Message from the PresidentGreetings Friends, Neighbors, and Supporters, Happy Fall! Urban Dweller, Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods' monthly e-newsletter, is available online. Here is the latest from Denver's largest, oldest registered neighborhood organization and advocate. Virtual Town Hall. Join the CHUN board and members for a virtual town hall with Denver City Councilpersons Candi CdeBaca and Chris Hinds on Wednesday, October 6, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. You can register HERE; please send your questions in advance to [email protected]. Tour of Cheesman Park. The CHUN History Matters committee is hosting a walking tour of Cheesman Park with local author and Denver historian Phil Goodstein on Sunday, October 17th. The event is FREE. Coffee and donuts will be served at 10:30 a.m. at the Tears-McFarlane House at 1290 Williams Street; the tour starts promptly at 11 a.m. Call to action for Denver's Unhoused. CHUN, along with other neighborhood groups and business improvement districts, has formed the Unhoused Action Coalition (UAC). Collectively, we have called on city leaders to immediately and compassionately address homelessness impacting all corners of the city. While Denver's 150+ page 5 year housing plan is robust and is slated to be considered by Denver City Council, unhoused and housed Denverites face an uncertain future NOW. The times call for swift action, sustained support, and improved coordination among myriad organizations--city departments, direct service providers, neighborhood groups, and other stakeholder groups. You can read the 10 point action plan HERE. CHUN wants to fund your project. CHUN's SEED Awards support community involvement and foster locally grown solutions for the public good. CHUN will award more than $5,000 in community impact funds. Past projects include public murals, access to personal toiletries for people in need, computers for PTAs, and more. If you have a great project that needs financial support, apply today. The online application is available HERE. The deadline to apply is November 19, 2021. Denver Needs Better Sidewalk Infrastructure. Last month, CHUN partnered with the Denver Streets Partnership, toured Capitol Hill neighborhoods to demonstrate the city's immediate needs for better sidewalks. CHUN is calling on the City and County of Denver Government, Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, and Denver City Council to invest more in pedestrian-friendly thoroughfares and better sidewalk infrastructure. A special thanks go out to CHUN board members Jace Davis and Amy Alleman for organizing these tours! 13th Annual Wine Tasting a Success. My deepest thanks to all who supported our 13th Annual Wine Tasting and making the event a marvelous success. It has been a challenging two years for so many in our community, so this event was a special opportunity to reconnect with so many friends and colleagues. The event raised thousands of dollars for CHUN programs and neighborhood investments; thanks to the generosity provided by Good Chemistry and Verizon, all registrations were matched dollar-for-dollar up to $2500. Small, local business support essential to CHUN and community. And speaking of our wine tasting, a special thanks goes out to Joy Wine and Spirits for generously sponsoring the event with a selection of fabulous wines. You can purchase your favorite bottle, bottles, or case here: https://bit.ly/3D6Fd4R. Portions of the sales also benefit CHUN. The event would not have been possible without our extraordinary friends (and food providers) at Logan Street Denver, Ivy on 7th, Angelo's Taverna, and Carboy Winery. Be sure to dine out and support these terrific, Denver eateries. New philanthropic partnership. The Saint Francis Warren Residences Grand Opening Celebration is scheduled October 22 at 10am at The Althea Center for Spiritual Engagement. The Warren Residences, located on 14th Avenue and Gilpin Street, is the St. Francis Center's third housing development in Denver; it will provide 48-studio style affordable supportive apartments for individuals who are experiencing homelessness and pursuing economic self-sufficiency and opportunity. Join us for the event, as SFC announces a new, meaningful philanthropic partnership with CHUN. A call for inclusivity and equity. Earlier this year, the Denver Post reported only 2-3% of historic landmarks (properties, districts, etc.) across Denver were designated within, or in recognition of, those from historically underrepresented groups. Dr. Terri Richardson, Kevin Kelly, Bruce Caughey, and I recently authored an OpEd for the Colorado Sun. In it, we share more about the life and legacy of Charles Blackwood, MD. Dr. Blackwood was the first Black graduate of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and the Blackwood family home was recently sold at auction and then demolished. We assert that preservationist groups, including registered neighborhood organizations (RNOs), have responsibility to promote diversity, equity, and inclusivity through both programming and outcomes. This should also include efforts to preserve Denver's iconic spaces and places. This month we welcomed a number of new community partner and small business members, including Ridwell--an organization that collects hard-to-recycle items. Ridwell just launched their network in the greater Capitol Hill community. Join me, and other Denverites, to help keep waste out of our landfills and maintain the beauty of our city. Congratulations to our partners at The Center on Colfax. This year marks their 45th Anniversary of providing a voice for and delivering critical programs to Colorado's LGBTQ community. Denver is a fairer, more just community because of their decades of work. For Denver, Travis Leiker, MPA President and Executive Director Member of the MonthShells and Sauce Italian Bistro
CHUN News and EventsCHUN's 13th Annual Wine Tasting and Fundraiser
CHUN to Host Virtual Town Hall with CdeBaca and Hinds
Cheesman Park Walking Tour
CHUN calls for #BetterSidewalks in the Mile High City
