Meaghan’s Story: Family Found & Family Saved

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This holiday season, we want to share with you a story about family—a family found and a family saved. It starts with a young woman named Meaghan from Ouray, CO, who married at 18 to escape the abusive household where she grew up. After graduating from a small Bible college in the Midwest, Meaghan and her husband moved to Telluride, where she had a successful career in the tourism industry for over 10 years. During that time, they welcomed a baby girl, but the marriage fell apart and they divorced. Following the divorce, Meaghan became involved in an abusive relationship, so her ex-husband moved with their daughter to Longmont.

“I lost my world when I lost my daughter—lost my home, lost my car, lost everything,” she says. Heartbroken by the loss of her daughter, Meaghan moved to Boulder to be closer to her, and also to escape the abusive relationship. She worked as a leasing agent at an apartment complex close to her daughter’s school and started to build a new life for herself, but then her abuser found her and convinced her to take him back. Fueled by his drug addiction, the abuse continued and worsened. She worked, and he spent all her money on drugs until she was left homeless and pregnant.

“Not knowing where I was going to sleep from night to night while I was pregnant was scary,” Meaghan remembers. She was admitted to the Mother House, a shelter for pregnant women in Boulder, but was forced to leave because she was still seeing her abuser. In 2019 after a great deal of time and effort, she finally received a subsidized housing assignment in Lafayette for herself and her new baby, a second daughter.

When she went from being homeless to having an apartment to furnish, Meaghan had only one bag of personal belongings. She visited a thrift store nearby, the Sister Carmen Thrift Store, to see if she could find anything there. While shopping, she learned that she might be able to get a voucher from Sister Carmen Community Center (SCCC) to help buy items for her new apartment.

Sister Carmen provided the fresh start Meaghan needed when she moved to Lafayette. Besides the voucher to purchase mattresses, household and baby items, she also learned she could use the Sister Carmen Food Bank. That’s where she met Ginny, our Nurturing Parent Program Coordinator, for the first time. “I knew just by looking at Meaghan, by the way she stood, that she had been abused,” Ginny recalls. “I know the signs.”

She told Meaghan about the parenting classes offered at Sister Carmen and also the Circle of Parents Support Group for those impacted by addiction in their families; Meaghan registered immediately. Then Ginny followed up with a phone call to ask, “What else do you need? How old is your daughter?”

“She brought me bags and bags of clothes for my baby daughter, and I was just in tears,” shares Meaghan. “Not only that, but she asked me what I like to do. ‘I like to create. I’m an artist. I like to draw and paint,’ I told her. Then she brought me all kinds of art supplies. I was blown away because I’ve never had anybody just open up their heart that instantly towards me, without even knowing me. It was the best welcome I could have ever gotten, and I’ve been with Sister Carmen ever since.”

In addition to the thrift store, food bank, parenting classes and support group, Sister Carmen has provided Meaghan with bus passes, food delivery, child care, a resource for eyeglasses (Eye Doctors of Louisville), and financial assistance for utility bills. She’s attended community fun nights, wellness workshops, and exercise, financial education, and civic engagement classes. But the thing she values most is the community she’s found here.

“Circle of Parents is the glue, my saving grace. We’ve developed a real sisterhood too,” she shares. “Even though we come from many different backgrounds, cultures, language barriers, and parenting styles, it doesn’t matter. Those are my girls. We’re just there for each other. It’s completely confidential and non-judgmental.”

One time while the group was being held on Zoom, Ginny received a text from Meaghan which read: “Call the Police immediately. Send them now!” Ginny quickly excused herself from the session, saying she left something on the stove, and made the call. “She didn’t even question, ‘Why? What’s going on? You seem happy.’ She just did it, and she saved me,” Meaghan says. “I never had people in my corner before Sister Carmen and Ginny.”

Over the course of their seven-year relationship, Meaghan’s abuser was in and out of jail for harming her. “I had a bad habit of letting him back in. The cops would be called. There were so many reports, I jeopardized my place,” she explains. “Sister Carmen has been my grounding force because I’m trying to do this differently on my own, but when all you know is what you’ve known, it’s hard not to fall back into those patterns. Sister Carmen—Ginny in particular—is always there for me. I’ll call and she’ll just listen. That’s something I never had in my whole life. I didn’t know what a supportive family looked like until Ginny showed me. She is my rock, my friend, and my mentor.”

Meaghan is safe now. “Because I had the support of my Sister Carmen family behind me, I had the strength to stand up for myself for the first time in my life,” she shares. “I was able to tell my abuser that he would no longer be a part of my life or our daughter’s life. I think that inspired him to get sober.”

Ginny also connected Meaghan with legal advice that taught her how to advocate for herself with the courts. She told them that she didn’t feel safe with her abuser nearby. As a result, he received two years of probation that enabled him to go to rehab and a ready-to-work program, and now he’s become a good father. “It’s been life changing! This man is totally different without the drugs,” exclaims Meaghan. “If I hadn’t advocated for myself with the courts, he would have gotten off scot-free and wouldn’t have gotten the help he needed, and the whole pattern would have perpetuated itself. I’m so proud we were able to stop that generational pattern of abuse.”

