Action Center Receives $50,000 Season To Share Grant

Jeffco Action Center received $50,000 from the Post-News Season To Share to fund our client services during a reception held on April 21st. This year's campaign raised a record-breaking $2,197,500 that was distributed to 65 Denver-area nonprofits. For 15 years, Post-News Season To Share has raised charitable donations that are matched and disbursed to local nonprofit organizations serving children as well as those who are homeless, hungry or in need of medical care. Funds are raised through reader, community and coporate donations, and each dollar donated is matched with 50 cents by the McCormick Tribune Foundation. The Denver Newspaper Agency and the McCormick Tribune Foundation pay all administrative costs, allowing 100 percent of donations to go directly to charitable organizations.

Action Center Volunteers Honored at Volunteer Connection Luncheon

The annual Volunteer Connection Luncheon gives Jefferson County nonprofit agencies a chance to recognize the important contributions of volunteers. At this year's event, held on April 30th, the Action Center honored the Wednesday afternoon Food Bank volunteers -- Matthew Cassa, Mary Jane McClellan, Cynthia Tamny, Dorothy Tweedell, Betty Walker, and Elton Walker.

Says Volunteer Coordinator Ann Vorick, "This multi-generational team works so well together. They fill food orders seemlessly and always with a smile. It was a pleasure to nominate them to be honored at this wonderful event."

Beautiful Junk Sale a Huge Success!

More than 1,900 people flocked to the spring Beautiful Junk sale on March 28th and 29th, snatching up amazing bargains at Jefferson County's biggest rummage sale. The sale generated more than $30,000 making it one of the most successful ever! Proceeds from the sale fund the Action Center's many programs and services.

Volunteer Coordinator, Ann Vorick, managed the event with hundreds of volunteers beautifully! Thanks to lead volunteers Lisa Markley, Henry Weibler, Marty and Don Simmonds, Fran Beeson and Helen Gross. Thanks also to Marti Smith, Sue Rudman, Pat Higgs and Sharon Gorman for their special efforts in the kitchen. And a big thank you to all the volunteers who helped set up and clear the event, especially groups from Olsson Associates, United Launch Alliance, and Green Mountain High School!

If you missed out, be sure to catch the fall sale on October 17th and 18th! Call Adele at 303-237-7704, ext. 203 or send email to get on our mailing list so you'll receive a reminder postcard closer to the sale dates.

It's Never to Early to Help Others

Rowan,8, and Simone,4, Woodbury show that it's never too early to make a difference in the lives of others. The brother and sister saw the news stories about the Action Center's food shortages and decided to do something about it. Not only did they ask neighbors to put out cans of food on their doorsteps for them to collect; they also generated money from a lemonade stand, asked visitors to their house for donations, and took money from their piggy banks to donate! Says Director of Development Joe Haines, "Rowan and Simone are born fundraisers with hearts of gold. It was a real pleasure to accept their hard-earned donations!"

Corporate Donations Come in Time for the Holidays

Caught up in the spirit of the season, a number of groups organized food and toy drives or collected cash donations. With food donations at a record low and the Action Center purchasing food in December for the first time in its 39-year history, these efforts have been greatly appreciated!

If you would like to organize your own drive, please contact Cathy Hatfield, Director of Operations, at 303-237-7704 or send email to cathyh@jeffcoac.org.

Jeffco Action Center Book Fair at Barnes & Noble Denver West

Barnes & Noble Denver West once again spread holiday cheer by donating a percentage of book sales from December 5 to the Action Center! Shoppers were entertained while they shopped with live music and enjoyed complimentary gift wrapping. Thanks to the volunteers who helped during the event, all the shoppers and to Barnes & Noble!

Safeway Donates $50,000 in Gift Cards to the Action Center

On October 10, 2007, Safeway on Church Ranch Boulevard in Westminster was awarded a check for $50,000 from the Colorado Lottery for selling the state's very first Powerball Jackpot winning ticket. Safeway elected to funnel the proceeds back into the community by selecting Jeffco Action Center as the recipient of $50,000 in gift cards! Safeway presented the gift cards to the Action Center on December 5.

