Southeast Express February 2023 – Vol. 5 Issue. 1

VOL. 5, ISSUE 1 • FEBRUARY 2023

MANY VOICES ... ONE COMMUNITY

Despite some progress in primary care, Southeast Colorado Springs still has one glaring problem — no hospital in the area, which means continuing to be classified as a health care desert.

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/ZK BRADLEY

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Thrive

INSIDE

Entrepreneurs and Southeast have benefited from business cohorts.

Editorial: 2023 outlook ................. 3 Carlotta Walls LaNier (left) ............ 6 Juaquin Mobley ........................... 7

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FEBRUARY 2023

Your School District

Your News

Dr. Wendy Birhanzel - Colorado’s 2023 Superintendent of the Year!

The Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE) presented Dr. Wendy Birhanzel with the title of Colorado’s 2023 Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Birhanzel was selected through a competitive process and recognized at an assembly on January 27, 2023. Mayor John Suthers addressed the students, staff, and community partners in attendance and shared his congratulations from the City of Colorado Springs.

A clear theme emerges from visiting with Dr. Birhanzel’s colleagues and staff about her leadership’s impact. She is described as someone who “walks the talk” and puts the needs of students at the center of every decision she makes in specific and tangible ways that have made a profound difference in better ensuring student support and success. Under Dr. Birhanzel’s tenure, D2 has implemented systems and initiatives that have dramatically improved their achievement and student discipline referral and expulsion rates. A district-wide systemic focus on teaching and learning has helped yield not only an 81% graduation rate and 1.2% dropout rate but also resulted in D2 students out-performing every other district in the state with comparable demographics of at least 65% minority students and 65% of students receiving free and reduced lunch.

Dr. Birhanzel shared that this award is an honor for the whole district. “This is the best news! Our staff and students have worked for this day for so long, and they are why I stand here today. We are honored to be recognized, and I will advocate for our school districts all over our state as Colorado’s Superintendent of the Year.”

If you haven’t visited D2 schools, then please join us for a tour. Our students and staff are talented and the school environments are positive. We also invite you to work with us. D2 offers a variety of work opportunities for educators, paraprofessionals, and department staff who receive outstanding benefits, PERA, and competitive salaries. Join our Superintendent of the Year and be part of our winning team!

Kindergarten Sneak Peek & Registration Coming soon, March 13-17

Learn about Kindergarten in D2 and register your child for the 2023-2024 school year. Our elementary and K-8 schools will each host a meeting the week of March 13-17. Check school websites for the date and their one-page info sheet. For a complete list of our elementary schools, visit www.hsd2.org. Please share this opportunity with your family, friends, and neighbors!

21-22 Annual Report D2’s Annual Progress Report is available via our website, www.hsd2. org/report. These resources provide stakeholders with information regarding student achievement, financial transparency, and our accomplishments. Thank you for supporting our district and schools!

Choice Enroll Now for 2023-2024 school year!

Your child is unique—so their education should be, too.

We have the perfect choice for your family: • • • • •

K-12 International Baccalaureate (IB) schools & K-8 schools Aspire Online K-12 & a Specialized Dyslexia School K-5 Gifted Education Program starting in kindergarten Free before & after school care & Free K-8 school supplies Free AP classes, tests, & Free college (trade cert/associate degree)

Visit www.hsd2.org/enroll for more info.

Applications are on a first come first serve basis.

Survey Results This fall we surveyed students, staff, and parents for valuable input on the quality of our schools.

Visit the district and school websites to learn more, click on About Us/By the Numbers.

Enroll NOW! Visit www.hsd2.org or give us a call @ (719) 579-2550 Harrison School District Two 1060 Harrison Road Colorado Springs, CO 80905 719-579-2000 www.hsd2.org

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FEBRUARY 2023

EDITORIAL

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What to expect in 2023

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B, and C. You are not alone in this pros 2023 heads into its seccess; the Small Business Administration ond month, businesses and is here to help.” consumers alike seem to be But once that plan is in place, there bracing for another year of still are myriad other things for busiuncertainty: How will the local economy nesses to be concerned about this year, perform? Is it resilient enough to withshe said. stand a recession?

