EPRD’s Maren Schreiber is always busy, always helping

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Say the name “Maren” in the foothills, and the rst thing that likely comes to mind for many is Maren Schreiber, the woman who helps those with special needs through the INSPIRE program.

Schreiber, 54, is everywhere, organizing eld trips, and helping with day camps, Special Olympics, jobs and skills training, and more to provide activities for the 114 people in the Evergreen Park & Recreation District program. She also does respite care for a family, teaches a weights class at Rocky Mountain Village and more.

Schreiber doesn’t sit still. She just celebrated her 25th anniversary with EPRD, though she taught tness classes part-time for four years before that. At the urging of her boss, she started what is now known as INSPIRE, and a few of the original INSPIRE attendees are still in the program.

“She is so amazing,” said Klaire Funderburgh, who works with Schreiber. “She is the most dedicated person I have ever met.”

Funderburgh called Schreiber an incredibly empathetic person who takes time out of her day to make sure everyone has what they need. She makes sure INSPIRE participants have the opportunity to grow.

“She is super positive and always laughing and making jokes,” Funder- burgh said. “Everyone who knows her feels the dedication and love she has to o er. We are so lucky to have her. Without Maren, we wouldn’t have an INSPIRE program.”

Born in Iowa, Schreiber grew up in Pennsylvania and graduated from Colorado State University with degrees in exercise and sports science, adaptive physical education and wellness management. She met her husband, Rod, at CSU, and together they moved rst to Lakewood and then to Evergreen. ey have a 22-year-old daughter, Kristina.

Her original plan was not to work with special populations, but a class in college proved otherwise.

“I had to do Special Olympics track for a class,” she said, “and I didn’t want to do it. But I loved everyone’s smile. It was so positive. I fell in love (with working with special-needs populations), so I took more classes.” e moral, she explained, is you never know what will spark your interest.

Schreiber likes the challenge of working with people with disabilities, so she can help them prove they can do much more than most people think. She especially likes working one-on-one with participants, so she gets to know them and creates growth opportunities.

Schreiber says she’s always doing something, and during her free time, she reads, hikes, likes going to dinner and the theater, and recently her family tried an escape room, and as she explained it, “It’s a good thing my family was there.” She loves to travel. e best part about working in the INSPIRE program, Schreiber said, is doing something di erent all the time, and the challenge and diversity of working with the participants. Paperwork, however, is de nitely not her thing.

She is in a book club because she likes reading books she wouldn’t normally read and hearing diverse opinions.

She can’t sit and watch a movie.

Fun fact: She spent a summer in college working on a hotshot wildre crew, and with the money she earned, she traveled to New Zealand.

Another fun fact: She lost the tip of a nger when she was 5 years old when it got caught in a door.

Her advice to others: “Everyone has a gift to share with others. Find your niche and do the best you can to help everyone change the world.” And, she added jokingly, “Administrative work should be outlawed.” Will Schreiber slow down anytime soon? “When I die,” she said.