"The Jeffco Action Center reaches thousands of families in Jefferson County who need food throughout the year. The winning Powerball ticket was purchased at a Safeway store within the area that the Jeffco Action Center supports and we are pleased to present them with $50,000 to assist families in the County," said Kris Staaf, Safeway's Director of Public Affairs.

"We are so grateful to have been selected by Safeway for this incredible gift," said Mag Strittmatter, Jeffco Action Center's Executive Director. "Safeway is a wonderful corporate neighbor by putting these resources back into the community to help those who need help the most. We will do our utmost to utilize this gift to assist as many neighbors in need as possible."

Free Pajamas For Kids!

You may have seen the "Pajama Program" featured on Oprah. Well, we saw their operation first-hand at Jeffco Action Center! Genevieve Piturro, founder of the Pajama Program from New York, visited the Jeffco Action Center Lobby on November 26. This nationwide program provides pajamas for children who, due to their circumstances may never have had a new set of pajamas. Genevieve and Colorado Chapter members along with Southern Colorado Chapter members, delivered pajamas and books to Action Center clients. Thanks go out to Genevieve and her partners!

Thanksgiving Food Distribution Feeds Over 1,400 Families

For the first time, the Action Center opened on the Saturday before Thanksgiving in order to dedicate all resources to distributing Thanksgiving food without disrupting regular services. In-Kind Donations Services Coordinator John McElwain and Volunteer Coordinator Ann Vorick worked with volunteers at the new warehouse to pre-bag all of the non-perishable Thanksgiving food prior to the event. We gave food to 1,100 households on Saturday and helped over 1,400 households total, including Thanksgiving food given out on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It was a wonderful and amazing day, thanks to the hard work by staff and volunteers! Happy Thanksgiving!

9Cares/Colorado Shares Food & Toy Drive a Huge Success

On November 10, the 9Cares Colorado Shares Food and Toy Drive collected items from generous donors at the 9NEWS Studios and at locations up and down the Front Range. Jeffco Action Center is one of the designated food banks that receive food from the drive. Numbers are still coming in, but they have already surpassed last year's totals with more than 190 tons of food, an increase of 11,955 pounds! Thank you, 9Cares and Colorado!

Jeffco Action Center Benefits From Support of Interns

The Emergency Services department also got a huge boost with the addition of several new interns. After volunteering in the Food Bank for six months, Debbie Kinning, a 20-year Colorado native, applied for an internship in Jeffco Action Center's Emergency Services Department. Debbie will graduate summa cum laude in December with a Human Services degree from Metropolitan State College. She hopes to continue working as a volunteer with Jeffco Action Center.

Arlene McMillen moved to Colorado four years ago. She has always helped others and will graduate in December with an undergraduate degree in Human Services/Counseling and Mental Health from Metro State. She hopes to continue working with those in need of emergency services.

Elyse Rapp moved to Lakewood from her home state of Michigan. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and has chosen to pursue her Master's of Social Work (M.S.W) degree at the University of Denver. Elyse chose Jeffco Action Center as her first year field placement because it seems like a great place to get a broad overview of work in human services.

After months of serving as a much-valued volunteer at the Action Center, Nadine Kerstetter agreed to come on as the new communications intern. She is currently a junior at the Women's College at the University of Denver. Nadine has been working closely with Executive Director Mag Strittmatter, writing press releases and stories for the Action Center Newsletter. She has also been successful pitching stories to the media about Action Center activities. Nadine hopes to someday be a public relations practitioner for other nonprofits.

Debbie Kinning looks up services for a client in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)

Old Chicago Restaurant Supports Jeffco Action Center

Looking for a good holiday gift this year? Consider an Old Chicago gift card! The Old Chicago Restaurant on Union in Lakewood has selected Jeffco Action Center to be this year's charity partner for their holiday gift card sales promotion. The restaurant will donate 10 percent of all gift card sales during the months of October through December to the Action Center. Thank you, Old Chicago!

