who has taken over this contract, sets up shop at CM and provides commodities to mothers who are pregnant and with young children as well as seniors. On average 100 people each Friday are able to receive assistance at our site.

God continues to work through CM by showing us that even when money is tight and we’re not sure how we’re going to continue serving so many in need, that we need to have a faith (he does provide what is needed). When we’re not sure how we’re going to continue without a particular volunteer, God provides someone else with those very same talents. If we pay attention, we can see the work God is doing through CM as well as other outreach ministries.

Christy Ziemba. Director

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Crossroads Urban Center
Salt Lake City, Utah

Crossroads Urban Center is a nonprofit, grassroots organization which assists and organizes low income, disabled, and minority Utahns to meet basic survival needs and to address essential issues affecting quality of life. Established in 1966, Crossroads is a multi-faith, community based project related to the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Church of Christ.

Crossroads operates the Luisa E. Lema Emergency Food Pantry, the busiest food pantry in Utah, which served 30,371 households containing 76,640 members in 2004. The Crossroads' Thrift Store in Salt Lake City distributed clothing and household goods free of charge to families containing a total of 16476 people in 2004. Holiday Food Distributions at Thanksgiving and Christmas and our emergency fund program also served thousands of Utahns in 2004.

Community organizing efforts in 2004 included:
The Coalition of Religious Communities (CORC) is a coalition representing 17 denominations and faiths whose purpose is "to work for constructive change on issues affecting economically disadvantaged people" by influencing public policy.

The Anti-Hunger Action Committee (AHAC) is a group of low income people who rely on food stamps and food pantries to help feed themselves and their families. AHAC is working to improve the quality of life for all Utahns experiencing food insecurity.

The Utah HUD Tenant Association (UHTA) is a group of tenants in HUD assisted housing striving to protect and improve existing affordable housing.

The Utah Poverty Partnership is an alliance of grassroots, community groups that share a common commitment to end hunger and poverty through coordinated action.
Crossroads began developing a new project in 2004 that will benefit the working poor.

The Community Food Co-Operative of Utah will offer access to low cost food, while promoting community building and volunteerism. Our first food distribution will be in early 2006.

Glenn Bailey, Executive Director

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Denver Inner City Parish
Denver, Colorado

The past year has been an exciting one at the Parish and one of great growth. Some of the changes are listed below:

• We have grown into our new building at 1212 Mariposa Street. Located there are Parish Programs: The Senior Citizens Program, The Emergency Food Bank, Project ReNew, and Faithworks!, and programs to which we rent office space and which serve our community. This summer, Day Camp will also be located at 1212, while our original building is rehabilitated.

• Faithworks! is a new program, funded by the City and County of Denver. The purpose of the grant is to help those who are difficult to employ. Our network provides opportunities to prepare for and find work. Under this grant, we were able to fund a network of 16 faith-based groups in West Denver. Included in this network is Berkeley United Church of Christ. They received a sizable sub-grant to provide transportation (bus tokens) for those looking for work. It was surely a change for the Parish to be able to provide funding for other churches!!!
  
• La Academia School continues to grow and change- we now enroll 75 students in grades 6-12. Our entire graduating class has received admission to and scholarships for college. New this year has been our participation in the Mock Trial Contest. Our school’s team came in 3rd place in the region, and we were competing against much larger schools. Judge Jack Smith, of First Plymouth UCC, coached our team.
  
• Planning has been completed and funding received fro the rehab of our building at 910 Galapago. This building holds La Academia School, Night School, and the Parish Community at Worship. Work will commence in June, and will be completed by the time school starts in the fall. We’ll be working on projects including: heat and air conditioning, plumbing, and electricity.
  
• We’ve received great help from our Associate Pastor Rev. Malcom Himschoot, during the year. Parish folds attended his ordination, and he’s been greatly loved by members of the parish community. As many in the UCC know, Malcom will be moving to Minnesota this summer. We wish him well, and will miss him greatly.
  
• Volunteers from the U.C.C. have been a great help to the Parish this year. Among them are: Judge Jack Smith, Kat Haskins, Phyllis and Dan Porter, and board members John Fox and Bruce Thumm. All of them worship at First Plymouth and are much appreciated at the Parish.

