CROSSROADS OF THE ROCKIES
2707 W. Mississippi Avenue
Denver, CO 80219
(phone) 303-922-8772, (fax) 303-922-4253
www.crossroadsoftherockies.org
Mission Statement: We are committed to providing a safe haven where children can learn and grow, where the lost can find healing and direction, where the poor and needy can get relief and assistance and all can experience the miracle of God’s love in shaping and guiding our daily lives!
We accomplish this by:
Programs for Children, Youth and Adults:
· Whiz Kids Tutoring
· S.A.Y YES! Center for youth development
· ESL classes
· Computer classes
· Parenting Classes
· Youth Scribble Ink
· Holy Hoops
Community Development:
· Partnered with DenverWorks for job recruitment, training and placement
· Partnered with Denver Health to provide free vaccinations and screenings
· Partnered with Live Well Colorado to raise the awareness of proper nutrition and health
· Partnered with GRASP to provide gang prevention and awareness
Crisis Intervention:
· Food and Clothing assistance
· Employment services
· Pregnancy Center
Community of Faith:
· Pray, play, worship and serve together
· Develop values and world view
· Create a bridge between the affluent and poor to raise compassion and education
If you have any further questions regarding Crossroads of the Rockies and its impact in the community please call or check out our website www.crossroadsoftherockies.org!
God Bless!
Week At A Glance At Crossroads of the Rockies
Daily Varied volunteer opportunities each day during business hours
Monday
9:30-11:00 Shipment of food arrives
2:00 PM Caring Hands Pregnancy Center
3:00 PM S.A.Y. YES! Center for Youth Development: 1st-12th grade
6:30 PM Whiz Kids- English and Spanish Elementary age
Tuesday
9:00 AM Food and Clothing Ministries, includes English and Spanish devotions
10:00 AM Denver Works job services open; Denver Health vaccinations every Third week
2:00 PM Caring Hands Pregnancy Center
3:30 PM Holy Hoops
6:30 PM Computer and ESL classes
Wednesday
9:30 AM Shipment of food arrives
2:00 PM Caring Hands Pregnancy Center
3:00 PM S.A.Y. Yes! Center for Youth Development: 1st-12th grade
6:30 PM Kids Klub
Thursday
9:00 AM Food and Clothing Ministries, includes English and Spanish devotions
10:00 AM Denver Works job services open; Denver Health vaccinations every Third week
2:00 PM Caring Hands Pregnancy Center
6:30 PM Whiz Kids2; Youth tutoring and Wyldlife
Friday
9:00 AM Staff Devotional and Meeting
Evenings Call ahead for youth events
Saturday
10:30 AM Open gym for youth
Call ahead for special events
Sunday
9:30 AM New Life Fellowship-English Services
11:00 AM Iglesia Vida Abundante- Spanish Services
3:00 PM Vietnamese New Life Fellowship- Vietnamese Services
Please call ahead for special youth and adult events
Summer Week At A Glance At Crossroads of the Rockies
Daily Varied volunteer opportunities each day during business hours
Monday
9:30 AM Shipment of food arrives-Service Projects
12:00 PM Summer Lunch Program: 18 and younger
1:00-2:30 PM Summer Kid Programs
2:00 PM Caring Hands Pregnancy Center
2:30 PM Service Projects
Tuesday
9:00-11:30 AM Food and Clothing Ministries, includes English and Spanish devotions
10:00 AM Denver Works job services open; Denver Health vaccinations every Third week
12:00 PM Summer Lunch Program: 18 and younger
1:00-2:30 PM Summer Kid Programs
2:00 PM Caring Hands Pregnancy Center
2:30 PM Service Projects
3:30 PM Holy Hoops
Wednesday
9:30 AM Shipment of food arrives-Service Projects
12:00 PM Summer Lunch Program: 18 and younger
1:00-2:30 PM Summer Kid Programs
2:00 PM Caring Hands Pregnancy Center
2:30 PM Service Projects
2:30 PM Service Projects
Thursday
9:00-11:30 AM Food and Clothing Ministries, includes English and Spanish devotions
10:00 AM Denver Works job services open; Denver Health vaccinations every Third week
12:00 PM Summer Lunch Program: 18 and younger
1:00-2:30 PM Summer Kid Programs
2:00 PM Caring Hands Pregnancy Center
2:30 PM Service Projects
Friday
12:00 PM Summer Lunch Program: 18 and younger
1:00-2:00 PM Summer Kid Programs
Evenings Youth events to be announced
Saturday and Sunday
9:30 AM New Life Fellowship-English Services
11:00 AM Iglesia Vida Abundante- Spanish Services
3:00 PM Vietnamese New Life Fellowship- Vietnamese Services
Special events to be announced
Children’s and Youth Ministries
S.A.Y. YES! Center for Youth Development
Here’s Life Inner City develops the S.A.Y. YES! Curriculum used at Crossroads of the Rockies. The primary task of the S.A.Y Yes! Center is to provide a safe place where children and youth are able to receive a meal, academic assistance, training in moral and spiritual guidance. The youth participate in Bible studies as well as learning valuable practical life skills. The children and youth also have times of recreation where they can play on the playground or in organized group games. This program is open to 1st through 12th graders on Monday and Wednesdays.