Now that Meaghan is in a healthy place, her next goal is getting a new job. “I want to find something where I can give back. My heart is so full and Sister Carmen has given me so much—all the resources to be successful. It’s so amazing to find family. I call them family because they truly are. They know your faults, they know everything about you, but they don’t judge you because they just want to see you grow,” she continues.

“I know what it feels like to lose everything, and to feel utterly broken and alone. For someone to just lend a hand and say, ‘It’s going to be ok, and step-by-step, we’re in this with you’ has changed my world. And it’s not just affecting me, it’s affecting my former abuser, my kids, and the generations after me. Now my legacy, and my kids’ legacy, will be one of resiliency and triumph and making the world a better place.”

If you are able, we hope you’ll make a gift to Sister Carmen this holiday season to help us keep changing the world, one family at a time.

Lupita’s Story: Paying It Forward

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If you have ever visited Sister Carmen Community Center (SCCC), chances are you’ve crossed paths with Lupita. She has been one of our most active and enthusiastic participants ever since she first walked through our doors over a decade ago. Although in recent years, she’s usually the one giving help rather than receiving it.

Originally from Durango, Mexico, Lupita first came to the United States as a teenager in the late 1990s. She left a province with a lot of poverty and violence in search of a better life.

This mother of nine children, ranging in age from 2 to 22, has had her share of hardships, particularly toxic relationships with abusive and alcoholic partners. For 14 years, she did her best to raise her children as a single mother.

Lupita in front of the food bank mural she helped commission as a member of SCCC’s Participant Advisory Committee

Friends told her about SCCC in 2011, and she started taking classes here. First, it was the exercise (Zumba, yoga, walking club) and healthy cooking classes, then she learned about our parenting classes (Nurturing Parent, Active Parenting, and Circle of Parents), and finally she moved on to our computer-literacy (Bridging Digital Divides) and leadership (Family Leadership Training Institute – FLTI) classes. In addition to these programs, Lupita found that Sister Carmen offered resources that could help her. Our Advocates provided financial assistance for rent, utilities, and transportation when she had nowhere else to turn. They also connected her with our food bank and thrift store, as well as other agencies located within SCCC—like Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN), which helps survivors of domestic violence; Mental Health Partners, which provides therapy, and the Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition (CSPC), which strives to ensure that children in marginalized communities have the same access to education as any other child.

After making the most of every opportunity provided by Sister Carmen, Lupita was eager to give back to SCCC and pay it forward in her community. She started by joining our Participant Advisory Committee (PAC), which provides feedback to improve SCCC programs and services, and also plans events, like Community Fun Nights, and special projects, like a recently completed mural in our food bank and an upcoming playground project. She’s also the first to volunteer whenever a need arises—whether it’s filling in for a class facilitator or speaking at an event.

She uses the leadership skills she learned at SCCC outside of our walls as well, in her professional life and as an advocate for her community. Lupita recognizes that, “There are a lot of barriers for people in my community—language, skin color, education. They have a lot of skills, but can’t grow because of these barriers.”

So she helps remove the barriers. She asks her community members about their needs and learns how she can offer support. If they’re uncomfortable calling various agencies on their own, she calls on their behalf. She helps her friend run a catering business. She advocates for other small business owners as well. She volunteers with the Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) network of child-care providers and the Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition (CSPC) to promote the importance of early childhood education. She also provides child care for the Boulder Valley School District’s Families and Educators Together (FET) program. She helps facilitate lactation classes at the OUR Center in Longmont.

Two years ago, she started volunteering with Promotores Verdes (PV) —“Green Promoters”—a nonprofit that immerses families in nature and environmental activities. Lupita’s leadership skills were noticed at PV and she was hired by WRS Restoration, a company that plants trees to reforest mountain woodlands lost to wildfires, to lead the Spanish-speaking volunteers. She’s also involved with the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City and with Nature Kids at Thorne Nature Experience. Lastly, she’s an activist speaking up for the rights of immigrants. Lupita is not yet a U.S. citizen, but plans to apply as soon as she’s eligible next year.

This 40-year-old powerhouse wears a lot of hats—mother, teacher, volunteer, advocate, activist. And she’s grateful to SCCC for giving her the support and skills she needed to fulfill all of these roles, especially as a single mother and immigrant.

“Sister Carmen is my second home,” she shares. “It has always been a warm, welcoming, non-judgmental place where I could turn for help. It brought tranquility to my family in stressful times and gave me hope that everything would be okay.”

