Edition 1

Southwest Vida

Issue 1 | July 2020

COMMANDER FLEECS - THE REAL STORY

An inside look on policing in District 4

Un vistazo dentro de la oficina de policia del Districto 4

Gotopage3

SOUTHWEST DENVER RECOGNIZES...

Find out who the outstanding Youth Leader is this issue

Descubre quién es el líder juvenil destacado esta publicación

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GETTING INTO NATURE

Things to do in the current times of COVID

Cosas que hacer en la naturaleza en los tiempos actuales de COVID-19

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Birthday Edition

All stories written by SW Denver Youth

Recommendations for getting outdoors for FREE

While we have been stuck in quarantine for about 6 months, people are starting to find creative ways to get outdoors and breathe fresh air.

The Southwest Denver Youth care about the quality of life of all of our neighbors which is why we wrote some recommendations for you and your family to follow!

GO ON A NATURE WALK!

Disconnect from society and turn off your phone. Explore your surroundings and enjoy the time with your family You may never know what you can find

GO HIKING!

Colorado is known for its tall mountains and huge outdoor areas Find a trail near you and go on a hike. It can be as long and as short as you want it to be Don’t forget to hydrate, social distance, and wear a mask!

Bear Creek Trail Lair O The Bear - 1 6 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Clear Creek Trail in Golden - 1 8 round trip

Difficulty: Easy

RIDE A BIKE!

You probably have not taken out your bike from storage since last summer Now is the perfect time to do so. Riding bikes with your family and /or friends is a perfect way to stay socially distanced while still enjoying a fresh breeze Visit Garfield Park for the new bike trail that has hills and even a bridge across the lake!

Hemos estado atrapados en cuarentena durante aproximadamente 6 meses, y las personas comienzan a encontrar formas creativas de salir al aire libre y respirar aire fresco.

Los jóvenes de Southwest Denver se preocupan por la calidad de vida de sus vecinos, poreso escribimos unas recomendaciones para que usted y su familia las sigan!

¡VE A CAMINAR POR LA NATURALEZA!

Desconéctate de la sociedad y apaga tu teléfono. Explore sus alrededores y disfrute el tiempo con su familia Es posible que nunca sepas lo que puedes encontrar

¡PRACTICAR SENDERISMO!

Colorado es conocido por sus altas montañas y enormes áreas al aire libre Encuentra un caminito cerca de ti y haz una caminata. Puede ser tan largo y corto como quieras que sea ¡No te olvides de hidratarte, usar el distanciamiento social y usar una máscara!

Bear Creek Trail Lair O The Bear - 1.6 millas

Dificultad: Facil

Clear Creek Trail in Golden - 1 8 millas

Dificultad: Facil

¡MONTAR

EN BICICLETA!

Probablemente todavía no haya sacado su bicicleta de su almacén. Ahora es el momento perfecto para hacerlo. Andar en bicicleta con su familia y / o amigos es una manera perfecta de mantenerse distanciado socialmente mientras disfruta de una brisa fresca. ¡Visite el parque Garfield para disfrutar del nuevo sendero y de las colinas e incluso un puente que cruza el lago!

Written and Translated by Sayuri Toribio

Recommendations for getting outdoors for FREE

While we have been stuck in quarantine for about 6 months, people are starting to find creative ways to get outdoors and breathe fresh air.

The Southwest Denver Youth care about the quality of life of all of our neighbors which is why we wrote some recommendations for you and your family to follow!

GO ON A NATURE WALK!

Disconnect from society and turn off your phone. Explore your surroundings and enjoy the time with your family You may never know what you can find

GO HIKING!

Colorado is known for its tall mountains and huge outdoor areas Find a trail near you and go on a hike. It can be as long and as short as you want it to be Don’t forget to hydrate, social distance, and wear a mask!

Bear Creek Trail Lair O The Bear - 1 6 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Clear Creek Trail in Golden - 1 8 round trip

Difficulty: Easy

RIDE A BIKE!