“The new year brings some challenges Colorado Springs businesses have for small businesses including inflationfaced ups and downs during the past ary pressures, supply chain issues, workthree years: pandemic, staffing, inflaAmy Gillentine force shortages, access to capital, and tion. And yet, the hits still keep coming as business owners prepare for the future. In South- new debt that was acquired during the two years of east, small businesses need to understand how the the pandemic,” Marcoulier said. “Customer buying national economy affects their growth. They need behavior changed because of generational interest (social impact, mission-based spending), but also to know what the economy could do. due to having less discretionary income.”

So we checked in with some experts.

For Tatiana Bailey, new executive director of DaUncertainty can lead to unnecessary reactions from small business owners who are both scared ta-Driven Economic Strategies, a nonprofit that and worried, says Aikta Marcoulier, regional ad- focuses on unraveling data and making sense of ministrator for Region VIII of the Small Business the numbers — and provides some necessary conAdministration, which covers Colorado, Montana, nections for local students planning careers — local and national businesses are facing a continued North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

“There is no recent event that has created more struggle to hire qualified people.

In her regular update, Bailey emphasized that any uncertainty than the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the years, our Pikes Peak region small businesses future downturn won’t look the same as the past.

“Something that is not emphasized enough in the have endured numerous disasters including wildfires and flash floods,” she said. “The pandemic, discussions about labor markets is the demographic however, has given ‘resiliency’ a new name. During transition we currently have underway,” she said. “I uncertain times, many business owners experience agree that hiring will slow and modest layoffs will financial insecurity and are unable to make real- occur, but most advanced economies simply do istic predictions about future business operations. not have enough bodies to cover the number of job Uncertainty, no matter what the cause, can in turn openings.”

Still, in her January update, Bailey says she sees lead to a myriad stressors such as inventory management, price setting, employee engagement, and slowing growth and layoffs in industries like technology, finance and insurance. There’s also less overall mental health.” single-family home construction — and that won’t All that can be avoided, she said.

“I have seen firsthand how uncertainty can force stop.

“For the entire construction industry, most exsmall business owners into reactionary efforts to find SOME control in an uncontrollable situation,” perts are forecasting further declines due to high she said. “Cutting hours, cutting marketing, laying financing cost,” she said. “The decrease in building off employees and creating operational short cuts permits validates that.”

But there is some good news: Consumer confican all be avoided with the implementation of a dence is up, as inflation drops and people see wage proper Business Continuity Plan.”

While business continuity planning isn’t the most increases. December’s inflation rate dropped to 6.5 fun part of owning a small business, Marcoulier percent from 7.1 in November.

“If indeed inflation continues to cool and consays it’s vital.

“I have seen small businesses endure countless sumers have locked in any wage increases they’ve disasters throughout the Rocky Mountain region. received, they are indeed better off.,” she said. “In Business continuity planning is not a sexy topic. 2022, despite some of the headline double-digHowever, it is essential — as oxygen is to the human it wage increases, real earnings over the past year body — to put a plan in place to add some certain- have declined 1.7 percent because of inflation. Wagty in an uncertain business environment,” she said. es are ‘sticky,’ so past increases aren’t likely to be “Now is the time to create and develop a plan, A, taken away, and workers/consumers know that.”

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FEBRUARY 2023

Lift off

Thrive helps new businesses boost the Southeast

EXPRESS PHOTO/ MARCUS HILL

Trachell Harris, a Thrive Network cohort member, explains her business, Empowered Care, to an audience of about 100 at Pitch Night.

By Marcus Hill

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hrive Network had its genesis in a church. It was in 2014 that Myron Pierce and Taj Stokes, co-founders of what’s become Southeast’s entrepreneurial educational program, brainstormed ideas at Passion City Church on how to revitalize their community.

Pierce and Stokes wanted to see more jobs and resources throughout the Southeast, so they started hosting job fairs in 2015. They quickly realized job fairs wouldn’t be enough.

