Bob and Betty, a loving elderly couple, spent much of their lives secure and happy—working hard and living the dream in California. Unfortunately, the recession hit them hard: Bob, a contract worker, was laid off, there was no work to be found in his industry, and housing costs were quickly on the rise. They knew staying in California was unsustainable, so they tried moving to the Colorado Rockies and starting over. During the next 5 years, Bob found unreliable on-again off-again contract work and the couple were barely getting by. Social security was not enough to cover the necessities, and their savings slowly dwindled away.
Then Bob found a good job opportunity in Boulder, so they packed up along with their two cats and moved to Lafayette in their truck—a seemingly temporary necessity—when the job fell through.
So in the spring of 2019, the couple found themselves living out of their truck in an unfamiliar area with no money and no friends or family that could help. Their phone was turned off when they couldn’t pay their bill. They moved the truck from place to place every night, because they weren’t allowed to camp anywhere for long and their gas was disappearing.
“We were just floating,” said Betty.
Bob said they never imagined they’d be in such a situation: he was employable, has a lot of skills, they were responsible and have good credit. Things just shouldn’t be going this way.
“But we never felt sorry for ourselves or less than. People need to know that if they’re in a situation like ours, they still count, they matter,” said Betty.
But the couple stayed resilient and were extremely resourceful. Soon after being in the area, they found hot meals available at Josephine Commons and help from a local church they began attending. The Lafayette Senior Center became a place for Betty to spend the day, where she could shower, exercise, have some tea and muffins while Bob used the computers to find work. But Bob said the hardest thing to get was gas. No one really offered gas money, the truck was their only home and transportation, “and it’s a gas guzzler,” said Bob.
Betty said the hardest time for her was losing her beloved cat, Mickey, who usually spent every night curled inside her sleeping bag with her, but ran away while they were moving their truck. Weeks went by and they had driven all over town trying to find him. Then, after dropping Betty off at the Senior Center one day, Bob saw Mickey just walk right by him! Betty and Mickey were finally reunited.
The couple was initially referred to Sister Carmen Community Center for help with food, but they found so much more. They met with an SCCC Advocate several times and were eventually connected to Brittany, SCCC’s Advocate Manager for more support. Bob and Betty said that Brittany is a very special person and that often just having someone to talk to makes the biggest difference.
“We didn’t know where to go or how to get started. But this (SCCC) was a haven. The difference with Sister Carmen is that once you walked in, there’s like an aura of compassion, caring, and an outpouring of love. Everyone made us feel like we were doing okay, but they can help us get better. We kept reminding ourselves this would only be temporary.”
Not only did Bob and Betty get food for themselves, but they got cat food from the Pet Pantry that comes once a week, they were able to get connected with gas cards, money to cover some medication of Betty’s when it ran out, and most importantly, a deposit and first month’s rent to get into an apartment. In September, after five months of living in their truck and just as Sister Carmen was helping the couple to get housed, Bob finally secured a job! They moved into their new place and spent the first night in just their sleeping bags on the floor. The next day they woke up to the first snow of the year and were so grateful they didn’t have to spend the night in the truck.
After they were housed, SCCC gave them thrift store vouchers to help get settled in their apartment while they were still getting things out of storage. They are now happily settled.
“It’s important for people to know that it gets frustrating,” said Betty, “but if you have a good attitude that helps a lot.”
Rhianna’s Story
in Stories“You need someone to continually motivate you and SCCC helped me to have a voice.”
Rhianna is a single mother of three children, one of whom is disabled. After being married for ten years, and shortly after learning of their son’s diagnoses, Rhianna’s husband abandoned the family. She did her best to provide for her children and build a life for them on her own. They moved into a low-income apartment and between working as a Door Dash driver and child support payments she was able to just make ends meet while also working toward a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice—until the payments suddenly stopped with no warning and COVID made it nearly impossible to work or attend school while also watching her children full-time. In June of 2020, the family was unfairly evicted from their home and spent the next 5 months living in a tent on the street.
She tried to save up money doing Door Dash so she could get back into a home before winter, but even after she had enough money for a deposit, Rhianna quickly learned that no place would approve her for an apartment when she had a recent eviction on her record. Desperate to get the care she needed for her youngest child—who suffers from muscular dystrophy—Rhianna reached out to Imagine Colorado. They were able to set her up in a hotel temporarily and referred her to Sister Carmen Community Center.