You probably have not taken out your bike from storage since last summer Now is the perfect time to do so. Riding bikes with your family and /or friends is a perfect way to stay socially distanced while still enjoying a fresh breeze Visit Garfield Park for the new bike trail that has hills and even a bridge across the lake!

Hemos estado atrapados en cuarentena durante aproximadamente 6 meses, y las personas comienzan a encontrar formas creativas de salir al aire libre y respirar aire fresco.

Los jóvenes de Southwest Denver se preocupan por la calidad de vida de sus vecinos, poreso escribimos unas recomendaciones para que usted y su familia las sigan!

¡VE A CAMINAR POR LA NATURALEZA!

Desconéctate de la sociedad y apaga tu teléfono. Explore sus alrededores y disfrute el tiempo con su familia Es posible que nunca sepas lo que puedes encontrar

¡PRACTICAR SENDERISMO!

Colorado es conocido por sus altas montañas y enormes áreas al aire libre Encuentra un caminito cerca de ti y haz una caminata. Puede ser tan largo y corto como quieras que sea ¡No te olvides de hidratarte, usar el distanciamiento social y usar una máscara!

Bear Creek Trail Lair O The Bear - 1.6 millas

Dificultad: Facil

Clear Creek Trail in Golden - 1 8 millas

Dificultad: Facil

¡MONTAR

EN BICICLETA!

Probablemente todavía no haya sacado su bicicleta de su almacén. Ahora es el momento perfecto para hacerlo. Andar en bicicleta con su familia y / o amigos es una manera perfecta de mantenerse distanciado socialmente mientras disfruta de una brisa fresca. ¡Visite el parque Garfield para disfrutar del nuevo sendero y de las colinas e incluso un puente que cruza el lago!

Written and Translated by Sayuri Toribio

Commander Fleecs - The Real Story

Why did you decide to be a police officer?

Commander Fleecs grew up in rural Nebraska on a farm He explained that as he was going through his first years of college, he had a professor who was a former police officer in Denver, that helped him develop an interest in law enforcement He really decided to become a police officer to help people during times of crisis

While he had many options, Denver was one of his top choices He decided on Denver because of the close proximity to his hometown and family

2. What is your overall goal of being a commander?

Commander Fleecs has been the Commander of Police District 4 in Southwest Denver for the past five years He has worked in various offices and many different sections of the force, such as investigations, the narcotics department, and many others before finding his place as a commander Lastly, when getting to the heart of the question he responded that although his words would likely be the same as many other officers, he wanted to improve safety and make Denver a nicer place

3. We understand that you are working with a grant to support Westwood. Can you explain more about this grant?

In 2019, the Denver Police Department was awarded $1M dollars to implementtheWestwoodCommunityBasedCrimeReductionGrant The grant is slated to last for 36-months and will focus on positive police community relations, collaborate community engagement, public health, safety and crime prevention, education and career opportunities for residentsandpositiveyouthinteractions

Recognizingthatcrimereductionismorethanjustincreasedenforcement, the CBCR grant provides funding for community partners and facilitates collaboration between law enforcement and the community to improve thequalityoflifeforWestwoodresidents

Insteadofthepolicedepartmentdoingthisourselves,wewanttosustain our work through our partnerships with true collaboration Our partners includethefollowingagencies;BoysandGirlsClubofMetroDenver,BuCu West,DenverHealthPenaClinic,DreamCenter,DenverHousingAuthority, The Denver Indian Center, Denver Streets Partnership, GRID, Mi Casa Resource Center, OMNI, Southwest Denver Coalition, and Westwood Unidos We encourage and invite any and all residents to join in this partnership