They decided to take a mindset approach, teaching locals the importance of entrepreneurship. That course evolved into a class that got into the nuts and bolts of running a business.

Today, Thrive hosts three 14-week entrepreneur courses each year, each with a cohort of 15 Southeast residents.

Pierce and Stokes have since moved on — Pierce moved to Nebraska and Stokes left for “personal reasons” — but Thrive keeps thriving.

“Typically, we have 15 to 18 applicants,” says Heather McBroom, Thrive Network’s program development manager. “In our last cohort, we had 37 applicants. The movement is phenomenal and the things they’re learning and the connections they’re making are great to see.”

Each 14-week course includes free classes twice a week for anyone aged 20 to 65 who’s looking for a career path outside the typical 9-to-5. And sometimes its greatest strength is giving participants a perspective they didn’t expect.

“Some of the people who go through our classes don’t start their businesses right away because they recognize they’re not ready,” says Cory Arcarese, Thrive board member and CEO of Nursing and Therapy Services.

“One of our graduates wanted to start a concrete

business … but decided he wasn’t ready. He went to work for a construction company that quickly made him the supervisor. They asked him how he learned to read a balance sheet and understand their cash flow and, he told me [that] he told them about the class.”

To join a cohort, applicants answer questions and are graded based on their responses. McBroom says grades don’t determine entry, but answers show whether they have a workable concept.

“If it’s not a viable idea, then we look to give them some resources to help them get to the point of a viable idea,” McBroom says. “When you come in the class, then we start to talk about your viable idea. Our ask is that you use the idea, resources or tools we’re going to give you throughout the class. … Whether you open that business, a different business or go back to being an employee, we hope this program develops whoever takes it. We want you to be able to take the resources and connections we provide and start any business with the steps we’ve shown.”

Thrive teaches everything from how to ace an elevator pitch and how to read a financial report, to how to use a computer to run a business.

Arcarese says Thrive focuses on analytics and research data to boost a business’ chance at success.

“We have research experts who show our members how to do what we like to call ‘economic gardening,’” Arcarese says. “If you want to open a vegan restaurant in Southeast Colorado Springs, you can do the research of how many vegan restaurants there are in Southeast Colorado Springs or anywhere. You can see who’s the competition and what are their sales.”

Arcarese says it’s important for would-be entrepreneurs to know how people spend their money each year.

Researchers show participants how to find and analyze consumers’ spending habits.

“You can do a search for what the average household

spends on the product you’re looking to sell,” Arcarese says. “You can get down to the ZIP code. That way you can see the likelihood of your potential success.”

They also look at traffic patterns, which the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) tracks, to decide on good potential business sites.

“CDOT publishes traffic patterns by location,” Arcarese says. “If you’re debating between two different locations, you can go to the CDOT website, plug in the addresses and see which location gets more traffic. That’s all public information. You just have to know that it’s there and where to look for it.”

As the most recent cohort started boot camp the first week of January, Andi Propst, Thrive operations manager, says she felt proud of the dynamic in the classroom.

“I’m not always an emotional person, but being in our boot camp with this first Class of 2023, seeing the excitement and buzz in the room of people who were grateful to be there, was amazing,” she says.

“I was trying to hold back tears because of how proud I was of that. Our alum who recently graduated spoke to the class. She was sharing her story, and seeing how far she’s come in the last six months has been incredible.

Sometimes you get in the grind of work — and hearing positive stories and what they’ve experienced [makes me realize] this is why I do what I do.”

Program graduates often return with questions and Arcarese says Thrive instructors “happily help,” because the graduates “have a resource that they know they can go to.”

Inevitably, graduates sometimes make mistakes. But Arcarese doesn’t believe there are failures in business — only lessons.

“To me there isn’t a story that isn’t a success story because everybody comes away with more self-confidence knowing more about business than what they started with,” Arcarese says. “This organization is helping the community make sure it stays viable and continues to — no pun intended — thrive. There are different stages to business; we’re there every step of the way if they want the help.”

As each new cohort enters, Thrive tweaks its curriculum to meet entrepreneurs’ needs.

