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December 12, 2013 Douglas County, Colorado | Volume 27, Issue 4 A publication of
highlandsranchherald.net
HRCA ‘Just Serves’ Partnership nets positive results By Chris Michlewicz
cmichlewicz@ourcoloradonews.com
Santa Claus reads his Christmas decree to the children who gathered around at the Hometown Holidays celebration Dec. 6 at Town Center in Highlands Ranch.
Brrrr-ing on Christmas
Cold temps led to rosy cheeks for 1-year-old Lucienne Sights, of Highlands Ranch, who tested out the ice while waiting for Santa Claus.
Christmas spirit was alive and well at the Highlands Ranch Community Association’s Hometown Holiday celebration Dec. 6 at Town Center, despite temperatures that hovered around zero. To brave the cold, adults clutched cups of piping-hot coffee and hot chocolate, and kids dressed in multiple layers. Weather-related technical difficulties couldn’t stop elementary school students from singing traditional holiday carols and the annual event culminated with the arrival of Santa Claus on a horse-drawn carriage. Those who weren’t waiting in line to meet St. Nick gathered around as he delivered a Christmas message.
PHOTOS BY CHRIS MICHLEWICZ
In a community of 30,000 homes, there are bound to be a few unkempt yards. But it’s not always due to wanton neglect. Over the summer and fall, the exteriors of a dozen Highlands Ranch homes were spruced up by a group of enterprising volunteers. The homes belong to families in distress, those incurring financial hardships, and those who are physically unable to perform upkeep required by the community’s covenants. “Sometimes they’re elderly or someone who is disadvantaged,” said Mike Bailey, director of community improvement services for the Highlands Ranch Community Association. “A lot of these properties are not necessarily compliance issues; they’re just people who need a helping hand.” That’s where the willing volunteers come in. The series of clean-up projects, mostly focusing on landscaping, marked the beginning of the HRCA’s partnership with Just Serve, a service organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Local Mormon churches were looking to get involved in the community, and the HRCA is identifying those in need and facilitating the work. With 18 full-time missionaries from the U.S. and other countries currently staying in Highlands Ranch, there are plenty of eager, capable hands to pitch in. Each of the missionaries seeks 10 hours of community service every week. Serves continues on Page 5
20 families, 20 stories of struggle Douglas/Elbert Task Force is crucial safety net By Virginia Grantier
vgrantier@ourcoloradonews.com It’s in an industrial park on Park Street in Castle Rock — past storage units and a gun shop, and various other shops, in one of those nondescript rectangular buildings, where every day 20 or more families come to get help — many for food, clothing, money so utilities aren’t turned off, so rent can be paid. Jenny Follmer, the client service manager at the Douglas/Elbert Task Force, 1638 Park St., usually stops at 20 families, a task force rule. The 21st person wanting to sign up to get help is asked to come back the next morning. But it’s the holidays. “We’re so swamped,” said Follmer, sitting behind a desk that has on it the day’s stack of file folders with 20 families’ paperwork in them. So even though she’s seen 20 this day, she’s still trying to help three or four more and has calls out to churches and others to see if help is out there — for the fam-
Jenny Follmer, client services manager for the Douglas/Elbert Task Force, works through the paperwork of the more than 20 families that came in Nov. 26 for assistance. Photo by Virginia Grantier ily whose electricity has been turned off and the family with seven children whose house has been foreclosed on and they’re being evicted in a couple of days. Follmer, who has degrees in marketing and Spanish, volunteered here for four years, and liked helping people, so she took
a job with the agency more than two years ago, trying to help some more. Sometimes she can, sometimes it’s tough. This day was some of both. And she goes back through them all. She opens up the first file folder: First family: A Castle Rock family, rent-
ers, mom, fiancé and three kids. The utilities have been turned off. Both adults are in school and have part-time jobs. They have food stamps, but they can’t buy some things with them — toilet paper, toothpaste, diapers. They need help getting their utilities back on and they need food. Families can get food every 30 days from the task force, and the amount depends on how many people. This family of five leaves with 146 pounds of food, lots of canned goods from the food bank. Food stamps often are used to buy fresh produce. Like all the other families that day, they’re offered a turkey. All but one family takes one. “They’re desperate for protein,” Follmer said. Second family: A Highlands Ranch family, renters, two adults and two kids. Never been here before. Wife lost job and has filed for unemployment. Husband has Struggle continues on Page 9
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