SCCC’s full-time Advocate, Hugo, worked closely with Rhianna on her case to get her approved for the Housing Stabilization Program (HSP), which got her into an apartment and covered her deposit and 3 month’s rent to start. She was even given a voucher to the Sister Carmen Thrift Store with so she could get household items for the children.
SCCC then referred Rhianna to a program to become a Certified Nursing Assistance (CNA) and get paid to be her son’s own caregiver. Rhianna told us that before coming to SCCC she wouldn’t have been ready to take on something like the CNA program, but felt that because the opportunity was made available and someone gave her the encouraging push she needed that she felt more sure of herself.
Now, Rhianna feels like her family can finally be truly self-sufficient. Her son has the care he needs, and the ability to work from home and have steady income has allowed her to continue school again and she looks forward to earning her degree. She speaks to SCCC staff weekly. “They check-in and ask how things are going. They work with me to get any information I need. My Advocate pushes me to the right places. Brittany—the Advocate Manager—is the magic wand voice of all voices. She reaches out for classes that I might be interested in or says ‘here’s a job opportunity’ and encourages me to stay connected…I feel like I can reach out to them no matter what’s going on.”
National Volunteer Month: Celebrating Food Bank Volunteers Nancy and Harry Blum
in StoriesApril is National Volunteer month, and Sister Carmen had over 400 active volunteers who worked a total of over 18,500 last year–certainly something to celebrate! Two of those volunteers are Nancy and Harry Blum.
Nancy and Harry have been wonderful, dedicated volunteers for many years, volunteering over 1,200 hours! They have volunteered multiple shifts during the pandemic, when we needed help the most. They are quick to take on any job that’s needed, and help show new volunteers the ropes. Nancy and Harry are compassionate, fun, and hardworking volunteers. They live at Anthem Ranch, and have done outreach for volunteer recruitment, food drives, and more. We are extremely lucky to have such kind and devoted volunteers.
“Nancy and Harry Blum are truly our Food Bank volunteer rock stars! They began volunteering in July of 2017 and have devoted countless hours over these past 3 years to improving the overall organization and running of our Food Bank. Like clockwork, 3 times a week for 3 hours each time, they always arrive with enthusiasm, compassion, efficiency and a wonderful sense of humor! Their commitment to volunteering is exceptional.”–Ruth Perry, Food Bank Manager
In their words:
“Harry and I have been volunteering 3 days a week (about 72 hours a month) at Sister Carmen Food Bank since May of 2017. We moved to Anthem Ranch in Broomfield from Southern California in 2016 to be close to family. Even though there are a lot of ways to spend your day when you retire, volunteering has always been a part of our lives. Volunteering at a food bank was a natural for Harry since he retired from working part time at Trader Joes for 9 years. I did many years of volunteer work with dog rescues, community outreach, and nonprofit organizations, after our retirement from working together selling real estate. We simply needed a purpose in our lives and a way to give back. Sister Carmen Food Bank was the answer. What we love about our “jobs” is that it is not really a job, it is fun, and we always do something different each day and with wonderful coworkers. We call it our “food bank family” as this is like our second home. Harry loves bringing in all the breads, pastries, produce and Whole Foods and Costco prepared foods when the truck comes in and stocking all the shelves. He is a big hand to Ruth, our hard working fearless leader lifting and organizing food items in the warehouse. I enjoy projects like assembling toiletry and goodie bags for the families in need, stocking all the pastries and bread on the shelves, helping with the produce, putting little goodies in food boxes and just making sure everything is organized. I love to hear Harry laughing and having fun with his coworkers. We are constantly busy, moving and getting plenty of exercise. Yes, we are tired at the end of our shift, however, it is a great feeling to be needed and give back to the community.” –Nancy and Harry Blum
Want to join our team of volunteers? Click here to learn more.