We appreciate very much the support of the Conference and individual U.C.C. congregations. Thanks!!!

Steve Johnsen, Pastor

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First Steps Spirituality Center
Colorado Springs, Colorado

First Steps Spirituality center is located in Colorado Springs. Our mission is to provide spiritual support to hurting children and teens at no cost. It is also our mission to provide educational events for people wanting to learn more about the spiritual needs of children and teens.

This past year has been an exciting year for us. We have provided one-on-one spiritual support to over 200 children and teens and group spiritual support and spiritual growth to 500 children and teens. We have partnered with local schools providing care to grieving children and with Suicide Prevention providing after care for teens surviving a suicide of a family member. We are currently working out an arrangement with the homeless teen shelter in Colorado Springs to provide spiritual support at their location for their teens.

In addition to the direct support we have offered to children and teens, we have had 31 people complete our certification course and nearly 3,000 attend workshops and lectures. Our newsletter, Stepping Stones, which is educational in nature, now reaches 1750 families across the nation. We have developed a new insert for the newsletter called, “Simple Gifts” which gives families and grandparents spiritual activities to do at home, church and school. This has been reproduced in a variety of settings as well as going to each family on our mailing list.

We are currently producing a video, “Stepping Up to Wholeness” which will be targeted at parents, grandparents, teachers and pastors to help them work with hurting children and teens at home, school and church.

The grant we received helps this ministry to continue and it is with a grateful heart that I submit this report. May God bless each of you and the children and teens in your life!

The Rev. Leanne Hadley, Founder and President

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Food and Care Coalition

Report not submitted

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Full Circle Alternatives
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Full Circle received a grant in the amount of $500.00 to help with our Life Skills classes. These classes are offered to women as part of their development in becoming self-sufficient.

Funds received the first quarter were used to purchase pens, note pads and supplies for the women to keep notes on the classes, and to print the handouts and materials from the presenters. We also paid for a speaker from the American Red Cross who taught basic first aid to the women. It is amazing just how many of these women lack some of this basic knowledge; many will be regaining custody of their children and lacking in first-aid skills.

Another class offered this quarter was nutrition and we hosted several community-based agencies that spoke about their services and how our women can access them.

Over the last year, we have increased the success rate of women staying sober after completion of the program. We are reporting through follow-up surveys a 58% success rate. This is great considering that the national average for success after treatment is 22%. We are very proud of our program and remain committed to providing services to homeless women who would otherwise be unable to access help.

The program’s base is anchored in a 12-step recovery. Spirituality and the continued growth of spirituality is key to successful sobriety. We have a loving and supportive recovering community that helps these women, and the staff encourages them to explore their beliefs and build that foundation.
We are grateful for your support and look forward to continuing our relationship with you.

Sincerely,
Paula Stock, M.A. Executive Director

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Goshen Faith Community Concerns

Report not submitted

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Horizons Specialized Services

Report not submitted

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Housing Justice!
Denver, Colorado

Housing Justice!, reaches out to diverse faith communities of Colorado with an invitation to join and give voice to the struggle to secure decent, affordable housing for all. We educate and mobilize people of faith to address the affordable housing crisis in Colorado through advocacy and lasting housing solutions.

In order to raise awareness and to promote solutions to this crisis, we organized and led an 850 mile People’s Walk for Housing Justice around Colorado between June 5 and August 21, 2004. Blake Chambliss, one of Colorado’s leading affordable housing authorities and Joe Giron, founder of Brother’s Redevelopment Inc, walked the entire distance, joined by enthusiastic advocates along the way.

The walk visited 45 communities, from the heat of low-lying cities like Grand Junction to the chilly heights of Vail Pass. Blake and Joe facilitated over 40 community forums, attended by over 800 people of all ages and walks of life, where housing needs and potential solutions were explored. It became very clear that the affordable housing shortage affects the entire state. Not a single community was able to say, “We don’t have a housing problem here.”

At Housing Justice!’s September board retreat, the board accepted the challenge to begin working with communities identified on the walk and to help them build the capacity to meet their own housing needs. This year we will be working with the groups we talked with during the walk to identify communities willing to work together with us to develop local initiatives for decent and affordable housing.

