Ahriah (Triumph Award Recipient) and
Nicole (Matthews House Transition Facilitator)

enforcement, youth agencies, business leaders, volunteers, and youth. This year, seven local youth (each involved with The Matthews House) were awarded a total of $42,000 in collegiate scholarships. These youth have survived and triumphed over childhood abuse and many community members joined together on Saturday, April 6th to celebrate each of them and spur them on toward hopeful and positive futures.

As the primary award winner and recipient of a $16,000 scholarship, Ahriah eloquently delivered her story through intermittent sobs of gratitude for all those that have contributed to her success and happiness. It is apparent that despite a tough life thus far, this young lady has a big heart and a lot to give.

One day not long ago, I was the most selfish individual. I only cared for myself, I pitied life’s cruel obstacles set in front of me and placed my head down to them. Today, I am a different person; I care more for others than myself. I will not let myself become a “victim” to life anymore. I will triumph over its hardships; I want to spend the remaining time I have left alive to help others triumph over their own obstacles.  ~Ahriah, Matthews House Youth and Triumph Award Winner 2013

As one of the 22 affiliate agencies of RFC, The Matthews House receives support in several ways including, but not limited to:

• access to immediate emergency funds for abused, neglected and at-risk youth when there are no other resources available
  
• event sponsorship… RFC is the primary and presenting sponsor for our two main events Cultivate Hope and Hoopla for Hope each year

If you plan to shop or advertise anyway, consider supporting RFC businesses or becoming an RFC business member as a simple way to have your money go right back into our community.

Volunteers at The Matthews House help make Christmas decorations

April is National Volunteer Month! What does that mean you might be asking? Well it means this month is all about recognizing the wonderful people who sustain volunteerism and also encouraging more community members to volunteer. Finding a cause or organization that you are passionate about is important when choosing to volunteer. In Larimer County there are so many ongoing opportunities and we encourage you to find your fit and give back!

First we want to give a big thank you to the faithful volunteers of Larimer County. Your impact is unmatched and contributes to the grow of this community.

Here are some quick facts about the impact of the wonderful volunteers across the county:

• At the end of 2012, over 315 volunteer from The Matthews House gave almost 8,000 hours of volunteer work.
• Volunteers of America Northern Colorado has over 400 volunteers that serve. The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) has just over 1,025 members, which are those people ages 55+ serving with their 50 partner agencies.
• Volunteers at the Food Bank for Larimer County supplied more than 25,00 hours of work that helped collect, sort, repack and distribute nearly 8 million pounds of food in the past year. These volunteers have been equivalent to 12 full-time staff members.
• In 2012, 228 children were served through the 74 different volunteers of the CASA program. CASA is a non-profit organization that recruits and trains volunteers to be Court Appointed Special Advocates.
• In Colorado as a whole, 32.6% of residents volunteer, ranking us 13th out of the 50 states. This means that there are 1.29 million volunteers in this beautiful state.
• As of 2011, the rate of volunteerism for adults in Larimer County is 40.5%, ranking the county #5 nationally for its rate of volunteerism amongst mid-sized communities.
• In 2011, the number of volunteer hours per Fort Collins resident was 53.5 hours for the year, ranking Fort Collins #7 nationally.

Cargill volunteers help with a gardening project

Other places to volunteer in Larimer County:

• Education and Life Training Center
• The Family Center/La Familia
• Make Change NoCo
• Partners Mentoring Youth
• United Way of Larimer County
• Fort Collins Rescue Mission
• Larimer County Workforce Center
• Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity
• Fort Collins Bicycle Co-Op
• Educo Leadership Activities

These are just a few examples of the many great non-profits in Larimer County. Again we encourage you to find your best fit, and get out there and volunteer!

Live music
by Shaley Scott

We are getting very excited about our event, to be held at the Fort Collins Marriott, that will help us serve more youth and families in our community who are in need of resources and support. We encourage you to plan on shopping for mom at our silent auction since Mother’s Day is just 3 days after our event… how convenient!

This event has two portions:

• It will begin with a garden party on the patio with appetizers, drinks, live music by Shaley Scott and a silent auction
• Followed by a sit-down dinner and presentation from our staff, and most importantly stories of impact from youth and families involved with The Matthews House

Featured silent auction items include:

• Getaway trips to both Sky Corral Lodge and Granby Ranch
• An assortment of garden-related items ideal for Mother’s day

We will have several drawings throughout the evening including a getaway package with $500 worth of Frontier Airlines fly bucks.

Remember tickets to the event are free but you must RSVP in order to attend. Also, guests will be offered the opportunity to donate in order to further The Matthews House programs and in turn cultivate new life and growth in our community. Last year’s event raised over $40,000!