After living in Boulder County for over 25 years, Lupita recently moved out of our service area to live with her new partner and the father of her two youngest children. He’s been on the scene since 2015 and has opened his heart to Lupita and her whole crew. He purchased a home for the family in Dacono. He works hard to provide for them and supports Lupita in all her pursuits. Initially Lupita was sad to leave Boulder County because they couldn’t afford to buy a home here, but now she sees that Dacono may be where she’s meant to be. There are a lot of plans to improve the growing community, and of course she wants to help. We’re just grateful she still has the energy to keep giving back at SCCC as well!

Sue’s Story: An Unexpected Retirement

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At the end of a very successful career in property management, Sue decided to give back by spending her final years of employment working for an affordable housing rental company. When money was tight for tenants, she often referred them to Sister Carmen Community Center (SCCC) for the food bank, thrift store, or financial assistance. She never imagined that one day she might need any of these resources herself. That was, until she retired.

“It was a shock,” Sue says of receiving her first Social Security check. “It was a third of what I used to make.” She even considered going back to work at age 69, but she was the only one available to care for her ailing mother at that time.

Life had not gone according to plan. There were divorces and other family hardships. Sue helped raise her grandchildren because her son was a single father. She had to sell her townhome and drain her 401k to support other family members. First, her mother until she passed away in her nineties, and then her son who battled addiction for years before being involved in a catastrophic motorcycle accident that left him with a mountain of medical debt. The accident sobered him up, but left him disabled.

Unable to care for himself, Sue’s son moved in with her. Then her grandson followed after a break-up that left him homeless. Since space was tight in the two-bedroom, one-bath house, Sue’s granddaughter and her husband, who are doing well financially, bought a used RV for Sue’s grandson to live in on the property.

Today, at age 77, Sue’s fixed income is $2,000 per month. When she first rented the 100-year-old, 1,000 square-foot home on a plot of land in rural Erie nine years ago, she could make ends meet on her own. But since then, her rent has gone up $650 per month to $1,950, and it’s increasing another $100 this summer.

Sue offered to sign a 10-year lease if her landlord would let her stay at the current rent, but he refused. She started looking for a new home to rent, preferably one with enough land for the RV, in more affordable Brighton, but had no luck. Then COVID-19 hit, and the government implemented the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), which made it possible for Sue to stay in the home she loved… at least a little while longer.

ERAP brought some relief and stability to the family. It paid six months of rent in total. That assistance enabled Sue to save her Social Security income and extend the amount of time she could manage rent. It also allowed her to build a savings safety net that helped with paying off some of her son’s medical bills and staying current on her utility and trash bills. But now ERAP has ended. Sue received her final payment two months ago, so her search for a more affordable property continues. She hopes she doesn’t have to move too far away from the area she’s called home for 30 years.

“I hang on to what I have and fix everything on my own (appliances, water heater, etc.) because three of us are living here for what I’m paying, and there’s enough room for all of us,” she explains. Sue also drives a 23-year-old truck.

If not for her extreme frugality and resourcefulness, and the help of her family, Sue would not be able to meet her monthly expenses. Sometimes, even all of that is not enough. That’s when she turns to Sister Carmen.

SCCC fills in the gaps for Sue and people like her who make too much money to qualify for government assistance, like affordable housing or SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Allowance Program), but not enough to really survive in today’s economy. Over the years, Sister Carmen has provided Sue with resources to stay afloat. She shops our food bank twice a month and the Colorado Pet Pantry, which visits SCCC monthly, every other month to feed her beloved rescue dog, Bambi. “I never take more than I need,” Sue says.

Our Advocates have also helped her connect with energy benefits like the Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) and Energy Outreach Colorado. We’ve even helped with her rent over the years when her Social Security income hasn’t kept pace with the cost of housing. “Rent and utilities keep going up, and it’s hitting seniors harder than anybody,” says Sue. “We’re all struggling.”

After doing all the right things her whole life—working hard, saving money, buying a home, and taking care of her family—it would make sense for Sue to be bitter about struggling in retirement, but she remains positive and upbeat.

“I really believe if you keep laughing and smiling, you’ll make it through. I find ways to be happy because this is it for me. Enjoy life! We don’t get a second chance. No one has a perfect life. We all have our troubles. We all cry. We all ask God why,” says Sue.

She feels fortunate to have supportive family nearby and a son who’s clean and sober again. She saw people with far less when she worked in low-income housing. While there are no exotic travel plans for this retiree, she finds joy in simple pleasures: gardening, sewing, thrift store shopping, and spending time with family, friends, and pets.

“I’ve had a good life,” Sue says. “I still have a good life.”

Jackie’s Story: A Brave Mother Creates a Better Life for her Son

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This holiday season, we want to share with you the story of a brave and resilient mother who sometimes feels overwhelmed but knows she is never alone, thanks to supporters like you.

Jackie’s story began in the St. Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands with the dream of a better life for her son. While St. Thomas may be paradise for vacationers, it’s a hard place for locals to eke out a living due to limited job prospects, a poor school system, expensive housing, and a general lack of the basic goods and services that we take for granted in the states.

