As spring starts knocking, it’s clear to me that Denver’s got a lot going for itself. There’s still great spring skiing (so I hear; I mostly just fall down when I attempt winter sports!). I live near the Cherry Creek bike path, and can’t wait to bike down to the farmer’s market starting up in just a few weeks. So many exciting things are happening here at any given time, sometimes I forget to stop and be thankful for who we are as a community rather than just the activities we can do here. Because what makes our community so special is our commitment to each other – and to “the least among us”.
A recent piece on The Daily Beast confirmed my suspicions – Denver is one of the country’s ten most charitable cities! More than half a million Denverites volunteer each year – tutoring and mentoring youth, cleaning neighborhoods and maintaining trails, cuddling homeless pets, and building homes.
The economic value of service contributed to the county’s nonprofits and community organizations is approximately $1.6 billion – that’s more than the 2011 budget for the entire City and County of Denver! Or, on a more fanciful note, about a marathon’s distance of fancy coffee drinks lined up next to each other. For the automotive aficionados, it’s the value of 1,600 Ferrari Enzos – parked end to end, they would reach nearly five miles.
Any way you count the value, Denver’s volunteers make an amazing impact on our communities and environments. And during April – National Volunteer Month – I’d like to say THANK YOU for all the volunteers that make possible the work of Boys Hope Girls Hope. You truly are the reason our scholars are successful!
Our volunteers remodeled a whole house in six weeks and opened the doors of the Girls Hope home last January.
Our volunteers spend time and energy at the food bank to help offset our food costs.
Our volunteers bake birthday cakes and deliver meals to the Boys Hope and Girls Hope homes.
Our volunteers teach our scholars which plants to pull as weeds, and help keep the houses looking like home.
Our volunteers paint bedrooms, clean baseboards, and take our scholars out for pizza and bowling.
Our volunteers tutor our scholars on academic subjects, and share their own stories over dinner.
And our volunteers provide positive role modeling and care for the scholars as dedicated mentors – from attending a school play and celebrating with ice cream to showing them new adventures and opportunities.
In short, without volunteers, we couldn’t provide our scholars with the quality loving home environment and academic support that they need to fulfill their potential. Volunteers make it all possible.
For this and for everything you do for Boys Hope Girls Hope, thank you so much!!! We truly couldn’t do it without you. You’re worth far more than five miles of Ferraris to us!
As a thank you to our volunteers, we’d love you to join us on Wednesday April 6 at the Boys Hope home for an open house. Please drop me a note or call the office to RSVP! 720-524-2061
Sincerely,
Lauren Price
Development Director