He has cheerfully shown up at event after event and helped us capture many memorable images.

Craig is a great example of the community support we receive and depend on here at The Matthews House.

These are just a few examples of the hundreds (maybe thousands) of photos he has taken over the years for us.

When he is not helping us out you will most likely find Mr. Vollmer shooting or editing photos from weddings. He has been a wedding photographer for over 10 years now and he is amazing!

So the next time you are at one of our events and you see the always smiling Craig Vollmer behind the camera be sure to say thanks for us! And next time you are in need of a photographer, check him out at craigvollmerphotography.com.

Thanks Craig! You are the best!

They have been truly devoted to The Matthews House in word and deed for over 4 years. Let’s hear a little bit more from them:

So, where ya from?

Ken: Colorado native, Colorado Springs, CSU graduate

Suzanne: California (7 ½ miles from Disneyland), lived for 4 years (early 20’s) in NYC

In what ways do you like to volunteer?

Ken: Serving the youth and families; meals; hope to offer classes at some point.

Suzanne: I enjoy baking and cooking for the youth and basically spending 1 on 1 time with them listening to their stories.

Why did you choose the Matthews House?

Ken: Jerri Howe’s passion and vision early on; all of the staff.

Suzanne: Ditto, listening to Jerri talk about the Matthew’s House encourages one to help.

What do you like best about volunteering?

Ken: Personal satisfaction in being able to give back.

Suzanne: During a couple of my shifts as a House Volunteer a couple of the young moms brought in their infants and let me hold them. It was great to see the care and love these moms had for their children. But the best thing about being a house volunteer is just having the youth show up and hang out during my shift. I really enjoy talking to them.

For several years, along with their son Baxter, the Smiths cleaned the house monthly, making sure it was dirt free and comfortable for all that entered (even to the point of discovering a nasty wasp nest on the back of the house).

Suzanne currently hangs out and talks with the youth as a weekly house volunteer, helps regularly with administrative duties and provides yummy food for a variety of purposes. Her dedication and consistent presence is so beneficial to the youth that we serve.

Ken began by doing some vocational mentoring with some of the first Matthews House youth. He was able to give these couple of youth a great experience and a good recommendation to later benefit them in the food service industry. Additionally, for three consecutive years he led student groups at CSU in preparing our Thanksgiving Dinner for about 50 youth. He is also a member of The Matthews House Board of Directors and big time advocate for getting people involved at the Matthews House. In the last couple years, I’m pretty sure he has sent more people our way than any other person. What a great way to make an impact!

Thank you Ken and Suzanne for giving selflessly to youth in need in our community!

Vanessa Aschmann, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator at The Matthews House

Colorado is currently the #7 state in the US for total Meth users 12 years or older – this is astounding.

At The Matthews House we see the effects of methamphetamine nearly everyday; broken families, teen deaths, ruined lives – the list goes on. Some of the talented youth that attended this poster workshop were in fact themselves past users or victims of meth by association (family or friends).

However, our youth have hope for their futures as was evident as we created beautiful art work as a means of spreading the message of “Meth… Not Even Once.”

You might be familiar with the Colorado Meth Project as you’ve heard their ads on the radio, seen their commercials, or driven past a billboard. Although the messages associated with the Colorado Meth Project are vivid and often difficult to watch, research indicates that these messages are working.

Did you know that all the messages they send out are actually based on true stories?

The Matthews House is proud to take part in the efforts to stop meth use in Colorado by working with The Meth Project.  Thank you Jonathan and everyone at Colorado Meth Project who are making a difference in our communities!

A big thank you also to Rose at Half Moon Arts,  for the use of your studio and supplies!

To learn more about methamphetamine and it’s consequences visit www.methproject.org.  This interactive website is designed to speak directly to teens in order to challenge their knowledge but we’ve found it to be just as educational for the general populace.

We also suggest that you brief yourself on more facts about meth and it’s direct effects on the State of Colorado by going to  http://colorado.methproject.org/Results/index.php.

Just remember – “Meth…Not Even Once.”

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Ho! Ho! Ho!

We’ve got so much going on at The Matthews House these days and we wanted to share a few things with you.

Young Mom’s Group:

It has been so much FUN this fall hanging out with our young mom’s.  These young women are a great example of patience, endurance, and love.  Though their children might not have been planned they truly are making lemonade from lemons – strawberry lemonade at that!  As our moms continue to  foster relationships with each other, there is more accountability, relevance, and hope with each passing group.