“Our goal when they graduate is they have a business plan, three years’ worth of financial projections [and] they have their elevator pitch down pat,” McBroom says.

“They still have a network of people who they can go to as they begin to work on their businesses and begin the next steps.

“We also have partnerships with the SBDC … We have an entrepreneur who is starting a day care. We teach one side and SBDC teaches a course specific to child care.

She can learn about laws and licensing requirements she needs to get the business off the ground.”

Venus Collective and Melissa’s Hair Therapy are among the Southeast businesses Thrive has helped launch.

On Thrive’s website, Melissa’s Hair Therapy owner Melissa Chapman credits the program for her business’ progress.

“I got help with my sign, I got help with my space [and] I got a lot of coaching out of that [program],” Chapman says. “Doing it with somebody walking beside you is much better than trying to do it by yourself.”

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FEBRUARY 2023

Still Dry

Southeast Springs sees progress in other areas but is still a “health care desert” point where it can’t be ignored.”

As a business consultant in the early outheast Colorado Springs is 2000s, Arcarese found a niche working known for many things — its with Southeast residents. She heard cultural diversity, its tight-knit how they had nowhere close to go for communities, its rapid expan- basic medical care or for emergencies. sion. But the area also has long been She heard about their trips to hospitals known for something else: its lack of miles away. health care resources.

Then, in 2012, her 55-year-old While development of new health brother died unexpectedly. He’d been care facilities continues to expand ac- diagnosed with diabetes and, because cess to services across the north, there of his schedule as a truck driver, had isn’t a hospital on the southeast side of trouble making it to medical appointtown, which is defined as the 80910 ments. He didn’t have a primary care and 80916 ZIP codes doctor and relied and is made up of on visits to urgent more than 70,000 peocare. ple. But there are very “When he passed few primary care medaway, I had a lot of ical providers nearby. anger and grief and City Councilor nowhere to put it,” Yolanda Avila, who has says Arcarese. represented the SouthShe channeled it east since 2017, has into opening Value heard this “health care Care Health Clindesert” description of ic, with one nurse her neighborhood for practitioner and so long that it feels like two exam rooms. “forever,” she says. “I’ve That clinic grew to been having the same employ five proconversation since beviders and served fore I was elected.”

— Councilor Yolanda Avila 5,000 patients by It’s been on Cor y the time Arcarese Arcarese’s mind since sold it. as far back as 2014, when she opened “It quickly became apparent that the Southeast’s first-ever primary care this was a need,” she says. “You know, clinic in response to the area’s lack of there’s a business consultant opening a medical facilities. Three years after sell- clinic and it’s working.” ing the clinic to Matthews-Vu, Arcarese More progress followed.

Matthews-Vu expanded at that lohasn’t tired of the health care desert issue — those three words still get her cation, and Peak Vista Community Health Centers, the Pikes Peak region’s “fired up.”

“It’s less of a desert than it was in largest Medicaid provider, has added a Southeast facility. A Women, Infants & 2014, so progress has been made,” says Children office has also since opened Arcarese, now the CEO of Nursing and on East Fountain Boulevard.

Therapy Services of Colorado. “But Something is still missing, though. we’re not where we need to be.

“Southeast being a desert, to me, it And there’s going to be a

By Amanda Hancock

S

It’s frustrating because the lack of equity is everywhere.

But you can’t get stuck with frustration.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/ZK BRADLEY

means no hospital,” says Arcarese.

It’s a concern she has brought up many times over the years. She says it would take a “concerted effort” to get the job done.

“I don’t see that happening in the foreseeable future,” Arcarese says.

Avila, who has advocated for a hospital in the Southeast, agrees.

“I’ve continued to bring it up,” she says. “It has fallen on deaf ears.”

As these conversations cycle, plans were announced last year for a new Centura Health hospital near Interstate 25 and Interquest Parkway. That part of town will soon have four hospitals.

“It just sticks out like a sore thumb,” Arcarese says. “The folks living in lower socioeconomic conditions are the ones that don’t have one.”