Knowing that the schools in St. Thomas did not provide the educational opportunities their son needed to create a better life, Jackie and her husband made the difficult decision for her to move with their son to Colorado. Originally from Jordan, her husband was not able to immigrate with his family at that time. He filed paperwork to re-enter the U.S. earlier this year, and now they wait. He has tried to contribute to the family’s income over the years, but was never able to find work that paid well enough to really help.

Jackie and her son settled into a Boulder County Housing Authority unit in Lafayette in May 2015. She enrolled him in high school and found a job at a big-box store. While she knew she was doing the right thing for her son, she often felt overwhelmed by the responsibility of keeping the family afloat.

Jackie first discovered Sister Carmen Community Center (SCCC) seven years ago when a friend and former SCCC participant recommended our Family Resource Center to her. Since then, Sister Carmen has occasionally helped Jackie with basic needs such as food, rent, and utilities. Now she is working on goal setting with her Advocate, Brittany. Her first priority: finding a new job.

After experiencing health problems related to her job this summer—severe, chronic nosebleeds caused by the heat in the bakery and the physical strain of lifting heavy items—Jackie decided it was time to look for a new job—ideally one with less stress, higher wages, and better benefits. Because the store was understaffed and she was crossed-trained in the bakery and the deli, Jackie was constantly running back and forth to serve customers. She was making about $18/hour, but it was hard to make ends meet with the high cost of rent, groceries and gas, not to mention the bills from her recent hospital visits. She had insurance, but it only covered a portion of her trips to the emergency room to treat her nosebleeds and the procedure required to stop them. She arranged payment plans with the hospitals, and then met with Brittany to devise a plan to leave her job.

She searched job postings online and wanted to apply to some, but needed help writing a résumé and uploading it to a job-search website. Once again, she turned to SCCC for help. Brittany helped Jackie with her résumé, and Lara, from our Bridging Digital Divides computer literacy program, helped her with the technological aspects of applying for work online.

Success! Jackie got a new job as an in-home caregiver for seniors. The starting pay is about the same as what she was making at the big-box store, but the new job offers a better future and better benefits, while also being less stressful and physically demanding. Soon she’ll start training to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Earning the CNA designation will allow Jackie to grow professionally and increase her earning potential. If the cost of CNA training is not covered by her new employer, Jackie will receive tuition assistance from Sister Carmen’s new program, Pathways to Economic Stability.

Jackie is not the only family member striving toward success in the healthcare field. Her son recently graduated with honors from CU Boulder with a Pre-Med degree and is currently pursuing a career as an anesthesiologist. He is also in the process of getting his CNA certification so that he can work part-time to contribute to the household income while attending medical school.

Grateful for all she’s received from SCCC, Jackie is always eager to give back. She has been involved in several Sister Carmen programs over the years. Jackie is a graduate of the Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI), a program designed to develop effective civic leaders who can help build healthy families and communities. She’s also served on our Participant Advisory Committee (PAC), which provides feedback and support to improve our programs and services. Volunteering in the Sister Carmen Community Center Garden is another way Jackie has given back, and of course sharing her story:

“I want to share my story because Sister Carmen has been there for me, and I am grateful. It’s a place where anyone who is destitute or experiencing a difficult situation can come and get help. Sister Carmen shouldn’t be a secret! I want everyone to know that there are caring, concerned, helpful people in the world, and that they are going to do whatever they can to assist you, especially if you have a family.” — Jackie

From the COVID pandemic to the Marshall Fire to a 40-year-high inflation rate, it’s been another year of historic challenges at Sister Carmen. The power of community has seen us through, and we’re so grateful you’re a part of ours. We hope you’ll consider making a year-end gift to ensure we’ll continue to be here to support families like Jackie’s whenever they need us. Thank you.

The Jounou Family Story: “Mashallah”

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“Mashallah”—an Arabic phrase used to express a feeling of awe or beauty regarding an event that means “what God has willed has happened”

You may remember the Jounou family: mother Hanifa (age 65), her sister, Aisha (57), Hanifa’s two daughters, Radi (35) and Bana (28), and her two sons, Hamid (33) and Yussef (27). (Hanifa’s husband died in 2009.) In 2013, the family fled war-torn Syria and spent six years in a refugee camp in Lebanon, where they devoted their time to helping settle other refugee families, before moving to the United States in 2019.

We first shared their story not long after they arrived in Lafayette to live with their sponsor, Kathy, who met the family on a mission trip to Lebanon in 2016. Here’s a brief recap and update on the progress they’ve made in just three short years.

The Jounous were referred to Sister Carmen because we have an Advocate, Zoya, who is fluent in Arabic. She was able to connect with the family not only through language, but also on a community and cultural level. She helped them find an Arabic-speaking church in Aurora and also enrolled them in English classes. Within weeks of being in the United States, the four adult children had all secured Green Cards and found jobs: one at King Soopers, one at The Home Depot, one in housekeeping, and one in a restaurant.