This month we were able to provide a traditional holiday favorite – we met Santa Claus (or Nana Claus as little bitty likes to say!) in Old Town Square. Our fantastic volunteer, Jessica, took beautiful pictures to help capture the memory – thank you!

After our expedition to the north pole we walked over to Everyday Joe’s Coffee Shop on Mason Ave. to participate in Help Portraits Annual Photo Session.  This group of fabulous photographers set up studio in Joe’s and wow, what an experience.  From hair and make-up before their personal photo shoots, to crafts for the kids, and hot cocoa to boot – it was a fantastic way to wrap up the day!

Each of our young moms received a personal photo shoot for them and their child, a free portrait, and a CD of all the photos taken.

Starting to look a lot like Christmas.

House Decorating:

We welcomed in the Christmas season this year with a House Decorating Party, full of music, laughter, and memories.

Our goal for this activity was to help our youth remember happy family traditions (most of whom didn’t have many to share) and to create new ones with each other as we continue to build our own Matthews House Family.

Our Christmas Trees are now lit with beautiful lights, ornaments, and homemade garland strings of popcorn and cranberries!  We feasted on homemade egg nog, cherry crisp, and the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies made by one of our youth.  It was a heartfelt evening, one which our youth are sure to remember.

This year we are creating Matthews House Christmas Traditions that we hope to relive in the years to come.  Some of these activities include our Annual Christmas Party, a Carriage Ride through Old Town, and taking our Young Moms and their little ones to visit Santa Claus.  Hmmmm…what should we add for next year?  Who’s up for a Gingerbread House competition?!

Handmade Aprons for Christmas:

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you to Carol, Joanne, Liz, Jessica, and Brenda for helping our young ladies craft the most beautiful aprons!

These volunteers worked one-on-one with our youth and staff teaching them how to cut a pattern, use a sewing machine, and develop patience for the fine art of sewing.  Our youth used their artistic flare to match up fun and funky patterns for the apron of their own crafting.  At the end of the evening we had 7 aprons to be proud of.

No substitute for experience.

It’s a great feeling when you know you have imparted a skill to another person and in a way that involves them – this is the very core of our Experiential Education Program.  These young ladies have gained an important skill because of the time a few individuals took to educate in a fun and tangible way!

Lastly, we like to give a special thanks to Peak Community Church for their generosity of space – we definitely could not have fit 7 sewing machines in The Matthews House.

Although generational poverty, homeless and unaccompanied youth, and families with abuse and/or drug histories are a very real part of our town and world, it is such a blessing to live and work in a community that not only acknowledges these situations, but come along side youth to support them in every facet of their life. 

Thank you Larimer County!

Recently, we celebrated Christmas with over 50 of our youth, along with more than 20 volunteers, community members, and staff!

Our youth took a horse drawn wagon ride from The Matthews House to Everyday Joe’s Coffee House through Old Town just as it started to snow.  They were met with hot chocolate, fabulous food, and wonderful live holiday jazz music.

After some socializing we were thankful to be able to provide each of our youth with a Christmas present – for some this might be the only one they receive this year.  A few of our youth had a tough time being at a Christmas party, as this time of year brings back some sad memories; but thanks to our staff and volunteers we were able to help acknowledge old memories while creating new positive memories.

None of this would have been possible without Colorado Carriage & Wagon, Everyday Joe’s Coffee House, the fantastic ladies with Bibliomaniacs Book Club, The Jingle Bell Jazz Ensemble (Kenny Workman: vocals, clarinet, tenor sax, guitar, Brian Fromme: keyboards, Dennis Griffing: upright bass, Paul Gerberding: vocals, djembe, guitar, hand percussion), and our ever faithful volunteers.

And a special shout out to Kara, Aaron, Brenda, and Jessica who consistently attend our events and are an invaluable source of help in making them run smoothly.[[Show as slideshow]]

Some Exciting News Shared At The Christmas Party!

From day one we have been blessed to have such a great house on Mathews Street to call home. And we’ve also been blessed with a very supportive community that has allowed us to grow, serve more youth and take on more staff. This past year as our staff would probably be quick to tell you things have gotten very “cozy” within the walls of The Matthews House.

Which is why we are excited to tell you that with a New Year will also come a new home for The Matthews House!

If all goes according to plan, we will be moving in mid-January. There won’t be any interruption in service to our youth and we’ll still be super-accessible, right in the Old Town area near Lee Martinez Park. We’ll be able to share more details soon and we’ll invite you all over to visit once we get settled.

