Giving back to our community is a core value forLive Urban and our real estate agents.Our agents are involved with some truly impactful organizations around Denver and every year they get the chance to nominate causes they are passionate about for our Live & Give program. As a group, we then choosethree new charities to support throughout year with a vote that is both emotional and inspiring.The best part? If you close a transaction with us, you'll get the opportunity to choose one of the causes for us to donate a portion of your sale to!
The Gathering Place: A Refuge for Rebuilding
This year, we are proud to partner with The Gathering Place as one of our causes, to support women and children in the Denver area who need it the most. The Gathering Place has been supporting impoverished women, their children, and the transgender communitysince 1986, expanding their reach and their services ever since. They now serve 250 members a day, helping them to rebuild their lives through the power of community and offering them needed services like meals, laundry, health care, education, and clothing, among other things. They also offer activities like art and music that both young and old gain value and enjoyment from. Their members are at the center of every initiative and many lives have been transformed in this safe haven right here in Denver.Read on to be inspired and find out how you can help support The Gathering Place.
The pandemic has impacted many lives this past year, and has increased the demand for the services that The Gathering Place offers. Many mothers and children have leaned on The Gathering Place during these difficult times and are grateful they have a place to go to receive essential goods and services when all else seems hopeless. Mother's Day is just around the corner, so if you feel moved by the impact and efforts of this generous organization and are looking for a way to help, consider making a donation to The Gathering Place in honor of your mom.
Kelly Tobin, Business Relations Manager at The Gathering Place, was gracious enough to answer a few questions and give us a glimpse into the inspiration for The Gathering Placeand the lives that have been touched through theirprograms.
1. What inspired the creation of The Gathering Place?
In 1986, two University of Denver School of Social Work students were interning at various overnight homeless shelters in the city. Each morning, they watched as the homeless women and children had to leave the safety of a shelter and return to the harsh realities of the streets. They saw the very real problem that women and children needed a safe place to go during the day.With a $6,000 donation, the two women started The Gathering Place in a small, one-room facility on Santa Fe Drive. Despite its initial size, The Gathering Place offered warmth, protection from the streets, and nutritious meals to women and children experiencing homelessness.
2. What services does The Gathering Place provide and who benefits?
The Gathering Place (TGP) serves women, transgender individuals, and children experiencing homelessness and poverty in the Denver Metro area. About half of the individuals we serve are currently experiencing homelessness. All programs are choice-based, so clients can choose which services and resources to utilize. Services focus on whole person well-being, ranging from meeting basic needs all the way to community and skill building programs. Basic needs are met through showers, naps, mail access, nutritious meals, onsite food pantries, resource navigation, as well as onsite physical, behavioral, and dental healthcare through community partnerships. Clients can also work with case managers to get more individualized support and work towards securing stable housing and recovery from the trauma of homelessness. TGP's jobs and education program connects clients to job opportunities, job readiness programs, resume and cover letter assistance, and more to set individuals up for success. Families with children under 18 can visit the Family Area, a safe, nurturing space to navigate resources, get essential supplies, and support childhood development.
3. What's your most inspiring or favorite story from working with The Gathering Place?
When I interviewed for a job at The Gathering Place, I remember walking in and being completely surprised by the space. There are huge windows all over the building to let light in, the chairs in our welcome area were arranged in a big square, facing each other, and the Welcome Desk was just that - welcoming. People were laughing and talking while making appointments for different services and asked me about what I was interviewing for and who I am. When I went on a tour of the building, Theresa, my future manager, was saying hi to everyone by name and members were asking about her kids. All of my preconceived ideas about what a shelter looks like went out the window. I knew that if they offered me this job, I would say yes without hesitation.
Everyone is there for a greater purpose. Working with members is a gift, and you realize that you have so much more in common than you would think. At The Gathering Place, you see hope every day. You see a community where everyone is treated with respect and dignity away from the stigma of poverty. There are many incredible stories I could tell, but the beauty is in the everyday interactions of kindness and hope.
4. How has Covid impacted the services offered and fundraising efforts this past year?
The COVID-19 pandemic brought many changes to The Gathering Place (TGP). When the statewide stay-at-home order took effect, nearly all TGP volunteers temporarily ceased volunteering. In response, TGP temporarily suspended some programming to provide adequate staffing to meet emergency and basic needs. Since then, most programming has reopened with COVID-safe protocols in place.
TGP worked closely with other shelter-providing agencies in the Denver metro area and the City and County of Denver to create new emergency shelter locations in the city and convert existing overnight shelters to operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the pandemic. A 24/7 Auxiliary Shelter for women and transgender adults at the Denver Coliseum opened in April and in August, guests were moved from this shelter to a former motel property. TGP is now responsible for operating daytime services at the motel shelter location and will continue to staff daytime operations at this facility through the end of 2021.
We have seen a dramatic increase in demand for food from our food pantry, Betsy's Cupboard. Food pantry visits increased by 55%, and TGP also distributed 63% more pounds of food compared to the same period in 2019. We have also seen increased participation in our employment assistance programs and programs targeted to families, and have been refocusing our efforts on providing more robust engagement with our members to achieve longer-term outcomes, including assistance with obtaining housing and overcoming other barriers to exiting and achieving recovery from homelessness and poverty.
TGP received COVID-specific funding in 2020, which gave us a solid foundation to continue and sustain services through the pandemic. We have been humbled and are incredibly grateful for the support our community has shown us this past year. However, we expect that many individuals and private foundations will not be able to sustain their 2020 level of giving, and may have to reduce their normal annual support due to the larger-than-usual amounts given in 2020.
5. How can our readers help The Gathering Place?
There are many ways folks can support The Gathering Place. Donations, particularly monthly gifts, are the most impactful and immediate way to support the work that we do. As a nonprofit, we have greater buying power for supplies and services. Our food pantry can stock over 1000 pounds of food with only $100!
Volunteers help with almost every program in the building and we always welcome new folks! Anyone who is interested can reach out to Cortney Mabry, Volunteer Program Manager, at cortney@tgpdenver.org.
Click below to read more about the all three incredible organizations we've pledged to support in 2021.
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