Bana recalls meeting Zoya for the first time at Sister Carmen Community Center, “We immediately felt at peace after being interviewed by Zoya in our own language. We knew we could trust her. She has been a blessing to our family ever since.”

The Jounous’ House

In the beginning, Zoya assisted the family by serving as their interpreter while tackling the tasks of being a newcomer—like opening a bank account, applying for a job, and getting a learner’s permit to drive. When generous donors wanted to give a used minivan to a Sister Carmen family in need, she knew just the one to recommend. The hardworking Jounous are more independent these days, but Zoya remains a trusted resource. About a year ago, they saved enough money for a down payment and bought a house in Erie. They sought Zoya’s approval prior to making the purchase.

She has truly become a part of their extended family, and their family is growing! This past March, Bana married an American she met while working at King Soopers. Zoya was at the wedding of course, beaming like a proud Auntie. Hamid also married in November of 2021 in Iraq. He filed the paperwork to bring his wife to the United States eight months ago and checks his application status online every day, hoping for progress.

When asked why they wanted to share their story, Hamid gave two main reasons: “We want to encourage other refugees, let them know that America is still a land of opportunity, that people are nice and welcoming. And we want to make a good example of what refugees can be: hard-working, learning English, and striving for a better life here.”

“Auntie Zoya” at Bana’s wedding

Hanifa’s four children all hope to become U.S. citizens one day. For now, they are focused on improving their English. They look forward to studying business and perhaps starting businesses of their own—Yussef as a photographer, and Bana and Radi as restaurant owners.

Three years ago, feeling desperate and alone as a refugee in a new country, Bana often found herself asking God, “Why did you send me here?”

She doesn’t ask God “Why?” anymore. Her family is safe and content, building a new life in America. “It’s Mashallah.”

Thanks for A Great Garden Season!

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The Sister Carmen Community Center (SCCC) Garden contributes about 1,000 pounds of produce to our Food Bank each year, but it provides so much more to our community! Beyond nutritional sustenance, it offers beauty, serenity, and a sense of community and purpose, while also honoring our commitment to sustainability. The garden transforms all who enter it. Most days, you’ll find staff enjoying lunch under the pergola adjacent to the garden. Its flowers grace our desks and greet our guests in the lobby.

Our garden volunteers include families with toddler to teenage kids, retirees, corporate groups, schools and youth groups. They bond and build community as they work together to nurture and harvest nature’s bounty. Visitors always leave our little patch of earth with smiles on their faces. This is due in large part to our Garden Coordinator Robyn Rathweg, who has kept SCCC’s garden running smoothly for almost a decade. Robyn is always happy to share her vast gardening knowledge. She can often be heard welcoming young visitors with the phrase, “Who likes bugs?!” as she ushers them into the garden.

As summer winds down, we’re sharing a glimpse into our garden before another magical season comes to an end. We pause to reflect on the joy the garden has brought to so many this season, and we thank our volunteers and visitors for being a huge part of that joy.

On any given morning April through October, you’ll find volunteers in Sister Carmen’s Community Garden watering, pruning, harvesting, arranging flowers, and laughing. For some it’s a place to connect with the earth, for others it’s a place to connect with fellow gardeners or to learn from Robyn. For most—it’s a combination of factors that keeps them coming back week after week, season after season.

First, a little background on our garden and its caretaker: The garden was started in 2012 after Sister Carmen Community Center moved to our current location and had some land available for a garden plot. Robyn joined SCCC in 2014 and took over management of the garden.

Robyn Rathweg
SCCC Garden Coordinator

Robyn received her Colorado Master Gardener (CMG) certification through Boulder County’s Colorado State University Extension Office. The office’s website states that “Master Gardeners enhance Colorado communities through outreach, education and environmental stewardship.” Robyn does all of this and more for the Sister Carmen Community Center Garden.

Becoming a gardener was less of a decision and more of a state of being for Robyn. It was in her DNA. Her mother grew up on a farm in the Midwest, and she instilled a love of gardening in Robyn. “We always had a small garden when I was growing up in the suburbs of Ohio and Wisconsin.”

Gardening has continued to be a source of joy throughout Robyn’s life. “It’s my way of connecting with the natural world,” she says. “There are endless things to learn about nature, plants, animals, and fungus in a garden. It’s sometimes frustrating, but also endlessly interesting.”

“It’s important to connect with the natural world and be in the presence of living beings, especially things beyond our control,” she continues. “We prepare the soil, plant seeds, water, but Gaia (Greek goddess of Earth, mother of all life) does the rest. Gardening helps us understand our place in the world.”

Robyn enjoys working with experienced and beginning gardeners alike. She loves to consult with seasoned volunteers and introduce novices to the wonder of the garden. “I love working with kids—getting them to pay attention to what’s going on around them and become more connected to the world. It grounds them.”

And then there are our volunteers. “We really have an amazing group,” she says. “They are dedicated, knowledgeable, fun and kind.”

