Get in on the Giving: Volunteer, Donate, Help!  By Olivia Mayer Colorado has many benevolent/service organizations that can use donations of time, goods and money – whether at the holidays or throughout the year. Take a look at the list below, choose one you’d most like to help and give them a call! If you know of an organization that you’d like to see included in this list, contact Kelly Smith at 303-320-1000 or kelly.smith@parenthood.com. Adams Camp www.adamscamp.org 303-563-8290 The organization offers integrated therapeutic programs for children with special needs and their families. It also provides recreational programs for youth and young adults with moderate developmental disabilities. Brent’s Place www.brentsplace.org 303-831-4545 Brent’s Place offers housing via fully furnished, “safe clean” apartments, for children with cancer and their caregivers upon discharge from the hospital. All patients are immune-compromised, with priority given to children who have had bone marrow transplants. CETAV – Cameron Ebel Teens Against Violence www.cetav.org 303-596-0525 This relatively new organization hosts Student Leadership Summits in conjunction with area schools as a means of combating teen violence. Colfax Community Network www.colfaxcommunitynetwork.org 303-360-9175 This group serves families who live in low-income, transient housing, which is often in residential motels along Colfax Avenue, by providing information, services and programs. Denver Options www.denveroptions.org 303-636-5600 Denver Options serves developmentally delayed individuals, including children, through informative workshops, respite care, some financial assistance and links to community resources. Friends of Kids in Crisis www.helpingkidsincrisis.org 303-609-5266 This agency supports abused and neglected children and also runs the Family Crisis Center, which shelters children ages 10-18. Services include providing access to medical care, mental health treatment, onsite schooling, family counseling and visitation. The Gathering Place www.the-gatheringplace.org 303-321-4198 The Gathering Place, which moved into its new facility late this summer, provides support to women and their children who are homeless or in poverty by offering a daytime place to gather that includes resources for self sufficiency. The Kid Foundation www.kidfoundation.org 303-794-1182 The KID Foundation focuses on research, education and advocacy related to Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). As part of its support, the group backs ongoing scientific research, helps set up local support groups, disseminates information about national conferences and provides treatment scholarships. Kids in Need of Dentistry www.kindsmiles.org 303-733-3710 Since 1912, this nonprofit has helped thousands of Colorado children obtain affordable dental services including exams, cleanings, restorative treatments, orthodontics and emergency care, through a network of volunteer and paid dental professionals. Metro Volunteers www.metrovolunteers.org 303-282-1234 Metro Volunteers serves as a clearinghouse that helps individuals and corporate and community groups find volunteer opportunities at diverse service organizations throughout the metro Denver area. Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives www.therev.org 303-893-4264 With an emphasis on programming, Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives provides youth an alternative to gangs with structured activities, family support and intervention. Operation Christmas Child www.samaritanspurse.org 303-745-9179 Operation Christmas Child, a national effort, collects shoeboxes filled with small gifts such as toys and school supplies that are then distributed to children in need worldwide. Tennyson Center for Children www.childabuse.org 303-433-2541 Tennyson Center for Children serves abused and neglected children ages 5-14 by providing treatment services and educational and advocacy services. Toys for Tots www.toysfortots.org/donate/toys.asp 303-340-9920 Run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, the program gives unwrapped new toys, books and gifts to needy children in the community. The national program is headquartered in Virginia with several distribution sites in Colorado. Urban Peak Denver www.urbanpeak.org 303-777-9198 Urban Peak serves homeless and runaway teens between the ages of 14 and 24 by offering a shelter, case management, employment and educational services as well as a street outreach program. Urban Peak in Colorado Springs can be contacted at 719-630-3223 Volunteers of America Colorado Branch www.voacolorado.org 303-297-0408 This agency serves those in need in a variety of ways by providing nutrition, shelter and general help through a number of specific programs including Meals on Wheels, Head Start, facilities for battered women and the homeless, pregnancy prevention and transitional housing. Women’s Bean Project www.womensbeanproject.com 303-292-1919 This unique organization is focused on breaking the cycle of poverty and unemployment for women by getting them ready for the workplace and instructing them on life skills for entry-level jobs. As part of the program, the women work in its gourmet food production business. Compiled by Olivia Mayer