4. How does the grant goals shift now based on the recent protests and recent events?

For Commander Fleecs his goals for the Westwood Crime Reduction Program have not changed at all He is still focused on ways to increase community outreach and enhance police-community relationships to build more trust in police He sees community participation in crime prevention and having strong community-based partnerships as a key to crime reduction On the other hand, gun violence has risen about 50% This shows how The trust between the police and community has decreased but since there are already strong relationships with the community partnerships and within the community, it has not been hard being able to establish even stronger connections

5. What advice do you give to southwest youth?

"Beagoodperson"

"Dovolunteerwork"

"Beengagedinthecommunity"

"Don'tbeafraidtospeakyourmind"

"Listentodifferentperspectives"

B. Advice for youth that are in trouble

"Look for resources, get help"

"Understand the consequences of crime"

"Seek mentors"

"Find positive people and relationships"

Data from Denver Police Department 2019

When you compare the crime rate with the 6 neighborhoods that border Westwood, you become approximately 170% more likely to be a victim of a violent crime just by walking into the Westwood neighborhood

If you are a resident, please take the community survey

Spanish: Encuesta Comunitaria de Westwood

English: Westwood Community Survey

Vietnamese: Khảo sát cộng đồng Westwood

Written By Sayuri Toribio , Noemi Enriquez, Pablo Torre- Walter Graphics by: Sayuri Toribio

Comandante Fleecs - La Verdadera Historia

Porque decidiste ser un oficial de policía?

El comandante Fleecs creció en la zona rural de Nebraska en una granja Explicó que cuando estaba pasando por sus primeros años de universidad, tenía un profesor que era un ex oficial de policía en Denver, que lo ayudó a desarrollar un interés en la aplicación de la ley Realmente decidió convertirse en un oficial de policía para ayudar a las personas en tiempos de crisis

Si bien tenía muchas opciones, Denver era una de sus mejores opciones Se decidió por Denver debido a la proximidad a su ciudad natal y su familia

2. ¿Cuál es su objetivo general de ser un comandante?

El Comandante Fleecs ha sido el Comandante del Distrito de Policía 4 en el suroeste de Denver durante los últimos cinco años Ha trabajado en varias oficinas y muchas secciones diferentes de la fuerza, como investigaciones, el departamento de narcóticos y muchos otros antes de encontrar su lugar como comandante Finalmente, él respondió que aunque sus palabras probablemente serían las mismas que para muchos otros oficiales, quería mejorar la seguridad y hacer de Denver un lugar más agradable

3 Entendemos que está trabajando con una subvención para apoyar a Westwood ¿Puedes explicar más sobre esta subvención?

En2019,elDepartamentodePolicíadeDenverrecibió$1millóndedólares para implementar la Subvención de Reducción de Delitos Basada en la Comunidad de Westwood La subvención está programada para durar 36 meses y se centrará en las relaciones positivas entre la policía y la comunidad, la participación comunitaria colaborativa, la salud pública, la seguridad y la prevención del delito, la educación y las oportunidades profesionales para los residentes y las interacciones positivas entre los jóvenes

Reconociendo que la reducción del delito es más que solo una mayor aplicación, la subvención CBCR proporciona fondos para socios de la comunidad y facilita la colaboración entre la aplicación de la ley y la comunidadparamejorarlacalidaddevidadelosresidentesdeWestwood

En lugar de que el departamento de policía haga esto nosotros mismos, queremos mantener nuestro trabajo a través de nuestras asociaciones con una verdadera colaboración Nuestros socios incluyen las siguientes agencias; Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver, BuCu West, Denver Health

Pena Clinic, Dream Center, Denver Housing Authority, The Denver Indian Center, Denver Streets Partnership, GRID, Mi Casa Resource Center, OMNI, Southwest Denver Coalition y Westwood Unidos Alentamos e invitamos a todosycadaunodelosresidentesaunirseaestaasociación

If you are a resident, please take the community survey

Spanish: Encuesta Comunitaria de Westwood

English: Westwood Community Survey

Vietnamese: Khảo sát cộng đồng Westwood

4. ¿Cómo cambian los objetivos de la subvención ahora en función de las recientes protestas y eventos recientes?

