Community Celebrations
Thank you to all of our community partners for all that you do! Below are some partners that were recognized by their peers for their efforts:
Community Outreach Service Center
This team is amazing and very present in doing the work in theMetro Denver Region. They served over 1,000 clients last year with basic needs, employment, peer support, and community wealth building. They really do the work instead of sitting behind a desk.
Molly Steffen, Arapahoe County
Molly is working as an on the ground housing navigator in ArapahoeCounty. I can't tell you how important this role is - getting face to face with those struggling and helping them navigate confusing and challenging systems. I love how she cares for our clients and helps support us!
Jamie Grove & Jamie Cope, Movement 5280
Movement 5280 is one of the very few orgs in the Tri-Cities area that are using HMIS, Vi-SPDAT and One Home to help clients in need register for intake and case management services for housing. We refer all our clients to them for this service as we do not have staffing to implement this ourselves.We are grateful for their dedication, compassion, and dignity in their care for our unhoused neighbors. In January, they were the only "warming site"open during the day from 8a-3:30p providing a safe space to be out of the severe weather elements, having meals and other essentials when they are required to be out of Severe Weather Shelter or other shelters during the day.This was significant in our area. We are grateful for them.
Karen Cowling, Mission Arvada
Karen goes up and beyond because she looks at the homeless community as part of her family. She is currently volunteering her time around the clock to make sure clients, volunteers and staff are taking care of emotionally and physically. She is a passionate woman who makes a difference and is perfect person for Director of Mission Arvada. You just have to spend a couple of minutes to see her compassion and understanding to the community. She motivates me to be better and do better.
Kristen Baluyot, Salvation Army
Kristen heads the Salvation Army's Denver Metro Social Services and has played a monumental role in building and leading our teams that have enabled the City of Denver to house more than 1000 unhoused individuals by the end of 2023. She also has led our staffing up and running of 3 hotels to house people on a very tight time frame, and at the same is ensuring the quality of services to those coming to the hotels from the Denver encampments, and already has overseen the placement of many in more stable housing and employment and training opportunities. She is a leader in this community that is helpingDenver greatly by addressing homelessness and is instrumental in helping to change the lives of thousands for the better.
Heidi Grove, Boulder County
Heidi Grove is the project manager for Homeless Solutions forBoulder County (HSBC). While the collaborative management aspects of this work are challenging enough, she consistently goes above and beyond in her efforts.This includes her work and successes on Built for Zero, her many efforts on behalf of the Boulder County Commissioners, her role on myriad workgroups and committees, and her efforts to create a data-based foundation for HSBC efforts- which she most recently successfully converted into a comprehensive data dashboard. She has been critical to HSBC efforts and deserves broader recognition.
Lauren Lapinski, Veterans Affairs
It’s hard to encapsulate all that she does because her work and influence is so extensive, but I’ll just say that she’s both an incredibly compassionate and an amazingly capable and consistent advocate for veterans who are experiencing homelessness. She has a calming presence and I’m always happy when we cross paths.