The Food Bank Pays it Forward
in Stories, UncategorizedIn 2020, many local farmers and ranchers were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as their biggest buyers (restaurants) closed down. Sister Carmen Community Center was fortunate enough to receive funding from Boulder County, the CARES Act, Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, and Colorado State’s Food Pantry Assistance program. By partnering with local producers—Wisdom Natural Poultry, Ollin Farms, El Mercado, Vitamin Cottage, and Morning Fresh Dairy—we were able to supplement our donated typically non-perishable items with fresh nutritious foods including vegetables, eggs, dairy, and poultry. We were even able to purchase culturally appropriate foods for the holidays—something that we wouldn’t have been able to do without the additional funding. This support greatly helped us to keep up with the demand we were seeing in the community, but this funding also had the added benefit of helping those local producers—doubly giving back to those in need:
Jay and Cindy Wisdom of Wisdom Natural Poultry: “We first came to hear of Sister Carmen when one of your wonderful supporters contacted us to buy our product to be delivered to the community center to help with the increased demand for the food challenged at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the state closed down in March, we lost nearly 100% of our business when the restaurants and Farmers Market would be closed until further notice. It was the single most devastating thing that has ever happened to us. We started to change our business plan for more direct sales to individuals, but, without the help of that supporter and Sister Carmen buying from us we would not have survived this very hard time. COVID-19 is far from over and we would very much like to continue to do business with Sister Carmen.”
Kena and Mark Guttridge of Ollin Farms: “Working with Sister Carmen had a positive impact on our business in 2020. Our farm had increased our vegetable production and saw our outlets shift or get cancelled due to COVID so supplying different food access programs became key in our farms economic survival as we transitioned our business model. Our experience with SCCC was extremely positive. At Ollin Farms we are passionate about growing nutrient dense food that can provide health to our local community, we have worked with a number of organizations over the years on food access programs, so partnering with Sister Carmen and seeing our produce go through their distribution channels to reach a greater audience was great. The values and goals of Ollin Farms for growing healthier communities align so well with the same values and work that Sister Carmen has been championing for years, these are the kind of community partnerships that we appreciate most, and we would love to continue to work with Sister Carmen. Let’s keep growing it!”
Finding Strength in Hard Times: One Participant’s Journey
in StoriesThrift Store Holiday Shopping Ideas
in GivingIt’s unfortunate that many of us associate the holidays with spending exorbitant amounts on new gifts, décor and just a ton of STUFF leading to a more stressful season than we enjoyed as kids. But with a little creativity—and by shopping at the thrift store—you can have all the things for your dream holiday season without going broke before the new year! Here are some ideas to get you started…
Name Brand Clothes:
Sister Carmen Thrift Store only puts clothing out on the floor if it is in good, clean condition. We often receive high-end quality items including name brand clothing and handbags, winter coats and jackets, cashmere and wool sweaters, NFL and other sportswear, quality office attire including suit jackets, and special occasion dresses—sometimes even bridal dresses! Beautiful scarves are available for only $1. All of these items can set you back hundreds of dollars at a retail store, but they’re a steal at the thrift store! Found a super good deal, but not your size? Buy it for a friend!
Children’s Gifts and Clothes:
We’ve probably all heard the phrase “you’ll just grow out of it in a month!” Now you can get your child that super cute NFL jersey and it won’t matter that they’ll grow out of it for $5! And we know kids won’t play with all of the toys they put on their Christmas list, so sometimes it doesn’t feel worth it, but if you buy inexpensive items at the thrift store then you can go ahead and fill the space under the tree without feeling guilty. Or maybe that will save you enough for an extra special gift down the road—like college. Speaking of which…
Books:
We have plenty of children’s and adult books! This is definitely the number 1 quarantine gift this year to keep everyone busy indoors. We also carry a ton of cookbooks, a great holiday gift that gives us all something new to try this season. Buy a book for each family member based on their unique interests!
Vintage Jewelry:
Beautiful. Unique. Affordable. What else could you ask for in a gift? Sister Carmen often receives some VERY nice high end jewelry including gold, sterling silver, and gemstones. You never know what you might find! Plus, vintage costume jewelry is very IN right now. A gorgeous set of turquoise earrings—that you only spent a few dollars on—would make a great stocking stuffer!
Arts and Crafts:
We all have some extra time on our hands this year. Why not create something by hand to make your gift even more heartfelt? Sometimes just cleaning, painting, or reupholstering a piece will breath fresh life into it. Check out our home décor and furniture and see if you can find the potential to turn something into a treasure!
Baking:
Speaking of homemade… what’s better than the gift of tasty treats like peanut brittle, toffee, fudge, or cookies?! You don’t need to be Martha Stewart or spend what she does on baking supplies to make some delicious homemade treats. If you don’t have the equipment you need, but want to try your hand at something new, you can buy inexpensive baking and cookware at the thrift store. We even have decorative serving platter and holiday themed tins for gift giving. Looking a little spotty? Try some Bartender’s Friend and make a set of pots and pans shine like new! Pair with one of the cooking or baking books for a perfect combo-gift.
