Aurora Nonprofits and Charities

I have been volunteering at Brent's Place since December 19, 2009. They had recently opened their second location that year and I had been watching it be built in my neighborhood. Brent's Place is a home away from home for children battling childhood cancer. The special thing about it is that no family is charged for staying there. It does not matter how long they stay. We have a family that has been there for at least four years - maybe five! <br> In 1987 Brent Eley, age 13, was diagnosed with a fast growing malignant cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. The Eley family traveled to Iowa City for Brent to receive a bone marrow transplant - the treatment that offered the most hope for a cure. Sadly, after 162 days the Eleys return home without Brent.<br> In 1988, the first Kid's Cure for Cancer event is held as a tribute to Brent. There are a couple of photos attached with volunteers that show up year after year.<br> In 1997, Inspired by the courage and spirit of Brent, his parents Donn and Linda Eley establish the Brent Eley Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization. They opened the first Brent's Place near the then-current location of the Children's Hospital, Colorado in Denver. <br> In 1998, The first Brent's Place facility opens its doors with five apartments to fill the need in the Denver area for Safe-Clean accommodations suitable for patients following bone marrow transplants. <br> In 2009, A new building was opened when the Children's Hospital was built on the new Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, CO. It was built with the best filtration systems and each family has their own apartment with a kitchen and private bathroom. In 2009, I had done a round of chemo myself. Since my own system was immune compromised, this was a perfect environment for me personally to volunteer! It is hard to believe that almost ten years have passed! <br> The Brent Eley Foundation has recently opened another building on the same block of the second location. They are located about 1/3 mile from Children's Hospital, Colorado where the kids are being treated. This new location doubled the capacity to 32 families that can be taken care of at any one time. Plans are already being made for a third building to be built on the same block of the other two. Unfortunately, as soon as the second building was open, it was filled. I'm sure the same thing will happen when the third is complete! <br> While it is a sad reality that there are so many children battling this dreadful disease, it is a blessing that the Eleys have created such a beautiful place for them. It is a place where kids with cancer can just be kids!

Gracias (ARC) Son tan lindas personas Siempre con el deseo de ayudar y compartir a otros, <br>Bendiciones❤️.

I have been working with Inside the Orchestra (ISO) as an intern for a little over two months. The small but dedicated staff is made up the most passionate people - they truly care about the impact of music and music education in children's lives. Hours upon hours are spent each day, working to raise funds to ensure that ISO can bring their interactive orchestral programs to children in schools who might not otherwise be able to attend a live music performance. In watching the children laugh, listen, dance, conduct, and ask questions during performances, it's obvious to me that they are having so much fun, without even knowing that they are learning and developing in ways that only music can help provide. ISO is a unique organization that all families should know about!

I am beyond devastated that I chose to go to this place when I was in such a dark place. I had been receiving messages from someone that my daughter was being trafficked and when I asked my daughter if this was happening to her, she admitted that it was. When I wanted to take her to the police to make a statement she ran away. She ended up at her father's house where he would not let me see her again and blocked me from her. The person that gave me this information informed me that my daughter's father was involved. I did not know what to do so I called the trafficking hotline and they gave me this place as a place that I could go to to get more resources, therapy, etc. I spoke with Matt that was fairly new and he listened to my story and was very kind. He knew that CPS had blocked my daughter from seeing me and I was worried that I would not be able to get her the help she needed. Matt gave me information for a crisis center to see a therapist because I was running rampid with concern for my daughter. I then get a request from my ex husband telling me that he wants full custody of my daughter because MATT FROM this facility contacted CPS as soon as I left and told Kim Smith the case worker on my daughter's case that I came in dillusional and incoherent. I am not sure if Matt has the education to make this diagnosis but why he would contact CPS knowing that they can be heavily involved first thing astounds me. I had court yesterday and lost my child permanently. I can't begin to tell you what this man did to my life and my daughter. She is forbidden to speak to me and all of my rights were removed. My life has been turned upside down by this man and I will be taking legal action.

The lack of respect, professionalism and efficiency makes the rescue more apart of the problem rather than the solution. The application and process times are unrealistic for most people mine started at one month. Their volunteers (specifically Jen) have no respect for other peoples time but expect you to wait on them. Jen is such an impatient but busy adopter she takes 2 days to reach out to you but expects a response back at the speed of light. They brag about adopting 300 animals this year while the shelter is still euthanizing them at an alarming rate. Instead of thinking how finite resources of and how important it is to treat every application with care Ching Fu believes that it is the adopters problem and responsibility to take on the burden of this process if you want to help animals. This is why people hate helping and going to rescues and dogs will continue to suffer. Overall this rescue stays full so they can continue to ask for donations, be tax exempt and do the bare minimum.

This is a great organization for those who are struggling with drug abuse. I would love to help.

While it is true that the club does run "rough-shod" over the group, it is that way because the group considers the club inseparable. It has been that way since its inception, over 20 years ago. It is not in alignment with tradition six, but it is true that this group would cease to exist if "the club" were to dissolve for any reason. that is not right, but that is the way it is and has been during its entire history. By forming a 501(c)3 organization, the members of the group do an "end-around" the AA traditions. Does this mean that there is no good recovery available? NO. Does it mean newcomers have no understanding of the difference between the group and the club? YES. If and when the club does fall apart, there are those of us within the 231 AA "group" that are ready and willing to ensure that an AA group will still be around to serve this part of Aurora.

I volunteer for this program and absolutely love it! I would recommend it to everyone! It is such an inspiring and incredible organization. Everyone is so happy, the staff is well-experienced and the kids always have a good time! Volunteering here always makes my week. Come check it out!