Jeffco Action Center Annual Meeting

More than 140 friends and supporters filled Copper Fields Events Chateau to hear about the Action Center's activities during the past year at its Annual Meeting on October 30th.

Kathy Hartman, Jefferson County Commissioner and Sen. Betty Boyd were the keynote speakers for the evening. Commissioner Hartman spoke on poverty in the suburbs and the "cliff effect." Senator Boyd spoke about legislation related to poverty on the state level.

The Action Center also unveiled its new three-year strategic plan. A copy of the plan may be found using the following link.

At the Annual meeting three new members were elected to the Board of Directors -- Roger Mattson, Colleen Jorgenson and Dr. Lynn Parry. A new slate of officers for the Board was also approved -- Dave Norwood, Board President; Rev. Ron Holmes, Vice President; Leslie Mitchell, Secretary and Jon Halverson, Treasurer. Outgoing Board Member Shermita West was also recognized for her years of dedicated service. She has left the Board due to term limits.

There were also several awards given out at the Annual Meeting. Whole Foods Market - Belmar received Business of the Year, Daniels Fund received Foundation of the Year, Community Partner of the Year was awarded to Lakewood United Methodist Church and Tom Moffatt was awarded Volunteer of the Year.

Also recognized was Emergency Services Counselor Terry Fitzmorris for 25 years of service to the Action Center.

This year's inductee into the Hearts and Heritage Society was Becky Hudson. Hearts and Heritage Society honors long-time volunteers.

Giant Beautiful Junk Sale in October Best Ever!

This fall's Beautiful Junk sale was a record success for the Action Center, raising more than $29,000! More than 1,500 shoppers flocked to the sale at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds on October 19 & 20.

Don't miss the next sale in the spring! The event will be held at the Fairgrounds on March 28 & 29. Call Adele at 303-237-7704, ext. 203 to put your name on our list to receive a reminder postcard or send email.

Action Center Recognized for Sound Fiscal Management

For the third year in a row, the Action Center has been awarded Charity Navigator's highest 4-star rating for sound fiscal management! Charity Navigator is America's premier evaluator of charities, using data-driven analysis to give donors confidence in their philanthropic endeavors. Only 8 percent of the charities the organization has rated have received at least three consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Jeffco Action Center outperforms most charities in America in its efforts to operate in the most fiscally responsible way possible. Click here to view the Action Center's rating page.

Extended Evening Hours on Thursdays for Clients and Donors

For many of the Action Center's clients, coming in for services means taking time off of work. For some, taking time off of work means putting their job at risk and is therefore not an option. In an effort to meet the needs our working clients, the Jeffco Action Center will be open on Thursdays from 11:00am to 7:00pm. The new schedule ties in with our in-house, partner agency, the Estes Street Community Clinic, which also has evening hours on Thursdays.

The extended hours will provide volunteer opportunities for those who have been unable to work shifts during the business day. If you would like to volunteer at the Action Center during the extended hours or would like further details, please call Ann Vorick at 303-237-7704, ext. 243.

Lastly, to accommodate donors who have been unable to drop off items during normal business hours, the Action Center's dock will also be open late on Thursdays. Donations will be accepted on Thursdays from 8:30am - 7:00pm. Call 303-237-7704 for more information.

Red Rocks Community College & Jeffco Action Center Create Client Education Collaboration

in a new collaboration to educate underserved populations, Red Rocks Community College has established Community Learning Centers. Four Learning Center Coordinators spend time at area agencies, including the Jeffco Action Center, talking with clients and helping them apply to the academic program.

Learning Center Coordinator Maryann Touitou, who spends 3 days each week in the Jeffco Action Center lobby says, "The aim is to break the day labor/no labor cycle." This is done by offering specialized certifications and skills training for sustainable employment. The hope is not to simply get jobs for clients, but to help them start meaningful careers. Some of the more popular programs are Construction Technology, Process Technology, Water Quality Management, Police Academy, Fire Science and Business Technology. Maryann will also be working with the shelter residents every Monday night.

To find out more about the program, call Maryann at 303-237-7704, ext. 224 or send email. You can also visit the Red Rocks Community College website.

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