YSI
Youth Scribble Ink is an entrepreneur endeavor by a partnership through Here’s Life Inner City. The youth participate in a business of producing and selling silk-screened t-shirts. They have done shirts for ministries, camps, clubs and others.
Whiz Kids
Whiz Kids is a one-on-one mentoring and tutoring program where a child and adult are matched and have an hour of tutoring. The pairs then join the group for a time of Bible lesson and prayer. Crossroads of the Rockies has the only Spanish Whiz Kids clubs in Denver. Whiz Kids is very successful, we have seen students improve by three letter grades and increase their reading skills by several grade levels. There is an elementary group that meets on Mondays and a junior high group that meets on Thursdays.
Holy Hoops
Holy Hoops is in partnership with His Side Gang Rescue ministry. They reach out to children, youth and adults that are at-risk of joining or are already involved in gang activity. They begin with playing basketball with three-on-three games have dinner and then listen to a speaker. The speakers are former gang members, victims of gang violence and/or ministers that are now reaching out to the gang community. Holy Hoops meets on Tuesdays after school in the gym.
Kids Klub
New Life Fellowship church holds a Kids Klub every Wednesday evening for the children and youth of the community, pre-k through High School. The Klub was created to provide a safe place for the youth to receive a snack, bible time, mentoring, recreation and song time. The Klub instills in the participants a strong sense of respect and Biblical knowledge.
Sports
Throughout the year the youth participate in different sport clubs. This year a Junior High basketball club participated in a YMCA league and made it to playoffs. Saturday morning is a time of open gym where the youth can participate in sports such as basketball, football, baseball and soccer. During the summer this will increase in scope with a partnership with Live Well Westwood.
Adult and Family Ministries At Crossroads of the Rockies
Food and Clothing Ministry
Through the morning ministries, twice weekly, Crossroads of the Rockies opens its doors to the public to distribute food and clothing to those in need. We currently are serving between 80-100 families per week. Each family receives the equivalent of two large bags of food and two bags of clothing each visit. The number we serve has grown because of the economic environment we are currently in. This program assists the families with their basic needs but we are also addressing the spiritual component by having morning devotions. All staff, volunteers and visitors meet together, in English and Spanish devotions to share the Word and pray with one another. Each family that comes to us is prayed for by one of our interviewers. Many have found spiritual support in the gatherings!
Denver Works
Denver Works has an office located in the Crossroads facility. This office helps to place and train the individuals in jobs. They uniquely are able to contextualize the needs and abilities of the members of our communities in order to best serve them in job placement.
ESL, Parenting and Computer Classes
We at Crossroads of the Rockies are taking a holistic approach in empowering the community to better themselves. These classes enable the adults to become self-sufficient and confident in approaching their personal and social duties. The computer classes are providing the adults with the knowledge needed to be competitive in the work force. Parenting classes enable the individuals to better themselves in order to have a healthier home life and community member. The ESL classes provide adults and youth with the opportunity to learn English or refresh them on the language.
Caring Hands Pregnancy Center
Crossroads of the Rockies has partnered up with a crisis pregnancy center to serve those either pregnant or think they may be. The women and/or families receive physical resources as well as spiritual guidance in the months before the birth of the child. Women may also come into the center if they feel they may be pregnant, where they receive a pregnancy test and counseling afterwards. The center offers education on the options the woman has and encouragement away from aborting the baby. We have seen many women and families benefit from the pregnancy centers resources and counselors.
