Volunteers unload food at Sister Carmen Community Center

The demand on food banks and soup kitchens began rising about a year and a half ago.  That was the same time that three agencies joined forces to meet this need.  Sister Carmen Community Center, the Emergency Family Assistance Association, and the OUR Center created a food purchasing co-op.

Suzanne Crawford, CEO of Sister Carmen says that she along with Elizabeth Freedman Director of Programs for Our Center and Edwina Salazar, Executive Director of Emergency Family Assistance came together to make food purchases in bulk--mostly canned goods.

"We did it because we can't always get everything we need through food drives and local food banks," said Crawford.  "They often don't have the quantities we need.  The last eight months we haven't been able to keep up with demands so we got together and decided on five or six items that we all really needed and ordered them together."  Crawford says some items that are really in demand include tomato sauce, chili, chicken soup, corn, beans, and apple sauce.  The Co-op meets once a month to place an order to plan for what's coming up.  They generally order from CIS, a warehouse in Minnesota where they get overstocked items at very low prices.

The three organizations now work together on many different projects, but Sister Carmen takes the lead in bulk-ordering the food.  "We have space to store it onsite," Crawford stated.  "It's working out well.  The other two take a lead on other projects that we work on together so it evens out."  For instance, when the Co-op got a new client management database, a lot of research was needed and Family Assistance took the lead.  The OUR Center took the lead on a Case Management class.  Director Edwina helped co-design the class and taught it.

Crawford says: "We know a lot about how each of our agencies operates.  What we've learned by working together is how much stronger our relationships are and how much stronger our organizations are by using each other's strengths."

Evergreen:  Unveiling a Hidden Cultural Gem

The yearly Jazz Festival is just one of the many cultural attractions offered in Evergreen

Many nonprofit arts organizations are struggling due to the down economy, but arts organizations in Evergreen, Colorado have even more of a challenge.  Despite the fact that Evergreen has a thriving community of cultural activities--including two major venues for the arts -- The Center for the Arts Evergreen and Center Stage, a historic theater -- Evergreen is still not considered a Colorado cultural destination.  Though just 30 minutes from downtown Denver, many in the Metro area do not even know of the community's offerings.  Fourteen arts organizations in Evergreen have joined forces to change all of that.  Led by the Center for the Arts Evergreen, the group, which has dubbed itself the Arts Consortium, applied for an Our Three Summit Technical Assistance grant from The Denver Foundation.  The $3,000 grant will be used to engage a consultant that will work with all organizations to help them devise a joint strategic marketing plan to raise the awareness of Evergreen as a cultura destination.

Stephen Sumner, Executive Director of Center for the Arts Evergreen, says: "We are all totally autonomous organizations that are coming together with the same goal to put Evergreen on the map as a cultural destination.  This plan will work because we all know that collaboration between ourselves and the business community of Evergreen is the key to financial success."

Some of the other organizations and events include: Evergreen Jazz Festival, Evergreen Chorale and Children's Chorale, Conifer Stage Door Theater, Evergreen Music Fest, Humphrey Museum, and Hiwan Homestead Museum.

Sumner says that not only are the nonprofits collaborating, but several for-profit art galleries have come to the table as well.  So far their efforts have been successful and the process has been smooth.  The Consortium is currently working on a brochure to highlight the many cultural offerings just "up the hill."



Domestic Violence Coordinating Council

When victims of domestic violence come forward for help, the path can be challenging.  Batterers count on their ability to manipulate, coerce, or frighten their victims into staying silent.  The Denver Domestic Violence Triage Review Team came together to make the path a little easier for these brave women to navigate.

"Triage" is a multidisciplinary team with representatives from the criminal legal system (District and City Attorneys' Offices, Denver Police Department Domestic Violence Unit and Victim Assistance, County Court Probation) and community-based organizations including the Denver Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (DDVCC), SafeHouse Denver, AMEND, and Project Safeguard.  The Triage team meets each weekday morning to review domestic violence cases for risk assessment, safety planing and immediate coordination and provision of victim services.

The Triage Team recognizes that the most effective response to domestic violence crimes requires both legal sanctions and community resources.  Through Triage, many of the agencies and organizations that might be involved in helping a victim are working together.  Therefore a victim isn't responsible for seeking her own services when she is in crisis, and the criminal justice agencies are coordinating their actions.  Given that domestic violence is a crime of recidivism, it is not unusual for a defendant to have concurrent cases at both the city and state levels.  Batterers often count on the inability of the first responding officer, the prosecutor, the advocate, and the judge to have relevant information in front of them at the time they are making critical decisions.  They count on their ability to manipulate, coerce, or frighten their victim into staying silent.

In addition to its daily work to help victims and hold perpetrators accountable, Triage maintains a data system which helps determine trends that need to be addressed.  Examples are increases or decreases in certain case filings, training issues, gaps in protocols or services.  The DDVCC participates on the Triage team and plays a coordinating role.  They also do outreach to victims whose special situations can't be addressed by the partners at the table.  A County Court Advocate through DDVCC helps victims work through their fear and confusion to navigate the criminal justice system and rebuild their lives.

This remarkable collaboration of community organizations and criminal legal system professionals are making a contribution in breaking the cycle of violence and protecting the women and child victims of domestic violence in our community.

For more information, log on to www.denverdvtf@aol.com.

 

Colorado Organizations Responding to Aids (CORA)

Colorado Organizations Responding to AIDS (CORA) was founded in 1995 to encourage and facilitate collaboration among AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) in Colorado and to advocate on behalf of individuals living with HIV/AIDS.  Today CORA has nearly 20 member organizations working together to meet its goals.

A thriving example of collaboration and partnership, CORA's current goals are (1) to provide an environment for effective collaboration among organizations providing HIV/AIDS services and education (2) to advocate for HIV/AIDS issues in the political arena and to create a clearinghouse for HIV/AIDS issues in the state of Colorado and on a national level and (3) to prepare member organizations for the constantly-changing landscape of funding and services for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

CORE allows its member organizations to achieve a more cohesive service delivery system through targeted consolidation and crucial teamwork among its members.  CORA members also collaborate on awareness events and the CORA website, creating consistent messages that provide sustained visibility of HIV/AIDS issues and educate the public on ways to fight the spread of HIV.

AIDS Coalition for Education (ACE), GLBT Center of Colorado, Hep C Connection, and Project Angel Heart are some of the many member organizations that serve approximately 85 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS in Colorado, but work on behalf of all persons living with HIV/AIDS in Colorado.

Member organizations have collaborated on educational community events such as World AIDS Day, and have organized opportunities for continuing education of CORA members through trainings, conferences, and monthly meetings.  Each year the public policy committee selects issues and legislation that fit the mission of CORA and takes the lead on advocacy at the state capitol.  Past advocacy successes have included policy that supports anonymous HIV testing, funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) and standardized comprehensive sex education statewide.  During the 2008 legislative session, CORA actively supported legislation to increase oversight of health insurance rate increases by insurance companies, and amend anti-discrimination policies in housing and other laws to include sexual orientation.

"The face of AIDS is no longer a single-issue face.  Increasingly AIDS is a disease of poverty, racism, and substance abuse"", says David Cooper, CORA Chair.  "This requires us to bring new partners to CORA and continue our work together to help those living with HIV/AIDS in Colorado."

For more information visit www.coracolorado.org.