Para el Comandante Fleecs, sus objetivos para el Programa de Reducción de Delitos de Westwood no han cambiado en absoluto Todavía está enfocado en formas de aumentar el alcance comunitario y mejorar las relaciones entre la policía y la comunidad para generar más confianza en la policía Él ve la participación comunitaria en la prevención del delito y tener sólidas alianzas comunitarias como una clave para la reducción del delito Por otro lado, la violencia armada ha aumentado alrededor del 50% Esto muestra cómo la confianza entre la policía y la comunidad ha disminuido, pero dado que ya existen relaciones sólidas con las asociaciones comunitarias y dentro de la comunidad, no ha sido difícil poder establecer conexiones aún más fuertes

5. ¿Qué consejo le das a los jóvenes del suroeste?

Seunabuenapersona"

"Hacertrabajovoluntario"

"Participeenlacomunidad"

"Notengasmiedodedecirloquepiensas"

"Escuchadiferentesperspectivas"

B Consejos para jovenes que tienen problemas?

"Busque recursos, obtenga ayuda"

"Comprender las consecuencias del crimen"

"Buscar mentores"

"Encuentra personas y relaciones positivas"

Datos del Departamento de Policia 2019

Cuando se compara la tasa de criminalidad con los 6 vecindarios que bordean Westwood, se vuelve aproximadamente un 170% más propenso a ser víctima de un delito violento con solo caminar por el vecindario de Westwood

1.

Written By Sayuri Toribio , Noemi Enriquez, Pablo Torre- Walter Graphics by: Sayuri Toribio

A view into the Southwest community

Celebrating Frida’s Birthday with the Kahlo’s Restaurant

On July 6 of 2020, Frida Kahlo turned 113 years old. The strong Latina painter who was known for her life story and paintings is a huge leader, inspiration and feminist icon in the Mexican culture

KahlowasborninCoyoacán,MexicoCity,México.Whenshe wasonly6yearsold,shesufferedfrompoliowhichleftherwith alimpanddamagetoherrightlegandfoot. Thiswasonlythe startofherinjuriesandhardshipsthroughoutherlife When shewas18,shesufferedaterriblecaraccidentwherethebus shewastravelingincollidedwithanothercar Eventhoughshe hadfracturesinherspineandpelvis,shedidnotletitruinher life,rathersheembracedthemandpaintedherlifestory Her selfportraitsshowbothofherpersonalitiesandreflecthow thatcarcrashchangedherlife.

Kahlo’s Restaurant on Morrison is a perfect example of how Frida has influenced our own culture in the Southwest neighborhood This restaurant is filled with portraits, paintings and anything you can think of her There is Mexican culture on the walls, the art, and the food. The walls were surrounded with paintings and drawings of Frida Kahlo All of the drawings had a different background and a unique perception of Frida They gave me the menu and I saw the food options: tacos de carnitas, flautas, enchiladas, and my favorite, tamales. There was even an all vegetarian option! I saw my culture and tradition represented on each and every wall of this restaurant To me, this restaurant embodies women's power and representation of a female Mexican idol who I look up to very much. I feel proud of who I am and how beautiful it was represented in something as small as a restaurant

Reasons why supporting small businesses is important

Economic Revitalization

Creates Jobs

Revitalize the community

Helps reduce crime and victimization

Community Connection

Place to go!

Razones por las cuales es importante ayudar a los negocios pequenos

Revitalización Económica

Crea trabajos

Revitalizar la Comunidad

Ayuda a reducir el crimen y la victimización

Conexión Comunitaria

¡Un lugar a donde ir!