“Nobody wants to say that out loud,” she says. “Nobody wants to be the one that says, ‘We don’t want a hospital for poor people.’”

According to Avila, there is a familiar refrain for Southeast residents: “We all go to Memorial.”

For those living in the 80910 and 80916 ZIP codes, that hospital is at least 5 miles away — about a 15-minute drive. For some residents traveling by bus, the trip could take more than an hour.

“I think 2 minutes can make a difference in someone’s life,” Avila says.

“In an emergency situation, it makes a difference.”

A hospital is just one part of the puzzle, though. “We need good roads, transit, good food, places to go walk and exercise. We need recreation, we need employment, we need good jobs,” says Avila. “It’s everything.”

Another need is awareness, which was one goal of a recent storytelling project by Colorado Equity Compass.

“Throughout the city, a negative perception of the Southeast has been

developed and the community is working to change this narrative,” the project states. “After years of disinvestment and under-representation, the community is advocating for the resources to transform into a thriving, healthy, and safe place to live.”

The project outlined these points about the Southeast: • 15.2 percent of residents age 25plus do not have a high school diploma.

• 84 percent of residents have low access to fresh food.

• 15.7 percent of adults report having fair or poor health.

• 50 percent of residents’ income is spent on housing.

• Residents have life expectancies 16 years shorter than the state average.

“It’s frustrating because the lack of equity is everywhere,” says Avila. “But you can’t get stuck with frustration.”

And she says the Southeast has found ways to move forward.

A coalition of nonprofits and agencies called RISE, founded in 2016, continues its mission to “enhance the Southeast from within through resident-led change.”

Residents are chiming in. Out of the Colorado Equity Compass project, Daily Dose 719 released six video episodes hoping to “change the narrative of the misunderstood Southeast community.”

The community saw a big win in 2022 with the $8.5 million renovation of Panorama Park.

“It all goes hand-in-hand,” says Avila.

“There’s still a lot to do, but we’ve made strides. Some people have started to look at Southeast a lot differently.”

That includes those who call Southeast by another name: Home.

“We’ve been here a long time,” Avila says of her family and neighbors who have lived in the area for generations.

“We’re not going anywhere.”

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FEBRUARY 2023

LaNier believes in changing the world Little Rock Nine member discusses her experiences with desegregation

By Marcus Hill

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uring Carlotta Walls LaNier’s Jan. 17 speech at Pikes Peak Library District’s Library 21c, the audience applauded, laughed and cried as she talked about her experiences during school desegregation in the 1950s.

Most importantly, the Little Rock Nine member conveyed to attendees the importance of understanding someone else’s struggle.

“I can’t live what she experienced in her life, but I can understand her story,” says Ron DeValk, who drove from Woodland Park with his wife to attend the event. “I can empathize with her and say, ‘Hey, thank you for sharing that because now that I know your story, this can make me a better person.’”

LaNier is the youngest member of the Little Rock Nine, a group of Black students who were the first to integrate into Little Rock Central High School in 1957.

Before the event, LaNier spoke with the Express about the importance of young people — those bullied because of their appearances, as well as positive changes she hopes to see.

person, we all want the same thing. If we could all work together to get it, life would be easier for everyone involved. As far as the atrocities that I read about, saw and felt, those were disheartening, even as a kid. I remember Emmett Till, I remember [Our Lady of the Angels School] being burned. So many hateful things have happened, but we all worry about the same things. We all worry about how we’re going to pay our bills, take a vacation, what the next job is going to be. We all have those same worries. Life could be easier if those white people and others guilty of inciting violence understood that.

I can empathize with her and say, ‘Hey, thank you for sharing that because now that I know your story, this can make me a better person.’”

Talk about your experience during desegregation in the 1950s and ‘60s?

I was never taught hate. I look at racists, bigots and those kinds of people; I know their anger is based on ignorance. They don’t understand how this country was built. For those who are against minorities, I feel sorry for them that they’ve gone down the wrong path and, in some cases, purposely misled others into their ignorant beliefs. We all want the same things in this country. We don’t want more than the next

— Ron DeValk

Is it frustrating that people fail to understand we can work together to improve the world?