Mary Hupp, Executive Director

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Inter-Church ARMS
Metro-Denver area, Colorado

Inter-Church ARMS: provides financial aid to help people pay grocery, rent and utility bills, shelter for homeless families, free tutorial services to students who struggle with reading and school supplies for underprivileged elementary students.

The ARMS Emergency Service Program expended $82,152 to pay grocery, rent, utility, and medical bills for 1608 individuals in Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Westminster, Golden, and portions of Lakewood, Denver, Aurora, and Broomfield. Additional emergency outreach served approximately 100 individuals through our collaborative activities with Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN). In 2004, our three member churches served as shelters for several weeks (in rotation) throughout the year. During these times, our remaining member churches provide staffing support to the host church. Our emergency outreach served a total of 1708 people during 2004.

Inter-Church ARMS sponsored a school supply drive June through August of 2004. During these months, congregations of our 13 member churches collected a variety of school supplies. In September of 2004, our agency donated these supplies to underprivileged students at Weber Elementary School. Our agency recruited, trained, and placed ten new volunteers in our literacy education programs. Teachers and principals have mailed letters of support and appreciation of our educational outreach.

Success in the ARMS Emergency Service Program is measured based upon the number of people served and the immediacy with which we met clients’ needs. During 2004, our agency served more people than in any previous year. We expanded our Emergency Service office staff. This enabled us to provide telephone resources to more people than in past years. More people received funds to pay food, rent, utility, and medical bills than in any other year since the program was initiated in 1984. We served 108 more individuals in 2004 than in 2003. This work would not have been possible without funding from The Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Church of Christ.

Ivy J Malden, Executive Director

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Interfaith of Natrona County, Inc.
Casper, Wyoming

Interfaith of Natrona County is a non-profit faith based agency that provides emergency services to the poor in our community. Our primary focus is to prevent homelessness by providing direct payments to landlords and mortgage companies, as well as providing for various emergency needs that allow families to sustain their shelter.

From July 2004 thru February 2005, Interfaith has interviewed 1,559 people, serving 3,527 total people. During this time, 1,988 services were given, a slight increase over last year at this time.

We continue to see the effects of the increases in rental, gasoline, prescription and utility costs. The working poor and those on fixed incomes are the most seriously affected. A larger amount of financial assistance is required to meet their basic needs. Twenty Seven percent of last year’s rental/mortgage payments exceeded $500.00 per month. The lesser amounts were either subsidized or substandard housing rates. Requests for shelter assistance remain high, 1009 last year.

Interfaith hired a part time housing counselor in January to assist the full time counselor. Projections for shelter assistance indicate 1003 families will request help this year. We anticipate that Interfaith will pay 180 shelter assists this year.

Interfaith is planning a series of fund raising events with our local congregational supporters to commemorate our 20th anniversary of incorporation. We hope to raise $20,000 plus during this time. These funds will assist with client needs and, we hope, allow for our staff to receive a health benefits plan. The agency has been blessed through a donor’s estate with seed money to establish an endowment fund to provide for the future needs of the agency.

The staff continues to be moved by the plights of the families that we serve, establishing on-going relationships with many families who stop in to report, thanking us personally. Last month, Interfaith hosted an open house for community members to meet and talk with our clients. One person was so moved by the plight of a wheelchair bound single father that she left a donation to cover his rent, groceries and birthday gift for his daughter.

There are so many lives that we touch and many who touch us. We could not do what we do without guidance from God-His is the final word. We sincerely thank you for your support our organization.

Sincerely,
Sandra Hoffman, Executive Director

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La Puente
San Luis Valley, Colorado

Action Against Hunger and Malnutrition manages our gleaning project. The gleaning project works with area farmers to recover and distribute produce left in the fields after harvest. In 2004 our gleaning project produced the following results:

• 11 groups from throughout Colorado participated in our 2004 gleaning project
• 14,400 pounds of fresh produce was gleaned, which included carrots, spinach and potatoes
• 4 local farmers made their fields available for the gleaning project

While church congregations from throughout Colorado were the majority of groups that participated in the project, students from Cottonwood Christian School and the Alamosa high school participated also. The produce provided through our project is distributed to programs feeding hungry throughout Colorado. In addition to managing the gleaning project, Action Against Hunger and Malnutrition also provided 18,445 food boxes to people in need throughout San Luis Valley. Each food box contained enough food for 3 days for one-person.