El 6 de julio del 2020, Frida Kahlo cumplió 113 años. La fuerte pintora latina conocida por su historia de vida y sus pinturas es una gran líder, inspiradora e ícono feminista en la cultura mexicana

KahlonacióenCoyoacán,CiudaddeMéxico,México Cuandoteníasolo6años,sufriódepolioquela dejócojaydañadadelapiernayelpiederecho Estefuesoloelcomienzodesusheridasy dificultadesalolargodesuvida Cuandotenía18años,sufrióunterribleaccidenteautomovilístico enelqueelautobúsenelqueviajabachocóconotroautomóvilytuvofracturasenlacolumnayla pelvis

El restaurante Kahlo’s on Morrison es un ejemplo perfecto de cómo Frida ha influido en nuestra propia cultura y en el vecindario del suroeste. Este restaurante está lleno de retratos, pinturas y cualquier cosa que se te ocurra Hay cultura mexicana en las paredes, el arte y la comida Las paredes están rodeadas de pinturas y dibujos de Frida Kahlo Todos los dibujos tenían un fondo diferente y una percepción única de Frida. Me dieron el menú y vi las opciones de comida: tacos de carnitas, flautas, enchiladas y mi favorito, los tamales. Hasta había menú vegetariano! Vi mi cultura y tradición representada en todas y cada una de las paredes de este restaurante Para mí, este restaurante representa el poder de las mujeres y la representación de una ídolo mexicana que admiro mucho Me sentí orgulloso de quién soy y de lo hermoso que estaba representado en algo tan pequeño como un restaurante.

Written and Translated by Sayuri Toribio

Photos taken by Noemi Enriquez

1 ) D-Town Denver view from Morrison St. 2.) Mural 3.) Far East Center 4 ) La CasitaCommunity House 5.) Cultura Chocolate 6.) Far East Asian Gifts 7.) Cesar Chavez Mural

PhotostakenbyNoemiEnriquez

Southwest Community

THROUGH THE EYES OF YOUTH

Written By Sayuri Toribio , Noemi

EL ABUSO DE SUBSTANCIAS EN EL SUROESTE DE DENVER - LA PERSPECTIVA JUVENIL

El abuso de sustancias se ha convertido en un problema cada vez más frecuente entre los jóvenes de Denver, especialmente en las comunidades del suroeste de bajos ingresos. Recientemente, los dispensarios han estado apareciendo en todo Denver, y la mayoría de ellos terminaron en o cerca de los vecindarios del suroeste de Denver Con la cantidad concentrada de dispensarios y la legalización de la marihuana recreativa, las personas tienen un acceso más fácil a la marihuana, especialmente a los jóvenes La ubicación y la cantidad de dispensarios en un vecindario también tienen un gran impacto en la calidad de vida de los niños, jóvenes y familias de todo el suroeste de Denver La presencia de los dispensarios puede exacerbar los problemas de abuso de sustancias entre jóvenes y adultos que ya existen en una comunidad de alto riesgo La incorporación de pasantías, programas para jóvenes, oportunidades, actividades pro sociales con salarios más altos y mejores oportunidades de vivienda disuadirían el abuso de sustancias y servirían mejor a nuestra comunidad.

Tips For Teens

YOUTH SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN SOUTHWEST DENVER -

THE YOUTH PERSPECTIVE

Substance Abuse has become an increasingly prevalent issue with Denver's youth, especially throughout lower income Southwest communities Recently, dispensaries have been popping up all across Denver, with most of them ending up in or near Southwest Denver neighborhoods With the concentrated amount of dispensaries and legalization of recreational marijuana, people have an easier access to marijuana, especially youth. Placement and amount of dispensaries in a neighborhood also greatly impacts quality of life for children, youth and families all around Southwest Denver The presence of the dispensaries may exacerbate the issues of youth and adult substance abuse already existing in a high risk community. Bringing in internships, youth programming, opportunities, pro social activities with higher paying wages and better housing opportunities would deter substance abuse and serve our community better