Yeah, all of it is frustrating.

What we had to go through to get [Donald Trump] out of office was frustrating. What we had to do to accept No. 45 was frustrating. We have to be vigilant with how we learn about politics and make sure that the message of hate isn’t one that a president, or anyone, can spread so easily.

How can we improve?

Kids. The youth are part of the solution to helping improve the world. It’s encouraging to see what kids are doing in politics. I remember in the 1960s when there were protests for the Vietnam War, there were a lot of young people. We didn’t have enough people protesting the Gulf War or the [Iran-Iraq] War. But now, I’m proud

EXPRESS PHOTOS/MARCUS HILL

LaNier feels hopeful about the younger generation.

to see how some of these college students are stepping up and getting involved. They’re the ones who are going to run the world. The young people from [Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting], if they ran for office, I’d vote for any one of them. They stood up and spoke to the world about gun control. They’re articulate and composed themselves in a respectful way despite what happened.

What would you tell kids who have struggled because of how they’re perceived?

It’s important for them to know who they are and why they’re there. People are going to be cruel and mean, and it doesn’t always have anything to do with you. Sometimes it could be something they’re dealing with in their personal life. As a kid in Little Rock in the 1950s and 1960s, I heard it all. Of all the things I went through in my childhood and as a teenager, name-calling wasn’t the problem. It’s important for kids to focus on their goals.

You matter and you can’t let anyone think that you don’t.

LaNier took time to talk to everyone during her book-signing at Library 21c.

You’ve seen a lot of change during your life. Is there something specific you hope to see?

Young people need to understand our history. By ‘our history,’ I mean U.S. history. Society has made progress throughout my life but people in this world want to undo some of those improvements with book bans, health care laws and such. We want everyone to be able to learn our history or to be able to afford health care.

Going to the doctor’s office isn’t something someone should have to skip because of the potential cost. Also, voting. I think young people have been lied to so much with politics that they don’t appreciate the value of a vote anymore. I know that some understand and appreciate what voting means, but I want to see our youth show up to vote more.

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GUEST COLUMN

CommunityWorks

Bolstering the workforce in Southeast Colorado Springs

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n the wake of the chaos of the COVID pandemic, many organizations entered this past year with a sense of uncertainty. Financially bruised by the economic crash that followed what felt like an eternal lockdown, many small businesses emerged from the pandemic with trepidation. ForJuaquin Mobley tunately, CommunityWorks has forged a path through extreme adversity, and is entering the new year with incredible momentum.

Founded in 1995, CommunityWorks is a nonprofit whose mission revolves around tackling the inequity that plagues vulnerable populations, by facilitating government funded programs for at-risk young adults in impoverished areas. The pandemic created and exacerbated myriad barriers; now CommunityWorks is excited to welcome 2023 by rolling out new programs and projects that address opportunity gaps and inequity. Here are some of our 2022 highlights: This past year, CommunityWorks managed to not simply survive but grow, as vulnerable populations

continue to feel the fallout from COVID. In the face of this growth and the ever-evolving challenges that come with it, we quickly recognized the need for new and innovative solutions focused on transportation and training. We launched the pilot of our own shuttle service between select partners and our participants, and additional funding was allocated for bus passes, gas vouchers, bicycles and other forms of microtransportation.

This year shows great promise as CommunityWorks revs up to unveil even more programs.

One of the many ways we’re addressing the pressing issue of job accessibility is by completely redesigning CommunityWorks’ flagship application, The CommunityAnchor. This app aims to cut barriers to job accessibility and retention by serving as a virtual hub where participants can access myriad free trainings, workshops, classes and other education resources for professional development.

To give participants a competitive edge in the workforce, CommunityWorks has partnered with industry experts to make sure the app’s trainings cultivate core skillsets these employers desire most. This extension of our training opens new opportunities for our currently incarcerated individuals as well as for participants in rural communities where these resources are exceedingly scarce or underdeveloped. This year will also mark the

launch of CommunityWorks’ TAP IN program, which also tackles barriers to job accessibility by giving employers and participants tools to interact harmoniously in person and via classes.