La Puente has been very blessed to receive support from church congregations, community people, foundations and others who believe in La Puente’s mission and support our work. We believe that God provides his guiding hand as we continued to serve the people of the San Luis Valley.

Report respectfully submitted by:
Michael Vigil, Community Advocate

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Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC)
Yampa Valley, Craig, Colorado

Love In the Name of Christ of the Yampa Valley mobilizes the Church, in collaboration with area service providers, to meet the unmet needs of individuals.

Overview of this past year
Total number of requests received 700
Number of requests served 686
Number of single adults served 291
Number of families served 227
Number of children (0-18) served 419
Number of churches serving 29

In what ways has God worked through Love INC?
This year, Love INC organized a Community Coat Drive. Yampa Valley churches worked with the community to collect, clean, and distribute over 500 coats to needy adults and children in three communities in Colorado.

Although the Love INC strategy used by area churches stresses aid to clients in non-financial ways, it is often determined that financial aid is appropriate. In 2004, Love INC recorded over $11,000.00 in financial aid given from churches to the needy in our community.

Giving to the Community - Estimated value of Goods, Services, and Referrals
Volunteer time: 945.5 hrs./est. value $15,175.28
Clearinghouse: 1,485.5 hrs./est. value $23,842.27
Estimated value of physical goods: $14,651.00
Total: $53,668.55

Some Acts of Generous Giving in 2004

• Free furniture donations went to 21 families.
• 2 families were referred to budget mentors.
• Personal needs were given to 70 men, women, and children for a total of 758 days of help.
• Fresh food was given to feed about 122 needy individuals for representing 1,222 days of food.
• 30 new backpacks filled with school supplies were given to children in the Yampa Valley.
• 106+ families were visited by church members. This is a priceless gift given to the community.

Other services such as transportation, personal counseling, diapers, prayer, moving assistance, cutting firewood, processing wildgame, house cleaning, free laundry and showers, and more were provided to those in need by the volunteers sent from our area churches.

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Natrona County Homemakers - Comforts for Kids
Natrona Cty, Wyoming

Natrona County homemakers have made over 1500 comforts and quilts since 1987. Our group of 9 to 11 members meets the last Monday of every month and has, since January, completed 9 comforts every month.

We meet at the Agriculture Resource Learning Center, an extension of the University of Laramie. The center has a sewing lab, closets for storage and tables to work on available for our use.

We donate the comforts to various service agencies in town, including: Seton House, a shelter for single mothers; Safe House, a shelter for abused women and their children; Life Steps campus, transitional housing apartments; Interfaith, a Christian supported organization that assists families with rent, gas bills, food, etc.; and a Head Start program. Children taken out of their homes, often with only the clothes they are wearing, by the Department of Family Services also receive comforts. Comforts, donated to an extension office program that teaches troubled teens, are given to the teens when they graduate.

I truly believe that God is working through our program in giving these children and teens hope that there are people out there who really care.

In His service,
Jody Reed

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Paradise Place School

Report not submitted

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Pikes Peak Justice & Peace Commission
Colorado Springs, Colorado

The 2005 award of $500 was used to help support the Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission’s Dynamic Peacemaking Program directed by Dennis Apuan. This program is at the heart of democratic principles and is core to the fulfillment of the Commission’s mission of promoting Gospel principles of peace and justice. We trust that God works through us in these efforts.

Dynamic Peacemaking includes community organizing around issues of local, national, and global concern; educational forums to raise public awareness of social issues and public policy; rallies, demonstrations, and nonviolent radical resistance. Through education and dialogue, we bridge racial and cultural divisions in our community.