Holiday Decorations:
Household décor can be expensive—especially if you’re changing it out every season. Buy a clear vase and fill it with small colored ornaments for a centerpiece. We have candles galore. There are even trees, wreaths, and outdoor holiday items like lawn ornaments and lights, which can be so expensive if you buy them new! Pre-owned Christmas décor almost never looks “used” since people only put it on display once a year anyway.
Bob and Betty: An Elderly Couple’s Journey through Unexpected Homelessness
in StoriesBob and Betty, a loving elderly couple, spent much of their lives secure and happy—working hard and living the dream in California. Unfortunately, the recession hit them hard: Bob, a contract worker, was laid off, there was no work to be found in his industry, and housing costs were quickly on the rise. They knew staying in California was unsustainable, so they tried moving to the Colorado Rockies and starting over. During the next 5 years, Bob found unreliable on-again off-again contract work and the couple were barely getting by. Social security was not enough to cover the necessities, and their savings slowly dwindled away.
Then Bob found a good job opportunity in Boulder, so they packed up along with their two cats and moved to Lafayette in their truck—a seemingly temporary necessity—when the job fell through.
So in the spring of 2019, the couple found themselves living out of their truck in an unfamiliar area with no money and no friends or family that could help. Their phone was turned off when they couldn’t pay their bill. They moved the truck from place to place every night, because they weren’t allowed to camp anywhere for long and their gas was disappearing.
“We were just floating,” said Betty.
Bob said they never imagined they’d be in such a situation: he was employable, has a lot of skills, they were responsible and have good credit. Things just shouldn’t be going this way.
“But we never felt sorry for ourselves or less than. People need to know that if they’re in a situation like ours, they still count, they matter,” said Betty.
But the couple stayed resilient and were extremely resourceful. Soon after being in the area, they found hot meals available at Josephine Commons and help from a local church they began attending. The Lafayette Senior Center became a place for Betty to spend the day, where she could shower, exercise, have some tea and muffins while Bob used the computers to find work. But Bob said the hardest thing to get was gas. No one really offered gas money, the truck was their only home and transportation, “and it’s a gas guzzler,” said Bob.
Betty said the hardest time for her was losing her beloved cat, Mickey, who usually spent every night curled inside her sleeping bag with her, but ran away while they were moving their truck. Weeks went by and they had driven all over town trying to find him. Then, after dropping Betty off at the Senior Center one day, Bob saw Mickey just walk right by him! Betty and Mickey were finally reunited.
The couple was initially referred to Sister Carmen Community Center for help with food, but they found so much more. They met with an SCCC Advocate several times and were eventually connected to Brittany, SCCC’s Advocate Manager for more support. Bob and Betty said that Brittany is a very special person and that often just having someone to talk to makes the biggest difference.
“We didn’t know where to go or how to get started. But this (SCCC) was a haven. The difference with Sister Carmen is that once you walked in, there’s like an aura of compassion, caring, and an outpouring of love. Everyone made us feel like we were doing okay, but they can help us get better. We kept reminding ourselves this would only be temporary.”
Not only did Bob and Betty get food for themselves, but they got cat food from the Pet Pantry that comes once a week, they were able to get connected with gas cards, money to cover some medication of Betty’s when it ran out, and most importantly, a deposit and first month’s rent to get into an apartment. In September, after five months of living in their truck and just as Sister Carmen was helping the couple to get housed, Bob finally secured a job! They moved into their new place and spent the first night in just their sleeping bags on the floor. The next day they woke up to the first snow of the year and were so grateful they didn’t have to spend the night in the truck.
After they were housed, SCCC gave them thrift store vouchers to help get settled in their apartment while they were still getting things out of storage. They are now happily settled.
“It’s important for people to know that it gets frustrating,” said Betty, “but if you have a good attitude that helps a lot.”
Prescheduled Gifts to Sister Carmen for Colorado Gives Day will be Matched up to $10,000!
in GivingColorado Gives Day is very important to Sister Carmen—last year, we raised over $100,000! This statewide day of giving helps us support thousands of families with critical services such as food and financial assistance.