and Parents

MARIJUANAAFFECTS YOURBRAINCELLS

Yourbraincells,memory, Learningandcoordination

MARIJUANAAFFECTSYOURSELF-CONTROL

Seriouslyaffectsyoursenseoftimeandimpactsdriving

MARIJUANAAFFECTSYOURLUNGS

Containsupto70%cancer-causingsubstancesthantobaccosmoke

MARIJUANAUSEISNEGATIVELYLINKEDWITHOTHERASPECTSOFYOUR

HEALTH

Chronicuseislinkedwithdepression,anxiety,andincreaseriskof schizophrenia

LA MARIHUANA AFECTA LAS CÉLULAS DE TU CEREBRO

Sus células cerebrales, memoria, aprendizaje y coordinación

LA MARIHUANA AFECTA TU AUTOCONTROL

Sentido del tiempo e impactos al conducir

LA MARIHUANA AFECTA TUS PULMONES

Contiene hasta un 70% de sustancias cancerígenas que el humo del tabaco.

EL CONSUMO DE MARIHUANA ESTÁ RELACIONADO NEGATIVAMENTE CON OTROS ASPECTOS DE SU SALUD.

El uso crónico está relacionado con la depresión, la ansiedad y el aumento del riesgo de esquizofrenia.

Source : Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration

VIDA

Bylookingatthis mapofSouthwest Denveras comparedtoSouth Denver,thereisa correlation betweenahigh numberof dispensariesand lowerincome communities.

Enriquez, Pablo Torre- Walter Graphics by: Sayuri Toribio, Map: Darby

RESOURCES

Written By Noemi Enriquez

COVID-19TESTING

AFCUrgentCareDenverHighlands3800IrvingSt,Denver,CO80211

CareNowUrgentCare:Quincy&Wadsworth7600WQuincyAve,Littleton, CO80123

CareNowUrgentCare:DUNeighborhood1405EEvansAve,Denver,CO 80210

PepsiCenterFreeTestSiteDriveThruonlyPepsiCenter,1000ChopperCircle Enterat7thAve&AurariaOpen7daysaweek

FOODBANKSINSWDENVER

CommunityMinistry:Monday,Wednesday,andThursday10:00am -1:00 pmTuesday1:00-4:00pmWednesday 6:00-7:30pm:(1755SZuniSt)

SWIC:EveryotherTuesday Callinadvanceifyouarenewtotheservice (303)934-2181,nextdatesTuesday,08/4&08/18(1000SLowellBlvd)

PraiseCenterChurch:every3rdfridayofthemonth (3105WFloridaAve)

TrinityLutheranChurch: TuesdaythruThursdayfrom11:00amto1:45pm Requiredtoapplyforafoodbankcard(4225WYaleAve)

Re:Vision 2pm-5pm Firstcomefirstserve(3800MorrisonRd)

IndianCenter:WednesdayandFridays10am-2pmfirstcomefirstserveand closedthefirstWednesdayofeachmonth (4407MorrisonRd)

YOUTHJOBS

Stayingathomecanleadtohoursofendlessprocrastination,especiallyonline Set timesthatyoushouldbefocusedonworkingandsettimesforrest

Snag-a-Job:wwwsnagajobcom

DENVERYOUTH https://wwwdenvergovorg/content/denvergov/en/denveroffice-of-economic-development/jobs-employers/for-youthhtml

CallingallYOUTH!Doyouwanttohelpplaneventsandprogrammingforthe HadleyBranchorCorkyGonzalezBranchLibrary?We'relookingformembers tojoinourTeenAdvisoryBoard(TAB)! Comehangoutwithyourfriendsand talkaboutwhatYOUwanttoseehappenatthelibrary Benefitsofbeinga partoftheTABincludeearningvolunteerhoursthatcancounttowardyour communityservicerequirements,gettingexperiencetoaddtoyourcollege applicationandresume,receivinga$250stipend,andmore!Formoreinfo