To date, our 2005 Dynamic Peacemaking Program has accomplished the following:

• Organized a Martin Luther King, Jr., Film Festival and Community Fair at First Congregational Church
• Mobilized the Colorado Springs community for peaceful nonviolent demonstrations including a Counter-Inaugural Demonstration, Global Day of Coordinated Action on the 2nd Anniversary of the U.S. Bombing and Invasion of Iraq, annual Way of the Cross/Way of Justice—Good Friday pilgrimage through downtown Colorado Springs and a Counter-Recruitment demonstration at a military recruiting station. All events were covered by media.
• Fostered broad-based community dialogue around current issues including “Challenging Christian Zionism”, “The Roles of War and Propaganda in Modern Society”; and “Framing Political Arguments”.
• Represented southern Colorado in the 2nd Gen-eral Assembly of United For Peace and Justice in St. Louis, MO
• Organized a coalition for military counseling and counter-recruitment; Organized a Military Counseling Training and a forum on “The Iraqi War and Conscientious Objection”
• Participated in the “International Walk for Peace, Justice and Freedom,” a 75th Anniversary Reenactment of Gandhi’s 1930 Salt March in India

The Commission continues to engage the public in the struggle for a world of peace with justice.

Peace and All Good,
Dorothy Schlaeger, Director

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Plateau Valley Faith in Action
Collbran, Colorado

Plateau Valley Faith in Action was started in 2001 with the help of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Faith in Action is a nationwide network of interfaith volunteer care giving programs.

This program brings together volunteers of all faiths to help the frail, elderly and disabled. Our program continues to grow with the help and support of our community.

Each program is unique in the population it serves as well as the services provided. Faith in Action serves the entire Plateau Valley, Mesa and DeBeque.

The entire population is approximately 3,500 and encompasses over 800 miles. Many of the people we serve may not be able to remain independent without the help of our volunteers.

These are our numbers for 2004:
Total number of people served - 167
Total number of hours provided - 1,823
Total number of miles driven - over 10,000

Vicki Benning, Director

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Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN)
Denver, Colorado

In 2004, RAIN Colorado served 38 carepartners (people living with HIV/AIDS) and their families with consistent individual non-medical assistance from more than 50 volunteers. This support has enhanced their quality of life. Most of these carepartners are long term survivors who are on medications that control the replication of virus in their bodies, but have serious side effects that are somewhat debilitating. RAIN volunteers provide a minimum of 8-10 hours per month to assure that medical appointments are met, shopping and other errands are accomplished, basic housekeeping is maintained and socialization occurs in the general community. One carepartner died in 2004.

Special RAIN activities included Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, summer picnic, Denver Botanic Gardens tour of sculptures from Zimbabwe, and our holiday party. We published two editions of the newsletter and trained 10 new volunteers.

RAIN has been very involved in a statewide coalition of AIDS service providers (Colorado Organizations Responding to AIDS), annual AIDS Walk Colorado, and in the planning and observing of World AIDS Day in various venues and faith communities.

Every other Tuesday, 8 long term survivors of HIV infection meet at Sixth Avenue United Church in a support group to discuss preventing depression, overcoming isolation, aging, finding meaningful ways to live life with or without employment, keeping safer sex behaviors, and exploring spiritual questions. Some face end of life issues as their medications become ineffective and new options are few. Some are on research drugs and appreciate the support of this group to continue their difficult journey. This group has been an important part of RAIN’s 2004 ministry offering compassion, encouragement and friendship to those living with HIV/AIDS.

We are very grateful to be a Rocky Mountain Conference mission partner and for the continuing relationship with individual congregations (Parkview, Sixth Avenue, Wild Rose, in particular) as we minister to those infected and affected by HIV in Colorado and beyond.

David Cooper, Executive Director

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Room at the Inn
Greeley, Colorado

Room at the Inn is focused on increasing the long-term success of families who suffer from the trauma of homelessness. Our mission is to help homeless families with minor children return to independence.

Homelessness comes to families through the loss of a job, major illness, abandonment of a spouse and a wide variety of other personal factors. It is a crisis of logistics and emotions and can be severely traumatic for parents who may feel helpless and hopeless over their temporary inability to provide food and shelter for their children.