The feeling is mutual.

Katie, a new Colorado resident who left behind a large garden in Virginia, was suffering from “garden withdrawal.” Sister Carmen’s Community Center Garden was the perfect fix. She loves being outside, finds the garden very inspirational, loves that children often visit, and enjoys spending time with her new garden buddies. “I was blessed to have found it,” she shares. “Robyn is so welcoming.”

Another avid gardener, Cheryl, a third generation Boulder County resident, has volunteered in the garden for about a year. She loves working with Robyn in the garden as well. “She’s knowledgeable, kind, and easy to work with.”

Laurie, Caleb & Cassie

“Robyn teaches us so much,” Laurie agrees. She started volunteering with her two sons, Ethan and Caleb, about five years ago. Living in a townhome without a yard, Laurie was looking for an activity she could do outside with her boys. Sister Carmen’s garden fit the bill. Ethan built the compost bins years ago for his Eagle Scout project. Now he’s off at college and younger brother Caleb continues the family tradition with his mom and often brings his girlfriend, Cassie, along.

Another volunteer, Georgette, a 30-plus year Lafayette resident, is here every week working and playing in the garden. She’s been known to dare Caleb to eat another Japanese beetle—it happened once—telling how Robyn shared recipes using Japanese beetles with the garden crew. Georgette also brings her children and grandchildren to the garden when they visit from out of state.

Georgette and Family

More than anything, Robyn says she’s happy so many people have found sanctuary in the garden, and that SCCC staff members appreciate it so much. “I love their reactions when we bring flowers around the office,” she adds.

The process of closing the garden for the season is weather dependent, but usually begins in October. This year, Robyn is hoping to construct a “cold frame” or “hoop house” (modified greenhouse-type structure) out of PVC pipe and plastic sheeting to extend the gardening season. If you’d like to help with this project or the garden in general, contact Robyn. We’ll see you next Spring, if not sooner!

Fill Your Cup While Helping Others Fill Their Plates

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By Kyle Staarmann, RN
Garden Volunteer

Sister Carmen Garden started in 2012 as a way to support the food bank and the mission of the organization, which has been feeding local families for 40 years. After spending a morning with the staff and volunteers in the garden, it is clear that it is in fact so much more than that.

After the past two years, surviving a global pandemic, historic fires and the challenges presented by everyday life, we all may feel our cups are running empty. It may feel harder to show up to work your most engaged self, to feel truly present with friends and family, and to feel that our self-care activities are doing the trick. I know that I’ve been in that place recently, running closer to empty than normal, hoping to find the rejuvenation I’ve been struggling to grasp.

Enter the whimsical, sunny, productive garden at sister carmen. A small plot growing everything from basil to carrots, with pumpkins, beans and tomatoes set to climb up trellises as the summer grows into fall. Flowers line the northeast side, a home for pollinators and a contributor to the brightening of the Sister Carmen office space, as volunteers distribute bouquets throughout the building to brighten everyday rooms. The garden is a home of its own, providing space and food for creatures like caterpillars to blossom into beautiful butterflies.

After only a few morning hours there, I felt a refresh I’ve been craving for months.

There are many ways to volunteer in the Sister Carmen Garden. Robyn, the extraordinary, passionate and knowledgeable caretaker, hosts camps of kids, corporate teams, and individuals alike to join her in the space that offers food and fuel for both body and soul. Tasks include picking vegetables, parceling portions for the food bank shelves, building fencing or garden boxes, and turning compost. Needs are tailored to meet the skills and goals of each individual or group of volunteers of all ages and differing talents.

The food grown in the garden goes into the Sister Carmen food bank, working to feed more than 50 families every day. This all organic, locally grown produce allows families in times of need to feel refreshed and proud of the food put on their table. The power of a good meal can go a long way to helping an individual get back on his or her feet.

So if you are feeling, perhaps, that your cup has been a little drained, your team could use an influx of fresh energy, or your family is seeming sluggish and disconnected, come volunteer at the Sister Carmen Garden! It promises to be a day of rejuvenation and connection to earth, all while providing valuable support for the Lafayette community and beyond.

Contact Robyn to find out more about volunteering opportunities in the garden.

“We may think we are nurturing our garden, but of course it’s our garden that is really nurturing us.” – Jenny Unglow

Bonnie’s Story: A Marshall Fire Survivor’s Recovery Journey

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At 92, Bonnie has seen a lot in her lifetime, but nothing like the fire that took her Boulder County home on December 30, 2021. Bonnie is the oldest known survivor of the Marshall Fire. And survivor is the perfect word to describe her. But it hasn’t been easy.

Fortunately, Bonnie is supported by a caring community and family, especially her son and caregiver, David. In the days and weeks following the Marshall Fire, Sister Carmen Community Center was overwhelmed with generosity from near and far, and that support enabled us to help people like Bonnie.