Every donation made on Tuesday, December 8th for Colorado Gives Day (or prescheduled beginning November 1st) is boosted by the $1 Million Incentive Fund, which increases the value of every dollar. For example, if a nonprofit receives 10% of total donations made on CO Gives Day, they receive 10% of the incentive fund. Sister Carmen Community Center usually receives about $2,500 – 4,000 from this fund. Gifts only count towards Colorado Gives Day if they are made through our online portal at ColoradoGives.org/SisterCarmen!
SCCC Experiences a 40% Decrease in Utilities Funding
in Giving, NewsUtility bill assistance is one of the many core resources Sister Carmen Community Center (SCCC) provides to the community, including assistance with water, heat, and electricity bills. SCCC receives this funding through Energy Outreach Colorado, who unfortunately experienced a funding cut of their own this year and are unable to provide their usual level of support.
Through this unfortunate situation, Sister Carmen received a 40% decrease in funding for participant utilities from over $80,000 to only $50,000 per year. With the fall weather already bringing cooler days, many of your neighbors may not be able to heat their homes this winter.
During the COVID-19 crisis, utility companies like Xcel Energy paused billing, late fees, and disconnect notices, but have resumed normal services again. Some participants who paused payments during the earlier waves of COVID-19 are now faced with large utility bills—some over $2,000—which can take a significant toll on families already struggling to get by.
There is some relief—Xcel can help with flexible payment plans, and SCCC also connects participants to resources like the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP). LEAP is a statewide program that provides assistance for heating costs during the winter months (November – April). For many, however, this simply isn’t enough; utility expenses have increased with so many people spending more time at home during the pandemic. Some families may not qualify, and the full cost of the utility bill isn’t covered by the program.
Sister Carmen is here to help, and in order to serve our community, we need you. Reductions in funding mean we rely on our individual donors now more than ever. You can make a difference today by donating securely online at ColoradoGives.org/sistercarmen.
GIVING SMART: DOES YOUR COMPANY HAVE A WORKPLACE GIVING PROGRAM?
in GivingIf you volunteer or donate to Sister Carmen Community Center, your time and dollars may be able to go even further by connecting Sister Carmen to your workplace! Many companies are interested in giving back to their communities, especially where their employees live, work, and volunteer. If your employer has a Give Back program of any kind (or you think they should start one!), likely you can find out more by speaking to your Human Resources department. Contact kristen@sistercarmen.org for more information on our end.
Some examples of Workplace Giving programs include:
Portrait of A Strong and Caring Woman: How One Participant Said “Thank You!”
in StoriesIn early March 2020, the weight and enormity of the COVID-19 crisis began to fall heavily on the shoulders of Sister Carmen staff members. As Boulder Valley School District closed on March 13th and statewide closures began two weeks later, we quickly realized that already vulnerable members of the community were going to need so much more help to make it through this.
Micklina, who works as a Bilingual Advocate at Sister Carmen Community Center, was especially worried about some of her participants who are immunocompromised. One of them, Stewart Ressler, is a retired 74 year old artist who lives alone. He usually supplements his income by selling his art in public, but he cannot do that safely anymore. Micklina gave him a call to ask if he was alright and if there was anything he needed. Stewart said it meant so much to him that she took the time to reach out and personally connect with him. He told her that he was doing alright for now, but was worried about how he was going to make ends meet now that he couldn’t sell his art. That income was vital for him to pay rent and keep afloat. He doesn’t have any other safety net.
After a couple months Stewart’s situation got even tougher as it became obvious he couldn’t go out to sell his art anytime soon. So he called Micklina again and asked for help and advice. She was able to give him partial rent assistance for two months from SCCC to make sure he wouldn’t lose his home while he figured out a long-term plan. She then helped him apply and get approved for the LEAP (Low Income Energy Assistance Program) and AAA (Area Agency on Aging) programs. In addition to connecting him to multiple programs, they talked through ideas for a more sustainable plan, such as getting a roommate.
Stewart was extremely grateful and wanted to do something for Micklina in return. So he painted this beautiful portrait of her, saying that he wanted to portray Micklina as he saw her: a strong and caring woman.
Since mid-March, Sister Carmen Community Center has assisted thousands of people through our food bank with over 400,000 pounds of food. We’ve prevented hundreds from becoming homeless or losing other basic needs such as water and electricity by distributing over $500,000 in direct financial assistance for families, and have only been able to do so, because of generous community donations. Please consider the profound impact your gift can make for each of these neighbors. You can make a difference today by donating securely online at ColoradoGives.org/SisterCarmen.