It can be equally traumatic for children who can see and feel the pain of their parents because they have nowhere to live. With the assistance of Greeley churches, Room at the Inn provides the means and the support to help homeless families to regain their self-confidence and work through whatever is needed to get back on their feet.

Through the guidance of God, our program has been largely successful. In 2004, we served 40 families or 128 people 4044 nights of warm, safe shelter, and 12,132 meals. Our success rate of moving families from homelessness to permanent housing was 85% in 2004. Our average length of stay was 28.3 days.

As our community continues to suffer an economic crisis, Room at the Inn has documented an increase of requests for shelter and other assistance. Recent local layoffs and a delay in the availability and distribution of government aid have hit Weld County especially hard. In partnership with Rocky Mountain Conference UCC, we are meeting this urgent need head-on and directly increasing the success of many homeless families. Together we alleviate the traumatic crisis of homelessness for many Colorado families.

Stacy Romero, Director

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Salt Lake Interfaith Hospitality Network
Salt Lake City, Utah

Recipient of:
Governor’s Initiative for Families Today Award
Salt Lake Volunteer Center’s Silver Bowl Award
Salt Lake Community Action Program’s Outstanding Partner Award
Utah Non-Profits Hands and Heart Award
Utah Woman’s Alliance Building Communities Award
Governor’s Points of Light Award
Catholic Community Service Humanitarian Award

The purpose of the funding provided was to bring information about housing homeless families into the Orem/Provo community in an interfaith network. Monthly, ministers from the Utah County area meet to discuss hardships, community needs, and ideas on getting the Utah community commitment. Included in our meeting are pastors from many faiths, as well as representatives from National IHN and some parishioners. We are taking this before churches involved in our monthly meetings to bring forth written commitments.

The greatest challenge is the multiple square mileage distance between our churches. We have 400,000 people in our area with no homeless shelter! With 10 hosting churches coming together to serve the homeless needs of our community, we will do what our individual faiths have called us to do, reach out to the poor. As Christians are called in the Gospel of Matthew to personally witness Christ as we feed, clothe and provide a home for those without. The Jewish community is prepared for Elijah to come in disguise and sit at their table. The Hindu religion is ready to meet God in Children. Buddha encouraged that compassion to be shared with all we meet. God is speaking to all Faiths to reach out of our selfishness.

We must come together as people of faith and do what our faith has taught us. To Christians and other faiths, God is giving us an opportunity to reach out to him through the lives of individuals here on earth. “To feed the hungry, Cloth the naked and bring those without in our home.” It is our goal to have Interfaith Hospitality Network up and running in the year 2006, here in our home, Utah County.

Submitted by:
Rev. Charles Hines, Orem UCC
Vicki Neumann, Executive Director

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Trojan Teen Care

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Westside CARES
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Greetings! Westside CARES, as a partner in mission of the Conference, is alive, well, and serving the needy of western El Paso county, to the greater glory of God. We have managed to meet record levels of requests for emergency assistance including: eviction prevention, utilities assistance, medications, eye exams and glasses, bus passes, backpacks filled with school supplies, and lots of food.

As a coalition of 20 congregations, including Broadmoor Community Church and the historic Community Congregational Church of Manitou Springs, we seek to serve human needs in order that the love of God in Christ may be tangible. In the last year we have expanded our open hours to include one evening, so we may better serve those who are employed. In this year we are working toward opening a small soup kitchen in one of our member churches that could serve up to 100 persons each weekday.

Last November, when the Department of Human Services computer system failure became a major roadblock to many needy families, and the State was slow to fix the problem, our food pantries and their volunteers quickly agreed to extend their open hours so we could meet more needs for food.

With your help and by God’s grace we are granted entry into the lives of many people who struggle to keep their lives together. With your help and God’s grace we are able to ease some burdens and share life with neighbors we would otherwise not know.

We give thanks to God for all the graces we receive.

Rev. Stephen Brown, Executive Director

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Agency for Campus Ministry in Utah (ACMU)
Logan, Utah

The Agency for Campus Ministry in Utah (ACMU) receives partnership funds (thank you so much) to support three campus ministries in Utah.

The Campus Christian Ministry (CCM) University of Utah, Salt Lake City, did not have student programs. The CCM board is seeking a new financial arrangement with partners in the CCM House, expanding the Board of Directors, and developing programs along with finding a person to direct them.