CHUN SEED Awards Enhance Neighborhoods through Impact InvestingCapitol Hill United Neighborhoods’ SEED awards encourage neighborhood enhancements by providing up to $1,000 for projects that align with the mission and values of CHUN. Now in its third year, SEED awards have provided funding for projects that focus on Smart, solutions-oriented development, Enrichment, Environmental Sustainability and Diversity. One of last year’s SEED award recipients, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, used their SEED award to buy essential items for those in need. During the year, they held “sidewalk events” that encourage neighbors to donate items such as socks, the most sought-after item in shelters. Along with the donated socks, they used $300 of their award to provide 1,150 pairs of socks to Urban Peak, and Empowerment for Women, among others. Dean Zessin with Our Savior’s Lutheran Church commented, “As you can see, this SEED money has been so very helpful in helping other people. We thank you!!” The Gathering Place, another SEED awardee, used their award of $1,000 to support their Peer Recovery Program. This new program offers navigation to those experiencing homelessness or substance use disorders. During the first six months of 2021, the Peer Recovery Specialist conducted outreach at area shelters, offering recovery support. The Gathering Place works to meet basic, immediate needs, along with long-term needs such as housing, comprehensive wellness support, and employment assistance. SEED award recipient, Urban Servant Corps, utilized their funds to create a “Professional Growth and Development” fund for their volunteers. The fund covered expenses such as admission to conferences and workshops that helped further the volunteer’s career path. This professional development will greatly benefit Denver, as 100% of the volunteers (all originally out of state) will be staying in Denver following their term in service. Over two-thirds of the volunteers were hired for full-time positions at the non-profit organizations where they served! Most applicants are nonprofits and Registered Neighborhood Organizations (RNO’s) that operate within CHUN boundaries. But what if you as a Capitol Hill resident have an idea to enhance the neighborhood? Maybe you would like to organize a neighborhood clean-up day, or get a community garden started. All you need to do is partner with an existing non-profit or RNO and identify them in your application. You may find that there is expertise or additional support that will assist you in implementing your project idea. Applications for this year’s SEED awards are now being accepted. You can go to CHUN’s website to complete the online application, or click on the link here The deadline for applications is November 19, 2021. A review committee will select projects that best meet the criteria of the SEED award and will notify all applicants no later than December 15, 2021. Award recipients will be announced at a CHUN event in early 2022. Denver and Colorado News and EventsOctober 22 is the Grand Opening of the Saint Francis Warren Residences affordable apartments
Ridwell comes to the greater Capitol Hill Community: Offers solution for all hard-to-recycle items. Ridwell began as a family-generated idea. Today, the company is now empowering neighbors and communities to build a less wasteful future. Ridwell makes it easy to waste less by providing a convenient way to recycle and repurpose your old stuff. With the help of our carefully vetted partners, we sustainably reuse your plastics, batteries, light bulbs, clothes, and more. Ridwell lets you let go with confidence - we promise to keep your waste out of landfills and that’s just fact! Our service makes collecting and sorting a seamless routine. You fill the bin and then every 2 weeks, we pick up hard to recycle stuff right from your porch. Oh, and we’ll take the bulky stuff too! Fluorescent light tubes, Styrofoam, latex paints - you sure bet. Together, Ridwell members have saved over 2.5 million pounds of would-be waste from landfills. Decluttering has never felt so good. Every couple of weeks, we present a new ‘featured category’ that is designated in supporting your local community. We partner with regional community groups and nonprofits to give new purpose to your unused, miscellaneous household items. It could be eyeglasses, school supplies, corks, books, or perhaps something else meaningful. Who would’ve thought less could be more? Learn more about how you can waste less at home with Ridwell. CHUN Members receive 10% off when they sign up at ridwell.com/promotions/CHUN Denver Aims to House 200 people in 100 daysOn September 2, Mayor Michael B. Hancock and the Department of Housing Stability (HOST) launched an effort to get 200 people experiencing homelessness housed in 100 days. The housing surge will expedite the city’s work with partners to connect 100 people from shelters and 100 people living on the streets with housing. A housing surge is a way to help quickly get people back into housing by expediting coordination of partners to connect people to a surplus in housing resources. Today, housing surges are being used across the country to help people back into housing after the COVID-19 pandemic caused many to lose their homes. A broad coalition of nonprofit and homeless service partners are working to achieve the housing surge goals, with the support and coordination of Denver Housing Authority, Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, Community Solutions and Homebase. The housing surge is part of Mayor Michael Hancock’s economic recovery package, initially announced in a press conference June 1. For more information on other housing resources available to Denver households, visit Denvergov.org/housing. Denver Grants to Support Nonprofits Facing Lingering Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO) announced today that it is allocating an additional $485,000 for grants to local nonprofits. The funding is provided through the Nonprofit Emergency Relief Fund (NPERF), one of DEDO’s economic relief programs launched last year to help mitigate the effects of COVID-19. NPERF will provide one-time grant assistance up to a maximum of $15,000, per grantee, to eligible Denver nonprofit organizations. Applications are available via this link with a priority deadline of September 30. Discover Denver is seeking volunteers
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