Making the big announcement!

Merry Christmas from Everyone at The Matthews House.  May this season bring you joy!

Stamp World Online recently donated Maple cutting boards for us to sell and raise some money. They retail for $30, but we are selling them for $20 and 70% goes directly to The Matthews House.

These boards were manufactured and engraved here in Ft Collins Colorado. They have been finished with mineral oil and there are two styles to choose from:

• 15x8x0.5 inch engraved with a Wren design
• 10x10x0.5 inch engraved with a Bee design

You also have a couple of options if you’d like to purchase them:

• Our friends over at Everyday Joe’s Coffee House have been kind enough to offer them for sale at the shop. There you can pay with cash or credit card.

• You can also buy them directly from The Matthews House Admin Office if you’d like to pay with a check or cash. Please give us a call first though at 970-472-4293 to make sure we have someone available to help you.

This Christmas Season your shopping can support The Matthews House work with at-risk youth, empowering them to take control of their lives and go after their dreams.

On December 6, 2011, Colorado citizens will come together again to raise millions of dollars for nonprofits like The Matthews House through the second annual Colorado Gives Day. Last year, the goal to raise $1 million for Colorado charities was exceeded-$8.7 million was distributed instead!

The Matthews House is looking for at least 50 people to donate $20 on Colorado Gives Day.

100 percent of your donation will come to us when you give through GivingFirst.org. Not one penny will go to credit card or online transaction fees. And when you give online any time on December 6, the value of your donation will be increased by the FirstBank Incentive Fund.

Also if you give you’ll help us win cash prizes! We have a chance to win $1,000 Bonus Bucks and $5,000 High Five cash prizes when you remember The Matthews House on Colorado Gives Day.

Please consider helping us reach our goal of $1000 by giving a donation of at least $20 online at GivingFirst.org/TheMatthewsHouse any time over the 24 hour period of December 6. (You can even do it now and check the “schedule your donation for Colorado Gives Day” box.)

Over 200 people showed up to the Fort Collins Country Club to have a rock’n 1950′s style good time. They enjoyed live performances from the likes of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and Judy Garland.

SugarMill Productions was also on hand to entertain the crowd. And thanks to a swing lesson and dance off from the Jumpin’ Jive Cats folks were cutting a rug well into the night.

And amongst all the 50′s festivities there was also a lot of fundraising going on. All told the evening brought in over $13,000 for The Matthews House!

Check out these photos from the event:

It would not be possible to have such a good time while helping the at-risk youth of our community without the support of our Hoopla for Hope sponsors:

Our “Hot Rod” sponsor was Realities for Children.

We had these “T-Bird” sponsors:  Cornerstone Mortgage Company, Bighorn Family Dental, Tenfold Collective, Northern Colorado Business Report, and Fort Collins Country Club.

And the “Jukebox” sponsors were: Pure Energy, LLC, Yancey’s, Re/Max, North Beach Dental, Lighthouse Chiropractic, Odell Brewing Company, Tandem Select, Snowy Peaks Winery, eSquared Exceptional Events, Hal & Ki Johnson, and Craig Vollmer Photography.

Additional thanks are due to: All our Matthews House Ambassadors, Auctioneer – Jeff Sweeney, Chipper’s Lanes, Sam’s Club, Marilyn Foster and our Living Legends – Kristi Siedow-Thompson, Robb Copp, Ann Foorman, Vi Wickam, & Christina Gressianu.

Which is why, with the spirit of gratitude in the air, we were so happy to host our 5th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner for our youth, their families, our volunteers and staff.

Once again we filled the house with laughter as we enjoyed the company of over 60 people, had great conversations, and played countless rounds of Apples to Apples!

A monumental Thank You goes out to Chris, Becky, and all the fabulous folks from Citipointe Church for roasting 4 turkeys and making all the traditional Thanksgiving sides so that our bellies were full!

We wouldn’t be able to have this sort of celebration without the support of the amazing community we are blessed to live in.  For some of our youth this was the only Thanksgiving feast they will enjoy this year.

Happy Thanksgiving from Everyone at The Matthews House!

Here are the items they are collecting:

• $30 gift cards to either Walmart or Target
• Diapers size 1 or 2
• Pull ups
• Full size toiletries
• Deodorant
• Razors
• Planners
• New Towels
• Bedding (twin size)

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