Finally, CommunityWorks will roll out several projects orchestrated by our newest department, the Business Development Community. Though relatively new, the BDC has begun to make incredible waves for underserved entrepreneurs and charitable organizations.

By leveraging our participant employee base, the BDC hopes to broker deals with local employers and partners that will also boost job accessibility and reduce barriers for the community as a whole.

This is only a snapshot of all the incredible things we accomplished in 2022. We’ve already hit the ground running in 2023 and we’ve set the goal of doubling both in size and in the availability of resources we offer to the community as a whole in the coming decade.

With CommunityWorks’ continued growth, 2023 will bring new opportunities, new innovations and a newfound sense of community. Learn more at commwrks. org or call 303-433-0300.

Juaquin Mobley is VP of programs for CommunityWorks and serves on the board of the Colorado Springs Black Chamber of Commerce.

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CITY CONNECTIONS HOMECOS

EAT SMART COOK SMART

Over 1,000 affordable multi-family units under construction in Colorado Springs 1,703 affordable multi-family units are either under construction or expected to begin construction in 2023 in Colorado Springs.The 2022 HomeCOS update released by the Community Development Division, says 1,236 units are anticipated for completion before 2025 and 467 units are expected to break ground in the next year.

“HomeCOS, Housing Our Future” is the City’s comprehensive affordable and attainable housing plan to support Mayor Suthers challenge to the community to build, preserve and create opportunities to purchase one thousand units of affordable housing each year. In 2022, the City once again reached that goal by supporting 1,057 affordable units, including new rentals, homeownership opportunities and units preserved.

Housing that is affordable is traditionally defined in which individuals are not paying more than 30 percent of their income for rent or mortgage, including utilities. More information and a copy of the 2022 HomeCOS Update can be found at ColoradoSprings.gov/homecos.

TRAILS, OPEN SPACE AND PARKS BALLOT MEASURE On Jan. 10, City Council unanimously voted to refer a question to the ballot for the April 4, 2023 General Municipal Election, to extend the Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) sales and use tax for 20 years with no increase to the tax and a safeguard for open space conservation.

The voter-approved TOPS sales tax, currently set to expire in 2025, collects one penny out of every $10 spent. This program works to protect and preserve trails, open spaces and parks citywide. Since 1997, it has preserved nearly 7,500 acres of open space, built or improved 67 parks, and constructed more than 53 miles of trails.

Learn more about this program at ColoradoSprings.gov/parks/page/colorado-springsparks-trails-open-spaces.

EATING SMART COOKING SMART

JANUARY TO FEBRUARY 2023

This fun hands-on introductory nutrition education program focuses on the following topics: • Healthy eating on a budget • Keeping your food safe • Cooking healthy meals Participants will have the chance to sample recipes at each class and will receive an Eat Smart Cook Smart cookbook and certificate for Colorado State University

MEADOWS PARK COMMUNITY CENTER

January 31st: 11am to 1:15pm February 7th: 11am to 1:15pm February 14th: 11am to 1:15pm February 21st: 11am to 1:15pm

FREE TO REGISTER:

EatSmartCookSmart.eventbrite.com

ACTIVE LIVING EVERYDAY Join the Colorado Springs Community Centers for a 12 week fitness class. Over the course, certified instructors will introduce simple, easy and enjoyable ways to add activity into your life resulting in better health and more energy. Cost is $24 for a 12 week session.

Visit Activity ActiveCommunities.com to register.

Colorado State University extension is an equal opportunity provider. Colorado State University does not discriminate on the basis of disability and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations. CSU’s Office of Engagement and Extension ensures meaningful access and equal opportunities to participate to individuals whose first language is not English.

Colorado State University extension es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades. Colorado State University no discrimina por motivos de discapacidad y se compromete a proporcionar adaptaciones razonables.

Office of Engagement and Extension de CSU garantiza acceso significativo e igualdad de oportunidades para participar a las personas quienes su primer idioma no es el Inglés.

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