View the video below to see a glimpse of the impact The Matthews House has had on participants. Then, join us on May 9th from 6-8:30pm to hear these incredible success stories from youth and families.

Click here for more event information.

A special thank you to our presenting sponsor

“The journey of a thousand miles is what I have gone through to be at this point of my life.” –Mariana, 19-year-old Triumph Award applicant

Mariana came to the United States when she was 5 and has now lived in Fort Collins for 12 years. She began realizing she was different from others at her Irish Elementary School where she felt separated from white people. Three short years later, she got involved with a gang called “Surenos” which satisfied her need for friends. Without knowing that this would change her life forever, she found herself in trouble with the law and her family.

In her biological home she experienced abuse, crime, fear, and worst of all loneliness. Facing abuse has made her a stronger person, empowering her to be compassionate and understanding to others who may experience the same circumstances. Her most trustworthy friend was her younger brother who was also her partner in crime and stupidity. Their freedom to do these things came from poverty; their parents both worked two jobs at minimum wage trying to fulfill their dream of giving their kids a better life.

By the age of 15, though, she was removed from her home, ushered into a world of foster care. Within two years she was placed into four different foster care homes. At this time in her life nothing was permanent, she had no home and no family. At first, this was the most horrible experience she had gone through. But going through this situation taught her the negative effects of gang activity and because of this mistake she has become the strong person that she is today.

Mariana was given a caseworker named Amy who helped her get placed into her current home with the Olivarez family. In this home she has learned the value of education, self discipline, integrity, character and money management. This family has encouraged her to take education seriously and helped her to be the first person in her family to graduate high school and attend college.

“The encouragement that I receive in my home today is all positive. My dad encourages me to not give up easily, keep on searching God, work hard to reach my goals, and wait for the right people to come along. Blessed are those who wait. With all of my heart I know that this was God’s plans.”

In May 2012 she graduated from Fort Collins High School and finished one year at Front Range Community College with six credits towards her college degree. She plans on finishing her core classes at Front Range Community College and transferring to Colorado State University (CSU) to study her passion of Criminal Justice. She obtained a job at a hotel so that she is able to save earn and put aside money in a savings account for school.

Mariana became involved with The Matthews House about two years ago when she was referred through the Department of Human Services. Mariana qualified for the Chafee program, which is a federally funded program that provides age appropriate independent living services to youth ages 16-21 who are in out-of-home placement.

When Nicole Armstrong, a Matthews House Transition Facilitator (TF), heard that Mariana was being referred to The Matthews House youth program she requested to work with her. “When she came to us she was just getting out of her Junior year of high school so we were focusing on what her Senior year would look like, and after that what she would do for living and work.”

Unlike our other types of coaching, the Chafee program is designed to be the transition and help that serves to build a slower long-term relationship rather than weekly relationship building. It is all based on the need, so the youth don’t have set amount of hours per week that they are required to meet with their TF.

Mariana is now 19 years old and and is trying to get involved in positive ways on campus at Front Range Community College. Over the 2 years that she was involved with The Matthews House and the Chafee program, Mariana has learned to advocate for herself making decisions about what she wants rather than what people are deciding for her.

“It’s been great to watch her grow as a professional and young adult,” Nicole said. Growing up, Mariana lacked that intentionality of people helping her navigate independent living skills but Nicole was able to help her through that and really contribute to the growth that she’s experienced and is continuing to this day.

Vanessa Aschmann, new Resource Development Director, presents the Community Partner Award to The Wright Life owner Holly Wright outside their location at 200 Linden St.

“Thank you for the jacket, I’m actually warm now. It’s my first time being warm,” wrote a young man in a Thank You note to The Wright Life for the coats donated to The Matthews House in January.

The coats were donated from 686 and Nike directly to The Wright Life, and owners Bill and Holly Wright immediately thought of The Matthews House since kids commonly only have hoodies to wear.

The jacket donations are just one of the incredible ways The Wright Life has served The Matthews House over the past 3 years. Every fall they run a tune up special for skis and snowboards, and a portion of those proceeds come back to the youth and families served by The Matthews House. People know this is something that will happen every fall so they look forward to bringing their ski gear for a tune up to support the efforts of The Matthews House. Another way they donate is by providing silent auction items, usually skateboards, at various fundraising events.

The Wright Life sells equipment for action sports, and promotes those sports with events, demonstrations, wellness fairs, contests and donations. Their goal is to provide recreational opportunities to kids and adults. They are all about fun! They want to match disc, skate and snow enthusiasts with the right gear, so that they get can out and recreate and stay healthy and happy.

While their main focus is outdoor entertainment, they also value the importance of community involvement. Holly Wright emphasized this by saying, “We like to be a positive influence on the citizens of Fort Collins, by providing recreational opportunities through our retail store, expertise, events, and collaboration with fellow businesses and organizations.”

