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Grant aims to end hunger in southern Colorado
A member of the TwoCor work crew helps the Colorado Springs Fire Department with fire mitigation May 7 at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Photo by Kyler Knutson
TwoCor, CSFD tackle fire mitigation at zoo BY CLELIA DEMORAES TwoCor
On the morning of May 7, animals at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo woke to the commotion of chainsaws and voices echoing in the surrounding woods. TwoCor, a local youth work-training program, and the Colorado Springs Fire Department were working together on a fire mitigation project to remove dead standing trees destroyed by the tussock moth at the zoo, all in celebration of National Wildfire
One in seven people face hunger daily in Colorado. It’s an issue that forces many to choose between putting food on the table and handling necessary expenses like bills and medication. Steve Baron, Senior Director Kaiser Permanen- of Operations for Southern te Colorado has an- Colorado Kaiser Permanente nounced an effort to diminish the rates of hunger in our state by providing 13 nonprofits a portion of a $1 million grant that aims to increase access to food for all Coloradans. Three southern Colorado nonprofits have received a portion of the food insecurity grant: SET Family Medical Clinics, TESSA and Tri-Lakes Cares. Without proper diet, all ages, including children and seniors, experience nutrient deficiencies, weaker cognitive performance and higher healthcare costs. The $1 million Kaiser Permanente food insecurity grant is designed to increase enrollment in Supplemental Nutrition Assis– CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 –
Community Preparedness Day. The zoo project came in second in a nationwide competition sponsored by State Farm Insurance involving more than 260 fire mitigation projects. Funding for the project went directly to TwoCor youth for their labor and meals. TwoCor youth worked through the morning, gathering branches and trees cut by the fire department and hauling them to the chipper sites. Afterwards, zoo volun-
teers treated the youth to a tour of the zoo. Participants in the TwoCor program range from 15-19 years old and come from around the Pikes Peak region. Many of them have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect or abandonment and placed with foster parents or in group homes. Since 2004, TwoCor has served over a thousand youth, who are referred to the – CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 –
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