April 2024

A Message from our Executive Director

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Business Member of the Month

Ambrosia Archiving

Ambrosia Archiving is a digital archiving and photo organizing service that provides expert scanning services from a digital archivist and preservation expert. They digitize photos, slides, videos, and much more.

Owner Alison Levin grew up in Virginia where she cultivated her curiosity of history, nostalgia and photography into a degree in Interior Design and Historic Preservation. When she became the custodian of her own family's history - amassed over 100 years in the form of photographs, documents, records, and film reels - her passion turned into a business.
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​Providing the best digital photo organizing service available is paramount in her quest to help you preserve your family legacy. It's a wonderful way to honor your family from generations past for generations to come.

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CHUN News and Events

April 13: History Matters and Historic Denver present 'Women in Herstory'

To celebrate Women's History Month and the vital role of women in Colorado history, CHUN's History Matters committee and Historic Denver are hosting a special "Women in Herstory" event featuring a film from the Denver Office of Storytelling and Rowena Alegria, Denver's Chief Storyteller, as well as a panel of 'Woman in Power'.

Denver’s history is full of incredible women who have inspired reform in justice, education, business, healthcare, and more. The Denver Office of Storytelling’s I AM  Denver documentary film “Chicanas: Nurturers and Warriors” honors several of them.

Andrea Malcomb, Museum Director of the Molly Brown House Museum will moderate; guest panelists include Rowena, Dr. Marci Goldstein, woman's historian, and Daphne Rice Allen, a board member of the black American West Museum.

​Tickets are $15 and available at https://buy.stripe.com/bIYbLX0Jwc9F2e428g or scan the button to the right.

Saturday, April 13 from 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Tears-McFarlane House, 1290 Williams Street

Rowena Alegria, Denver's Chief Storyteller

April 6: 2nd Annual Cap Hill Spring Clean

​​The 2nd Annual Cap Hill Spring Clean is upon us! We are partnering with various organizations within the Capitol Hill community to keep Cap Hill beautiful. We are asking all volunteers to register and then join us at Ideal Market Parking Lot on 11th and Ogden from 9 am to 12 Noon. You will be welcomed with bags and clean up supplies! Click the button below to register!

​For more information contact us at [email protected].

Register to Volunteer Today!

May 11: Help Keep Your Community Clean - Cheesman Park Community Clean Up 2024

Presented by the Denver Park Trust, Parks, Rivers, Trails & Trees, the cleanup is an annual, city-wide park stewardship day and community celebration, and a great volunteer opportunity for individuals, families, nonprofits, and businesses who care about our parks and shared public outdoor spaces.

Join CHUN and your neighbors for the Cheesman park cleanup from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. A family-friendly community celebration follows from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the City Park Pavilion with food, drinks, games, music, and fun. All volunteers eat free!

Saturday May 11, 2024 ⋅ 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. .
1290 N Williams St, Denver
View map

Colorado State Representative Steven Woodrow Discusses Land Use Bills with CHUN members and neighbors

The March Urban Planning meeting featuring Representative Steven Woodrow was moved from in person to Zoom. We were delighted to receive a presentation from Rep. Woodrow for the second year in a row about housing bills during the legislative session.

Rep. Woodrow’s presentation concerned the Transit Oriented Communities bill that he sponsors, along with Senator Chris Hansen, who also represents portions of CHUN’s neighborhoods. The bill has the support of Governor Jared Polis. The goals of the bill are to remove burdensome barriers to encourage more affordable homes near transit; to empower local governments to build more housing; to reward cities and counties that allow more housing with financial assistance; and to help residents stay in their communities.

​Despite the weather, we welcomed many new faces to our meeting!

March Happy Hour at Forte

Thanks to all our current members and new neighbors who came to our March Happy Hour at Forte.  Special shout out to Forte for offering our attendees BOGO for both our event and a future outing! Watch our website and social sites; we will be announcing our next Happy Hour soon.

History Matters Moment: Stanley Furs, Fannies Corner and a Terrible Fire on Colfax and Franklin

When historic places crumble or burn down, a part of our history is no longer available. Unfortunately,  that is what happened recently in the Wyman Historic District on the corner of Colfax and Franklin when a fire consumed one of the two grand homes turned businesses.

Colfax used to be one of the prime residential streets in Denver and as you drive down the thoroughfare, you see wonderful examples of stately homes in various states of condition. The famous street included a successful streetcar system that plied Colfax, a highway designation, and Denver’s first citywide zoning code in 1925 that designated Colfax for business and commerce. 