The Wright Life is a lively and inviting environment that is all about seizing and enjoying the opportunities that Colorado presents. Recreation is a huge part of the Fort Collins culture and The Wright Life is a gathering place for all those recreation enthusiasts.

Outside view of the store located in the heart of Old Town Fort Collins

The Wright Life offers a variety of styles of skateboards for purchase

Chris, an employee at The Wright Life, practicing his disc skills

I’m sitting in my cubicle today wishing I was outside on this gorgeous day, but alas, the emails, phone calls, activity planning, and the like call me away. It’s a good thing I’ll be spending the entire day tomorrow outside enjoying outdoor activities with a number of families from The Matthews House Community Life Center. Thanks to a fantastic relationship with Educo Leadership Adventures we will enjoy hiking, rock climbing, a challenge course, and of course, s’mores around a campfire! But I’ll let you know all about that adventure next time. For now, let’s just take a moment to relax together, breathe deeply, clear your mind of all the hustle and bustle from your day, and practice being silent for one minute.

Are you sure that was a full 60 seconds?

Now, don’t you feel just a little better? Thanks to our wonderful volunteers Emily and Melanie, many of our youth and staff are practicing this valuable technique through a weekly yoga class. Frequently our youth live in a world of chaos; some might not know where they will sleep for the night, others worry about passing their classes at school, and still others might be struggling with relationships. And even more often, these youth are used to living in this chaos to the point that being calm and quiet is difficult and even unnerving. Yet, under the guidance and instruction of Emily and Melanie, experiencing moments of peace and tranquility, our clients are learning how to simply “be,” if only for a few moments of their day. What’s even better is that our staff and mentors are able to do this in unison with our youth, fortifying these moments with trust and community.

Yoga is an amazingly natural therapeutic activity that attends to the mind, body, and soul. Wow, that is completely in line with what we hope to build in each of our youth: a healthy mind, body and spirit so that they can go out and tackle life’s ups and downs with confidence and practical coping skills. Emily and Melanie bring a special theme to each week’s session that helps clarify and solidify these coping skills, and together as a community everyone walks away learning a little something about themselves and feeling rejuvenated.

Volunteers Emily and Melanie (center) lead some of the participants in a tree pose at the Community Life Center gym

If you have a special gift, talent, or skill that you would like to share with our youth and families, please let us know. We are always looking for creative ideas and volunteers. To all my Irish-American kin, enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day festivities and celebration. I’m sad to say that I’ll be missing the parade on Saturday, but, nonetheless, I will enjoy the day with our families in the mountains. Cornbeef and Colcannon are on the menu for my Sunday feast! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

The happiest of springtime tidings to you and your family,
Carolyn

After 6 years with The Matthews House, our lovely Joyce Dickens will be moving on to a new adventure this Spring. As the first person in her role as Resource Development Director, Joyce has given so much to The Matthews House. To name a few things, she kicked off our three main events: Wild West Relay, Cultivate Hope, and Hoopla for Hope; developed our promotional materials; built, developed and nurtured many relationships in the community, and ultimately gave her individual talents and skills to make The Matthews House a much better place. Joyce, we are so thankful to have known you. We are inspired by the person you are and who you constantly aspire to be.

Here are a few words from Joyce as she says Farewell…

I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be involved with The Matthews House over the last 6 years. I’ve been blessed to be able to use my talents and skills to play a small part in something life changing and I know I’ve grown both personally and professionally from my time here. I love the program, the culture and the people, this is really an amazing place to be.

My husband Daryle and I have talked about traveling more extensively since we got married 11 years ago and over the last year, we started to take that goal more seriously. We gave a long hard look at how we could make that happen and finally settled on a plan that has brought me to this point. It is with both sadness and excitement that I will be leaving in the pursuit of a new adventure. On March 19th, I’ll come in to my last day of work at The Matthews House and on April 1, Daryle and I will leave on a one-year round-the-world trip.

I feel very blessed to have been a part of such an amazing organization, especially during the early years. I’ve already witnessed incredible growth and I know there will be more. I wish all the best to everyone as you continue to build an organization that changes this community and ultimately others beyond. You are an inspiration and I will always treasure my time here.

With Gratitude,

Joyce

PS: If you are interested in learning more about our trip and/or keeping up with us as we travel, you can do that on my blog at LearningToTravel.com.

The Matthews House Interns: Caitlin Glover, Jessica Peterson, Chloe Gendreau, and Courtney Paulsen

The Matthews House has been fortunate to have 4 more incredible additions to our team in recent months.