Churches
There are three different churches within the facility at Crossroads an English, Spanish and Vietnamese. These churches are active and engaged with the activities at Crossroads. Many of the participants have begun to attend the churches and receive the discipleship and mentoring needed in a Christian life. We encourage all participants to seek a home church where they can find support and discipleship.
CROSSROADS OF THE ROCKIES
2707 W. Mississippi Avenue
Denver, CO 80219
(phone) 303-922-8772, (fax) 303-922-4253
www.crossroadsoftherockies.org
Welcome to Crossroads of the Rockies! We are excited and blessed to have you serve alongside us this summer. There will be a lot of activities this summer and we are fortunate to have volunteers to help us in the process. This packet includes information about Crossroads and the community we serve.
During the summer we will be having several different programs that your team will be participating in. Crossroads will be a site for a free lunch program for those 18 and younger in the community. Your team will be participating in the preparation, distribution and clean up of the program. After lunch, we will have a kids summer program that will be similar to a VBS. The program will include craft, recreation, drama, Bible club and computer stations. Throughout the summer we will also have different service projects that your team will participate in such as: graffiti removal, facility maintenance, community clean-up and elderly care. There are also different experiences that your team can participate in order to broaden their worldview: SCUM of the Earth, Hip Hop Church and Holy Hoops, these will introduce your team to the urban community.
These are a few of the activities that your team will be participating in over their mission trip. I am excited to work with you in order to tailor this experience for your team. We can work with you if you are interested in planning and leading the summer kid programs. Please, let me know how I can best serve you during this trip.
Thank you and God Bless.
Sincerely,
Alicia Ingram
Summer Coordinator and Youth Director
The Westwood Neighborhood
By the numbers
According to one of our partners Live Well Westwood:
· 16,000 people live in the neighborhood.
· 76% Hispanic, 17% Caucasian, 3.4% Asian, 1.4% Native American and 1.2% African-American
· 35% of the community is foreign born (primarily in Mexico)
· 56% of residents age 25 and older do not have a G.E.D. or high school diploma, only 7% have a college diploma
· 25% of residents do not speak English
· 31% of children are in poverty, 87.5% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch
· 8% unemployment rate compare to the rate of Denver at 5.6%
· Household income is $17,000 which is lower than the Denver average
· In 2007 the Westwood neighborhood was ranked third in the nation for foreclosures
· There has been an increase of gang violence, criminal behavior and graffiti over the past few years[1]
How You Can Help
Crossroads of the Rockies
Needs and Wants
- Pray
- Volunteer with Programs
- Provide resources
- Financial Support
- Paint Steeple
- Alley Clean-up
- Paint the entryway
- Strip and Wax the rear overflow
- Repaint the fence around the playground
- Paint the outdoor trim
- Change the light bulbs
- Gym ceiling
- Clothes racks and accessories
Summer Daily Responsibilities
Teams must
· Clean the bathrooms, sleeping and living areas and kitchen
o Bathrooms:
§ Wipe down sinks, showers and mirrors
§ Sweep and mop floors
§ Clean toilets
o Sleeping and living areas
§ Sweep and mop
§ Pick up and take out trash
o Kitchen
§ Put away all food
§ Clean and put away dishes
§ Wipe down counters
§ Sweep and mop floors
§ Take out trash
· Prepare for and implement the summer lunch program
o Prepare lunch for 60+ students 18 and younger
o Serve lunch
o Join participants for lunch, engage with community members
o Afterwards help clean-up
· Prepare for and implement the summer kid program
o i.e.- put together crafts, plan games and lesson
o teams at each station actively engaged with the children and youth
· Service projects
o i.e.- graffiti removal in community, facility maintenance-yard work, painting, clean up etc., community service projects such as yard work for elderly
o clean up materials afterwards
· At night before teams go to sleep
o Check all doors are locked
o All lights are off
o Trash has been taken out
o Areas are clean and swept
o Cars are locked
Volunteer System
1. Orientation-Packet
a. Review Mission statement
i. Community issues- poverty, gangs, violence, fatherlessness etc.
ii. Show video-PowerPoint
b. Programs to accomplish statement
c. What they can do to help
d. Application for positions
e. Tour of facility