ContactNoemitoheremailnoemienriquez-alvarado@dhhaorg

MENTALHEALTHSUPPORT

MentalHealthCenterofDenver-https://mhcdorg/resource-center/ ElCentrodelasFamilias-https://mhcdorg/resource-center/ ColoradoCrisis1-844-493-8255crisisservices24/7

Safe2Tell1-877-542-7233 youth/studentscananonymouslyreport

concerns

Mentalservicescall211availableinanylanguage

DENVERCITYSERVICES

(Availableinalllanguages:Disponibleentodoslosidiomas)

311:Non-Emergency,usedtofindinformationaboutservices,make complaints,orreportproblemslikegraffitiorroaddamage

911: A911emergencyiswhensomeoneneedshelprightaway becauseofaninjuryoranimmediatedanger

211:211providesindividualsandfamiliesinneedwithashortcut throughwhatcanbeabewilderingmazeofhealthandhuman serviceagencyphonenumbers Thoseinneedofassistancecan bereferred,andsometimesconnected,toappropriateagencies andcommunityorganizations

Faith Corner Rincon de Fé

Written By Father Dang

Fr. Joseph Tung Dang is currently serving the Denver Police Department as a chaplain He is also the community liaison for Denver Health Southwest Pena Clinic and the Vietnamese American Community of Colorado Besides his priestly duties, he serves his community as the leader representing the Vietnamese community in Denver. Father Joseph is a well-known and respected with the local, state, and federal government as well as his Denver Health Peers

El p Joseph Tung Dang está sirviendo al Departamento de Policía de Denver como capellán. También es el enlace comunitario para la Clínica Denver Health Southwest Pena y la Comunidad Vietnamita Americana de Colorado. Además de sus deberes sacerdotales, sirve a su comunidad como el líder que representa a la comunidad vietnamita en Denver El padre Joseph es conocido y respetado por el gobierno local, estatal y federal, así como por sus colegas de Denver Health

Word of Thought:

What if today, God tells us we have only 15 more minutes to spend with our love ones What would you say? How would you spend this last 15 minutes? I often think about this. We tend to forget to thank what we have in our lives Things we have, love ones, lives During this pandemic time, we see people dying left and right. It’s still not too late to tell your family that how much you love them Make sure you show them appreciation before this last 15 minutes may ran out.

Palabra de pensamiento:

¿Qué pasa si hoy, Dios nos dice que solo tenemos 15 minutos más para pasar con nuestros seres queridos ... ¿Qué dirías? ¿Cómo pasarías estos últimos 15 minutos? A menudo pienso en esto. Tendemos a olvidar agradecer lo que tenemos en nuestras vidas. Cosas que tenemos, seres queridos, vidas Durante este tiempo de pandemia, vemos personas muriendo de izquierda a derecha. Todavía no es demasiado tarde para decirle a tu familia cuánto los amas Asegúrate de mostrarles aprecio antes de que estos últimos 15 minutos se acaben.

Community Recognition Youth Leadership Award

My name is Noemi, 20 years old I have been living in Westwood, a neighborhood in Southwest Denver for about eleven years I started volunteering in my community since I was 13 As I grew a bit older, something I learned when looking for a job was how actions can be done by making connections with people. This way I learned what projects were going on at the time and be invloved. By connecting with someone in community at 15 years old I started my first job at Groundwork Denver Then, three years later I started leading my team of youth and working in Westwood at Groundwork Denver

Also, during this time I was hired at Denver Public Health while also being in school getting an associates degree in business administration. At DPH I began working in two different projects one is Healthy Beverage Partnership and the other one is Communities That Care(CTC). I have been working at Denver Public Health for almost two years and have learned many new skills Through both projects I have been able to be part of hiring youth for leadership positions and leading a youth coalition In the CTC group we gather to discuss issues in Southwest Denver and ways to find solutions. In these CTC meetings there is both adult and youth perspective conversing about the issues. It has been great working with people who are open to working with youth because some of the issues involve the youth.