The Faith and Fellowship Center (FFC), Utah State University (USU), Logan has added members to the Board of Directors, and continues with student oriented religious and civic activities on campus and at the FFC house. They continue to develop a “Quiet Garden” with private funds. Programs include the Woman’s Spirituality and Personal Growth group and Listening Post on campus. Programs at the FFC house include Friday night dinner and movie; Bible Study; Prayer Circle; and Pathways-Connecting Mind, Body and Spirit. The house is used regularly by 8 civic and religious groups. Annual service projects include the Alternate Gift Market, held at First Presbyterian Church and the Mitten-Tree Project sponsored by the Women’s Center at USU.

The Interfaith Student Association (ISA) at BYU and Utah Valley State College, in the Provo and Orem areas continues to grow on very difficult campuses. Major programs include: pursuing donations for the library in the new Dept. of Religious Studies; producing a student directory for e-mail communication; publishing and distributing an interfaith directory to inform students of churches and religious organizations available to them (promoting connections between students and churches); and holding brown-bag lunch forums featuring speakers from various faiths.

God continues to bring us new students and allows our ministries to provide them avenues for expressing Christian outreach.

Richard Burns, Chair

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Christian Campus Ministry (UNC)
Greeley, Colorado

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Wyoming Ministries in Higher Education
Wyoming

Wyoming Ministries in Higher Education provides for and supports ecumenical ministries at the institutions of higher education in the State of Wyoming. Visit our website: www.wmhe.org

We are an umbrella organization. We are an ecumenical organization giving partial funding to the Campus Ministries organized by local Christian people working with students, faculty, and staff from different religious and secular backgrounds, fostering understanding among different churches and creating networks with campus ministers, pastors, and communities to provide an environment for the integration of faith and learning that is open to everyone.

These ministries reflect the historic traditions of the Christian faith, are flexible and experimental, striving to remain open to change, support diverse people, recognize God’s presence on the campus and in people’s lives, reflect the presence of God and the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Our Campus Ministries help people acquire a personal faith in Jesus Christ, nurture people in that Christian faith; being accessible to people in loving, caring, encouraging ways; apply the Christian faith to settings of human concern, and encourage people to engage in worship and celebration in churches and on campus.

We are involved with four active Campus Ministries: Alethea Campus Ministry in Sheridan, Campus Ministry in Torrington, Campus Christian Community Ministry in Cheyenne, and University Common Ministry in Laramie. All are truly a “Ministry of Presence”. All have some form of a Listening Post, Bible Studies, Food for Sharing, Snacks, Dorm Suppers or Coffee Houses, Praise and Worship Services, Prayer Groups, Social Activities, Volunteer Work Groups, even one provides a form of child care while parents attend classes.

How are we meeting our purpose? We are doing and living it We thank you for your support!

Charles Bixler, Director

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United Campus Ministry
Ft. Collins, Colorado

United Campus Ministry is the only mainstream ecumenical Christian ministry within the context of the Colorado State University community. We provide an opportunity to explore and develop faith in a safe, supportive and caring environment and to help people integrate that faith into the realities of secular university life. We encourage college students to utilize critical thinking skills, to grow in understanding and compassion for diverse peoples, and to hold their education and work to high ethical standards.

We expanded our student program director program into a residential Internship in Spirituality and Leadership in which students who demonstrate promise in Christian leadership are invited to explore various areas of ministry, choosing projects to organize and lead that they are particularly passionate about, and committing to an intensive exploration of various spiritual practices in order to strengthen and deepen their own spiritual lives. This year, we have had FIVE very gifted and committed participants, who are each developing tremendous leadership skills in various areas of ministry, including seminary, the Peace Corps, a school guidance counselor, leadership in music in worship, and Restorative Justice.

We developed a working Task Force on Spirituality in Higher Education at CSU, which has earned the ear of the President and is also exploring the possibility of creating an Interfaith Spirituality Center.

We are working with a number of CSU professors to develop a Certificate Program in Peace and Reconciliation Studies at the university. This is an extremely exciting and much-needed project in today’s terribly conflicted world.