Caitlin Glover, Youth Transition Facilitator Intern, started in January working with The Matthews House Transition Facilitators helping youth to develop necessary skills to live independently. She grew up in Centennial, CO and will be graduating this summer from Colorado State University (CSU) with a degree in Social Work. She chose an internship with The Matthews House because she loves working with youth, and she believes in their mission to help young adults and families in transition, so it was a great fit. “I love everything about The Matthews House—the staff, the youth, the activities—they’re all great!” Caitlin enjoys scrapbooking, traveling, camping, people watching, volunteering and spending time with friends and family.

Jessica Peterson, Family Transition Facilitator Intern, started in late January helping and learning from other Family Transition Facilitators and hopes to take on her own cases in the future. She is a Colorado native who grew up in Littleton and is in her last semester at CSU. She chose to intern at The Matthews House because she believes in the work that they do—to walk along side people on their way to self-help. She hopes to do the same in her career. “I love that The Matthews House is a welcoming and comfortable place for people to get the help they need.” Jessica loves photography and exploring Pinterest in her spare time!

Chloe Gendreau, Homework Helpers Intern, started in mid-January to help get the Homework Helpers (H2) program up and running by spreading the word to local schools about what the Community Life Center has to offer. She is originally from San Diego, CA and moved to Fort Collins in August to work on her Masters in Social Work at CSU. She chose to intern at The Matthews House because the mission and method of helping families is consistent with her personal values, but also because she was moved by Jerri Howe’s personal story of how she founded The Matthews House. “I wholeheartedly mean it when I say I love everything about The Matthews House, but I really appreciate the wonderful staff who are incredibly friendly and welcoming.” Chloe is a huge movie buff and describes herself as a graphic design nerd. She also enjoys getting out of the house to go hiking and skiing.

Courtney Paulsen, Experiential Education Intern, started in mid-January and gets the privilege of creating activities, planning gear drives, and attending and supervising weekly activities such as Java Jam, rock climbing and yoga. She grew up in Arvada, CO and will be graduating with a degree in Social Work from CSU in the summer. She chose to work with The Matthews House because she has always been interested in working with at-risk youth and had heard great things about this organization so she wanted to see if this type of work would be a good fit for her future career. “I really enjoy how friendly and welcoming all of the staff is. They make the environment very welcoming, as well as a pleasurable place to work.” Courtney enjoys running, hiking, playing with her dog and enjoying Colorado’s beautiful land as much as she can. Her dachshund has become her world, so a lot of her free time revolves around her.

Susan started volunteering at The Matthews House in June of 2011 as a House Volunteer. Over the past two years of her involvement she has expanded to also helping with Special Events, as a committee member, and with Activities Support such as Kidz Work! Kidz Work! is a monthly activity full of friendship and fun for parents and their children ages 0-5 to enjoy at the Community Life Center. She enjoys working with kids and making them feel loved and Kidz Work! has given her the ability to pursue that passion. 

Susan has provided over 100 hours of volunteer work since being involved and we hope there are 100 more to come!

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Eugene, Oregon. Although I really enjoy Colorado, I miss the northwest every day.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I have been doing a lot of running in my free time! I ran the Wild West Relay with The Matthews House last year and have been running pretty regularly since then. It is a great stress reliever for me and I have also done a few races. I love training with a goal in mind. In April, I’m hoping to run the Inaugural Horsetooth Marathon. I also love living life unplanned on the weekends and having lots of downtime with my family.

What did you study in school?
Although, I studied various subjects off and on in my 20’s I never earned a specific college degree. My work experience is Training/Development and Human Resources. I was fortunate enough to have a few great mentors that took me under their wings and afforded me great opportunities within the HR and Training fields.

What are three items you would like to have if on a deserted island?
Water, Sunscreen and Music!

Favorite movie, book, and color?
Favorite movie is Dan in Real Life, favorite book is East of Eden and favorite color is purple 

What is one of your pet peeves?
A silly pet peeve is when people come to a complete stop before entering a roundabout, even if there are no cars coming!!!!

What is one Fun Fact about YOU?!
I love to karaoke and don’t get to nearly as much as I’d like to!

In what ways do you like to volunteer?
Looking back on most of my volunteer experiences working with children has been the common thread. I think it has always resonated with me because I used to be one of those kids that needed all the eyes, ears, hands and love that was available to help me grow up safe and sound.

What do you like best about volunteering?
When I feel like I have helped another I feel like I am most myself. Like all of us, I have definitely had some hard times in my life. The biggest reason why I made it through is because during those hard times I usually had a regular volunteer job so I was able to be with and help others that were in need of love and support just as much as I was, if not more. The perspective that gave me was truly priceless.  I am a firm believer that if we can forget about ourselves and dive into someone else’s life in order to help them with a burden we are exactly where we need to be. That is a really good feeling.

Thanks so much for all you have given Susan!