With just minutes to evacuate her home of more than 70 years, Bonnie left with little more than the clothes on her back. Her cell phone and critical medical supplies were left behind. Sister Carmen was able to provide Bonnie with a donated iPhone and financial assistance for an oxygen concentrator, necessary adaptive devices for her temporary living situation, and a walker. We also provided gift cards for essential items (groceries, clothing, household goods, etc.) and restaurants, as well as food from our food bank.

Bonnie originally stayed with friends, but recently moved into Balfour’s assisted-living facility in Louisville while her home is being rebuilt. “It’s a nice, calming place for her to be now,” says David, who is navigating the complex rebuilding process for her. At this writing (late June 2022, six months post-fire), Bonnie’s property has been cleared, but that’s it.

Most people think everything will return to normal in a couple of years, but David looks to the Paradise Fire in California to set expectations for a more realistic recovery timeline. “It’s taken more like five to eight years there to recover, and that was before COVID and supply chain delays,” he adds.

And yet, returning to a normal routine is what Bonnie and David crave the most. As her caregiver, David used to go over twice a day to fix Bonnie meals, do some yardwork, and help with other tasks. Bonnie spent endless hours in her garden. “All that has stopped. The only way to fully recover is to get the house rebuilt, but that is a very stressful and time-consuming process — dealing with the insurance company, the county, architects and builders,” says David.

SCCC Advocate Lauren with Bonnie

He’s doing his best to cope with the situation and not get stressed out by it. “Because then everyone around you gets stressed out by your stress, and that’s not fair to anybody. For me, I just try to minimize exposing other people to what I’m going through because they can’t tell. You can’t tell if someone’s been a fire victim or not, or a medical victim or not, or a cancer victim or not. You just don’t know. Just be nice. That’s the goal.”

A peace symbol (made by local artist, Mitch Levin, and pictured here with Lauren and Bonnie) is David’s reminder to himself and others to “just be nice” throughout the recovery process.

“Everyone just needs extra help right now. Fire victims are mentally stuck from operating in chaos mode,” David explains. “Recovery is a cycle of ups and downs. We need to create and celebrate small successes to give people hope.”

“Until there’s a house on the property, it’s still a very desolate place,” David says. “It’s emotional. You have to release that. It doesn’t do much for you.”

He and Bonnie try to appreciate the present:  Bonnie is being well cared for at Balfour and has reconnected with some neighbors from her past, while also forging new friendships through sharing meals and participating in activities at Balfour. David has also made some new friends during the process. They will carry their new friends with them as they continue on their journey of recovery.

David also stays positive by focusing on the things he can control, like taking care of himself and Bonnie — nourishing their bodies and souls with good food, physical fitness, spirituality, and doing good in the world.

“Signs of the Time:” rebuilding and healing will take time

And moving some dirt around also helps… “I got a tractor, and I’m moving dirt [on the property]. I do what I can and try to forget about the rest,” he says.

Bonnie agrees as she chimes in: “The best thing is not to think about it all the time, and to have a good son! I could not do this without David’s help.”

It will take years, but Bonnie looks forward to growing her own garden and spending time with family and friends once again in her own beloved home.

David and Tuck: Finding Hope after Facing Homelessness

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This holiday season, we want to share with you a very important story of an individual who needed help, healing, and hope — and got just that at Sister Carmen Community Center, thanks to supporters like you.

Eight years ago, David moved to Lafayette with his teenage daughter and his dog Tuck.

“I was a teacher, and I absolutely loved it — connecting with kids, watching their minds grow. It’s amazing. I was always independent. Ever since I was a teenager, I always had a job, an income. I was good about saving money for emergencies and retirement.” 

But in 2018, David was in a car accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury. Even long after he was mostly physically recovered, David struggled to stay focused and get back into the classroom. These new and unique mental challenges led to the loss of his teaching job. “I lost my confidence,” David told us.

David’s daughter was now 18 and going to college, but he needed employment that would at least provide health insurance for the both of them. He took a job at a warehouse making a mere $15 per hour — not nearly enough to make rent, let alone to cover other basic necessities.

His savings dwindled down to almost nothing. He was exhausted, working up to 17 hours a day on his feet, and could feel it taking a toll on his body. David worked until he physically could work no longer, eventually losing his warehouse job as well. With the loss of his job came the loss of his apartment and his much-needed health insurance.

With Tuck by his side, David now faced homelessness. “I was couch surfing when and where I could. I was looking at YouTube videos on how to convert a car into a home. It’s amazing how quickly you can go from living up to everyone else’s expectations … with a great education, I could do anything I wanted up until the car accident — then it was one big slugfest. And it was pretty lonesome.”

David had heard of Sister Carmen when he first moved to Lafayette, but he had never asked for help before. Now, at his loneliest hour, David came to Sister Carmen and met with an Advocate who introduced him to resources and helped him make a plan.