Mi nombre es Noemí, tengo 20 años He estado viviendo en Westwood, un vecindario en el suroeste de Denver durante unos once años Comencé a trabajar como voluntario en mi comunidad desde que tenía 13 años. A medida que crecía un poco, algo que aprendí al buscar trabajo fue que se pueden hacer acciones al hacer conexiones con las personas. De esta manera, aprendí qué proyectos estaban sucediendo en ese momento y asi me involucre Al conectarme con alguien de la comunidad a los 15 años, comencé mi primer trabajo en Groundwork Denver Luego, tres años después, comencé a dirigir mi equipo de jóvenes y a trabajar en Westwood con Groundwork Denver Además, durante este tiempo fui contratada en Denver Public Health mientras estaba en la escuela obteniendo un título de asociado en administración de empresas. En DPH comencé a trabajar en dos proyectos diferentes, uno es Healthy Beverage Partnership y el otro es Communities That Care (CTC) He trabajado en DPH durante casi dos años y he aprendido muchas habilidades nuevas A través de ambos proyectos, pude ser parte de la contratación de jóvenes para puestos de liderazgo y liderar una coalición juvenil En el grupo CTC nos reunimos para discutir temas en el suroeste de Denver y formas de encontrar soluciones. En estas reuniones de CTC hay una perspectiva de adultos y jóvenes conversando sobre los temas. Ha sido genial trabajar con personas que están abiertas a trabajar con jóvenes porque algunos de los problemas involucran a los jóvenes.

Nominate a Youth!

A young person age 22 and younger, living in southwest Denver and is a role model in the community to other young people. Youth may nominate themselves.

Recommend an outstanding youth (or youth can nominate themselves) in the Southwest community. Scan QR code to access the nomination form

https://forms.gle/3hmw9Sgu4v1PdgpF8

In each edition, we will identify a youth leader in our community to be recognized for all of their hard work

Written and photo by Noemi Enriquez

Whoqualifiestobeayouthleader nomineeforSWVida?

Southwest Leadership Youth Group

Sayuri

Sayuri is a youth advisor who works in writing, editing, translating and doing the layout for the newsletter. She has lived in the Westwood neighborhood for about 10 years now and has also worked in several other projects around the community such as the Westwood Youth Bike Shop and with other non- profit organizations She is also working on her bachelor's degree at Regis University

Noemi

Noemi Enriquez a Youth Advisor works at Denver Public Health, in two different projects One of them is on educating youth around the dangers of sugary beverages. Another project she works on is working with adults and youth on substance abuse prevention She also goes to school and is currently working on her Associates Degree in business administration She also works in Groundwork Denver leading a youth group in Westwood

Pablo

My name is Pablo Torre-Walter and I'm currently a sophomore attending DSST: Byers. I am part of CTC because as a kid I'm sick of seeing peoples lives wasted thanks to totally preventable substance abuse.

Kristen

Kristen Ross is a health programs specialist at Denver Public Health where she coordinates two community coalitions focused on youth substance use prevention. She received her Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of South Florida in 2016. Kristen enjoys working with youth and their families, and striving to make all neighborhoods safe and healthy places for youth to grow up.

Pearl

Hi Community Members, I am Pearl Lopez MSW of Pearl Lopez Consulting I am: A Community Advocate currently serving SW Denver and CBCR grant, Consultant for Denver Public Health, Founding Board President for SouthWest Denver Coalition, Program Manager for Communities with Intentions providing healing for communities and Editor Born in Oakland CA, I absolutely Love what I do everyday!

CommunitiesthatCaremeetingsopentocommunity3rdMondayeverymonth

Contact:KristenRossKristenRoss@dhhaorg

SpecialthankyoutotheCityandCountyofDenverforthemicrograntawardthatmadethispossible