This year, nine of our students learned and performed a very challenging play about the life of Jesus “The Anointed”, by Prof Matthew Bolton. They performed the play 5 times at 5 different congregations.

We have raised $30,000 for a service-learning trip to Russia, where twelve participants will spend 9 days in an orphanage in Moscow and 3 days in St Petersburg.

All of this is in addition to our regular programs, which includes dinners, meditation services, retreats, and local service projects.

Rev. Peggy Christiansen, Director

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United Ministries in Higher Education
Boulder, Colorado

UMHE is an ecumenical campus ministry at CU-Boulder sponsored by local Christian and Unitarian Universalist congregations and regional judicatories. We offer students of all backgrounds a welcoming, safe, and supportive community and encourage them to explore their faith, deepen their spirituality, build meaningful relationships, and put faith into action to make a better world.

In the past year, we have grown immensely – in spiritual depth, closeness of community, clarity of faith, and numbers. We graduated 13 students but made new contacts with three times as many as the 2004-5 academic year progressed. Our programming and worship themes for the year were: Vote Your Faith, Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, -Isms, Spiritual Discovery, Theologies of Peace and War in the Abrahamic Traditions, and What Does it Mean to Be the Church?

We participated in the AIDS walk, the CROP walk, and a Hats and Gloves drive during the cold months. We volunteered at a BCAP dinner, Community Food Share food drive, and Volunteer Day of Boulder County.

To close the year, we hosted an incredibly professional, delicious, and successful fundraising dinner to fund our May worktrip to Colorado Springs for eco-justice ministry in the Garden of the Gods and human service ministry at Manna Food Ministry, New Hope Shelter, and the Salvation Army.

God’s presence is powerfully felt in the UMHE community. We are a place in which students are invited to meet God in new ways. And the miracle of God’s presence in their lives shows forth in the tears of graduating seniors, the confident faithfulness of a gay Christian, the authentic spiritual search of an unchurched freshman, the prayer circle of two friends in conflict, the discerning of a call to seminary, and the love that binds the community together. UMHE truly offers college students something all of us seek: a place to ask, grow, serve, and belong. And they do.

We offer many thanks for your faithful support of this life-giving and life-changing ministry.

Tamara Boynton, Director

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Colorado Council of Churches
Colorado

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Wyoming Association of Churches
Wyoming

The Wyoming Association of Churches (WAC) serves as the United Church of Christ’s ecumenical presence in the state of Wyoming.

The WAC is made up of nine denominations and has a long history of facilitating ecumenical presence and working to carry out a social justice ministry. We have long been one of the front line organizations in promoting positive change in Wyoming.
The organization recently underwent a major re-structuring in preparation for its future ministry. In November, the Rev. Warren Murphy and Pam Noesner were hired to administer the WAC from a new office in Cody. The Rev. Murphy is the WAC’s first full time director since the mid 1980’s.

Under the new structure, the WAC has partnered with numerous state organizations to enhance efficiency. These organizations include Alternatives to Violence, Church World Service, Faith Initiatives Wyoming (which administers Wyoming’s federal “faith based” money) and the Equality State Policy Center. Our goal in these partnerships is to enable local congregations to actively participate in the state’s future.

The new rejuvenated WAC has planned several exciting events in the coming year. These include a September lecture series in Cody featuring Dr. Jonathan Reed of LaVerne University in California speaking on “In Search of Paul: Peace, Empire and Christianity.” Also in September there will be a “New Pastor’s” conference held at scenic Ring Lake Ranch.

This year’s annual meeting (Sept 29 – Oct 1) will center on the theme “Earth, Wind and Spirit: A Healing of the Earth from a Spiritual Perspective.” This will feature three excellent presenters including Dr. Peter Sawtell of “Eco-Justice Ministries” in Denver.

The WAC has also produced a new on-line newsletter and is developing a “Web Forum” to discuss contemporary issues that affect our community life.
We feel God is very much calling us to this exciting ecumenical ministry and we are appreciative of the United Church of Christ’s ongoing support.

Find out more by checking our website at www.wyomingassociationofchurches.org.

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