The first step was getting him safely housed. We arranged a short-term rental for him to stay in until he was accepted into the long-term Housing Stabilization Program. “After that, I was drawing my first real breaths in a long time. There was so much depression and anxiety that came with living in my car. You have to be kind to yourself and really pull yourself through.”

In 2020, David got a job at a pharmacy and successfully exited the HSP program. He moved his way up to working as a pharmacy technician — a position that, luckily, was considered essential during the pandemic.

“I remember this was the first time I got to sleep in a really long time. When people show that they have faith in you, then you heal. If you show that you have faith in someone then they learn to have hope for themselves.”

In December 2020, before vaccines were widely available, another round of bad luck hit David: he caught COVID-19 and became extremely ill.

“I took ten days off work, but even then, I still had trouble getting out of bed. I could hardly breathe. I was also experiencing long-COVID symptoms like brain fog. My doctor suggested I cut back the hours I worked.”

In March it became clear that his employers weren’t willing to accommodate his new adjusted schedule, and David was once again let go. His landlord wouldn’t let him renew his lease, so he wasn’t protected by eviction moratoriums. Desperate, he turned to Sister Carmen again.

SCCC helped cover the first month’s rent and deposit to get him re-housed. We connected him to a rental assistance program for those who were financially affected by COVID-19 that will keep him safely housed for 12 months while he gets back on his feet. David’s goal is to find a job that pays a living wage again so he won’t be in danger of falling behind from one bad illness or some bad luck. His wish is to return to his true calling as a teacher.

“I have the confidence again and can remember that teacher in me, that’s prepared and connected with every student,” he recalls. “One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that being independent is good, but having a team is important. The people of Lafayette and the people at Sister Carmen became my family. It’s tough to ask for help. [Sister Carmen is] one of the only entities I know that will give people the benefit of the doubt… that will come from a place of empathy first and incentivizing instead of being disciplinary. And it’s always been consistent.”

David’s story is unique, but he’s one of hundreds of individuals that Sister Carmen Community Center helps every year. We ask that you consider not only them, but all the individuals and families who are in need of our help this holiday season. We can only do the life-changing work we do with the support of our community. Help us offer hope and second chances by contributing today.

“I’m just so grateful. There really aren’t words. My advice to anyone in a similar situation would be simply to reach out. Don’t be afraid. Reach out. And beyond your wildest imagination, there is love for you in places you would never expect.” – David and Tuck

Too Sick to Work: How Robert’s Family Faced Homelessness while he Battled Cancer

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In 2019, Robert was working a steady job in Florida while caring for his aging mother, his 16 year old daughter, and his younger brother with special needs. Robert’s mother had relatives in Colorado that were going through a tough time and his mother wanted the family to move to be closer to them. Robert thought these family members would help them until they got situated, but the very same night they arrived in Colorado, Robert was told they couldn’t stay and they were forced to go elsewhere. While staying with a friend temporarily, his mother had a bad fall tripping over their dog and seriously injured her shoulder. Robert was forced to find a better situation for his family and all he could find on such short notice was a small hotel room.

While trying to find a more permanent job, Robert was making ends meet by working for drive-sharing companies. This quickly fell into a cycle of making only just enough money during the day to pay for his car payment, their food, and cover the cost of the hotel room for the next night. Robert was barely keeping his head above water and could only manage to look ahead a few days at a time. Then, in spring of 2020, Robert began to fall ill.

As the days and weeks went by Robert was feeling sicker. He didn’t have insurance so he put off going to the doctor. When he was so ill he couldn’t work anymore and the family faced homelessness Robert finally went to the hospital where he was diagnosed with cancer. His family was again able to stay with a friend temporarily and the hospital staff helped get him signed up for Medicaid to cover the cost of treatment. But Robert still worried about the well-being of his loved ones since working while he sought treatment would be impossible and they still had no place to live. That’s when they were connected to Sister Carmen Community Center.

The family had utilized some of Sister Carmen’s services occasionally such as the food bank. His experience with SCCC had always been that they were friendly and understanding, but he had no idea how much they could help him now. After reaching out, Robert was connected with an Advocate who listened to his family’s situation, offered him options and advice, and shortly enrolled him into a program to get them housed. By August of 2020 the family had a safe place to live where they could afford rent until Robert recovered. This gave him the peace of mind to know his family was cared for and he could focus on treatment and getting his life under control.

Over the next 6 months Robert had undergone 2 surgeries, 2 rounds of chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. In February of 2021 he was finally declared to be in remission! Robert has also been taking real estate classes and plans to work as a realtor once he passes his exam.

“You guys are life savers. The doctor told me that if I had waited 6 more months to get treatment it would’ve been too late. If I didn’t have a place to stay and continued to push through working as much as I had to make ends meet, then I definitely wouldn’t have been able to continue with the treatment I needed.”

To anyone else who is struggling Robert says, “Just keep your head up. It’s always going to get better. No matter what happens just push forward and you’ll make it through. My grandma taught me, ‘it doesn’t matter what else goes on, you just got to keep pushing forward.”