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URBAN PEAK UPDATE!
On February 29, 2008, a group of GSUMC members celebrated Leap Year by
going to Urban Peak and serving dinner to the homeless youth being served
by that agency. Our group included Heidi and Jeff Wayland, Jerry and Pat
Saunders, Joe and Ana Chimbanda, Marty and Linda Wisnewski, Lisa and Mark
Vining and Justin, Karen Bueno, Carole Booth, Darline Smith, Krista
Medina. Several others left extra food for us to take along at the
church, and we carried it with us. Attending the dinner were about
fifteen youth and three staff members. Some days their crowd is larger,
but it was a lovely evening, and probably youth would be coming in later
to eat the extra food which we left for them.
It was a joy to interact with the kids, get to know them by name, and hear
a little about their lives. One staff member, Kela (?) French shared her
own story about how she had wanted to work at Urban Peak. She had worked
previously at other agencies and with Mayor Hickenlooper on his
homelessness efforts in Denver. She applied to Urban Peak, then took her
four year old daughter and moved into a homeless shelter herself, so that
she could experience first-hand what homelessness felt like. She spent
three months in the homeless shelter, and received her position at Urban
Peak last June 1st. Kela pointed out one youth who only a few minutes
before had been sad and angry, and after we talked with him, he was
smiling and laughing. She thanked us for giving up our evening to be with
the youth.
The Waylands brought new socks and underwear that had been collected by GSUMC
youth group, as well as 25 or 30 snack bags which they had prepared. We
asked if the could use anything else that we could provide for them, such
as dishes and utensils from our kitchen cleanup. They said they could
always use more large pots and pans, refrigerator dishes with lids, dishes
and flatware, and hotpads and hotpad gloves. Blankets and sheets could
probably also be donated, although they ask for new pillows. We promised
to make another delivery soon.
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