According to the Fall 2023 Historic Denver newsletter, the address of 1600 Colfax has a lot of historical significance. It was a resplendent residence built by Kemp G. Cooper, who came to Denver in 1876 and purchased the Rocky Mountain News from William Byers in 1878, before becoming president and general manager of the Republican Publishing Company. The commercial addition wrapping the building’s corner front was added in 1938, with the building’s longest tenant, Stanley Furs, who operated well into the 1980s. Depending on the length of time you’ve been in Denver, you may think of its more recent tenants, Fresh Mex or Bubba Chinos, or of the bright yellow and green sign painted on the side when it was Fanny’s Corner Florist.

“I remember when it was Fannie’s Corner, a flower shop, I believe. For some reason, I helped the owner clean out her garage and found a Rolls Royce under the mountain of horded stuff. This was probably around 1983.” said one recent post about the property.

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Denver and Colorado News and Events

April 9: Free Day at Denver Art Museum

Go here to reserve your free ticket.

April 13 and 14: Seventh Annual Helping Hand Collection for Shelters

​Helping Hands program at Our Savior's Lutheran Church will begin their 7th year of collecting items for the shelters. CHUN has granted SEED funds for the past 4 years to help purchase needed items to help people in local shelters. 

The "sidewalk event" will be the weekend of April 13-14th from 10am to 4pm at 915 E 9th Avenue. They will be collecting toiletries for men and women and also non perishable food items for MetroCaring. 

Stop by for free drinks and cookies and treats for your dogs. 

April 13: Bring Your Kiddos to Future Fest

Future Fest is a way to build community in the heart of our city and celebrate the promise and possibility of our youngest generation of leaders. This free event on April 13 will connect kids and teens to professionals from all backgrounds, helping them discover their own career interests. 

Future Fest is an inclusive, free, citywide event for young people of all ages and their families.​ Representatives will be on hand from community organizations that provide youth-centered services and opportunities. Professionals from dozens of backgrounds and careers will help kids connect their passions to future interests and even careers right here in their hometown.

​Get more details here.

May 4: Kick Off  of the Fourth Season on City Park Farmers Market Kick Off 

The fourth season of the City Park Farmers Market is kicking off on May 4th. 

​Their goal each season has been to learn, grow, and mature from the previous season into a more sustainable and community-oriented, local-foods-focused-market.

​They will also be offering outdoor yoga every Saturday at the market.

The volunteer team is one of the major pillars of this market. If you are interested in joining their team, go to this link to sign up.

Help Reimagine Governors' Park and Quality Hill Park

Help Denver Parks & Recreation as they work to create better neighborhood parks for the Capitol Hill neighborhood! Community input is the key driver to the success of their project: stop by any or all of the upcoming pop-up events in the park to learn more, share your ideas, and connect with your neighbors. 

Next pop-up event is April 11 @ Governors' Park: Snapshots of Cap Hill a story slam & pop-up photography booth. Come to get your (or your pet’s) portrait taken and listen to residents and local business owners share stories of their Cap Hill connections. Sign up for one of the open mic slots at the event on the day of.
Thursday, April 11, 2024 | Anytime between 4:30-6:30 PM

You can also tell them how you use the parks today & what features you would want to see in the future! Plus, it’s a chance to win a Trader Joe’s gift card.  Survey closes Wednesday, June 5, 2024.
Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SCapHill

Find more pop-up events and learn more here.

​Affect Climate Change - Apply for a Free Tree

A well-cared-for urban forest is more than just eye candy!

Denver’s canopy is critical to our resilience when it comes to combating the effects of climate change. That's why they're giving away free trees!

If you have room in your public right-of-way, you might be eligible for a free tree (that they'll plant for you!)

Click here to see if you qualify.

"All In Mile High" - New Housing Goals for 2024

In Denver's 2023 "House1000' initiative, the city permanently closed 10 encampments, not by moving people to the next block, but by connecting them to housing and wraparound support services like mental health care, substance misuse treatment and workforce training. That goal to house 1,000 people was successfully met by the end of 2023.
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For 2024, Mayor Johnston rolled out new citywide goal specific to homelessness: reach a total of 2,000 people moved indoors from unsheltered homelessness by Dec. 31, 2024. The initiative is now known as All In Mile High.

Click here to read more about this initiative.

New Federal Meals Program Coming to Colorado in 2024

Summer EBT, a new federal program that will serve as an additional support for low-income households, is starting in Colorado this upcoming summer. Families with children eligible for national free or reduced-price school meals will be eligible to receive $40/month per eligible child.

Check out the Summer EBT factsheet from Hunger Free Colorado for more details.