I wish I had good things to say. This place used to do so much good, until 2019 when a new leader took over things have gone south. To those who have given money to help the blind: sorry, but your donation may have been used to buy an employee’s silence on their way out. To donor families: your loved one’s eyes may have been wasted because they don’t provide enough training to the recovery staff. To registered donors wanting to be a donor some day: you want to do good upon your death but probably won’t be able to because the recovery techs are so mismanaged nobody will arrive to retrieve your eyes. To the hospitals who are required to refer for donation purposes: thanks for doing your part for donation but silently noticing the eye bank isn’t following through. To the board: you are doing everything you can to fulfill your duty of care, duty of loyalty and duty of obedience, right??

After my father died when I was in third grade, I felt utterly isolated. I lost a lot of friends, because other third-graders didn't know how to relate to me, or maybe they thought that dead fathers were contagious. Grief group programs at Judi's House offered me a safe place to have feelings that were too dangerous to express at school, where they alienated my teachers and classmates. Judi's House also showed me that I wasn't alone, and that other people were feeling the same way I was, even if our situations were really different. Community and support is so important for grieving children and families. I don't know where I'd be today without Judi's House.

I've been a volunteer with Girls on the Run for two seasons now and they are an effective, excellent program bringing volunteers together with young girls to teach about running, leadership, friendship, and more. The girls in my group form lasting bonds and look forward to the 5K run all season. Many girls come back year after year and show tons of growth in running ability as well as understanding the lessons. This program is a great idea and the Rockies program does a huge amount of work!

The Aurora Museum Foundation is an organization lead by 15 Board Members, a Development Associate and much professional support from the City of Aurora in Colorado. The Board has lots of passion and enthusiasm in revamping its website www.auroramuseumfoundation.org as well as increasing its membership. Some benefits from participating in the Foundation are: free newsletters, discounts to special events, free admission to the Museum, discounts on Gift Shop items, and attendance at the annual Public Board meeting. <br> <br>It has been a joy to work with this group, and I encourage you to look them up online and visit the 4 Gallery museum with guest exhibits, lectures, and a permanent exhibit about Aurora.

This is one of those that sends outa check asking it to be returned with a donation. I find this to be a horrible way to requesst funds although they are ceertainly not the only ones. I will not give to such and then I find they have low rating by you. <br>

I am a 100% service connected disabled veteran with a severe spinal disease combined with gun shot wound and reconstructive surgery issues. I was initially represented by the DAV in applying for service connection for my combat injuries and found their service and support to be a self-serv type group. They point you in the right direction but fall short at giving direct assistance. Frustrated, I sought patient advocate care through the PVA Mountain States Chapter. The representative that assisted me was much more helpful in filling out my appeal for the associated issues that accompanied my combat injuries, but the entire process took over 4 years to get 100% permanent rating. The PVA rep told me they provide life long support and care, but after my initial appointment, I ceased hearing from the PVA except for a monthly onslaught of unsolicited junk mail and a monthly magazine oddly just filled with corporate advertising. Their absentee approach didn't cause harm, after all, I am a grown man and shouldn't need an organization to hold my hand through the fog of military processes. It is nice getting any help when you are on 15-20 meds from drooling on the forms. The staff that ran the office I went to were nice people and I was impressed with their level of professionalism. Their rep that talked with me knew more then any other volunteer I had talked to and can say made a great difference on my decision to switch PVA over as my VHA patient representative. <br> <br>3 years later I got a letter from a PVA 'NSO' who claimed she was my representative and the letter stated they were checking up on me and asked if I needed anything. Surprised, I called her back and told her of my compound needs and her response was - we are just checking in. Zero follow-up and no help was offered or given. Another year passed and I received the same letter. I wrote PVA back so I was clear in expressing my medical needs they said they would help with and again was ignored. Their response or lack of made me think the PVA only helps us initially to get signed up to report to congress and donors they are serving the most injured vets. They sure made me believe in their offers for assistance but I can affirm that I received no additional assistance other then a couple minutes of their time on the phone getting signed up with them and a couple more minutes of answering basic questions to get help filling out my appeal for my service connected injuries. <br> <br>I recently discovered leaked sensitive what I thought to be private information I only shared with the Mountain States Chapter reps being shared with part time employees at the VA. I found it very inappropriate this info was shared, but apparently I signed away my privacy rights when I made them my VHA rep. That information being with people that had no intent of ever helping me and god knows who else made that the final straw. The PVA was fired in my case for negligence, ignoring my privacy demands, total failure to follow any issue up and for abandoning me, the veteran when I needed help the most. The PVA promised help getting me back to work, they promised help with adaptive sports for physical therapy, they promised help with my spinal disease with access to specialists, they promised help getting adaptive equipment,.. I received zero assistance with vocational therapy, zero adaptive sports involvement, zero help getting to the spinal injury specialists, zero help getting adaptive equipment, zero help in my home - I had to get my wheel chair, crutches, knee braces and adaptive devices directly from the VA on my own. The PVA is full of hot air and promises. <br> <br>If there was a rating below the F they received by charitywatch and charity navigator I would say they earned well below that. They should be put out of business for fleecing donors, ignoring veterans and pretending to be govt associated using military titles and military nomenclature to fool donors, vets and Congress about their level of service. They put a couple wheelchair bound vets in pictures and a couple positions on their staff to make everyone think they are ran by vets for vets. Nothing could be further from the truth. In what world does a charitable staff need a 200k+ paycheck while offering nothing but a few minutes on the phone to veterans and a yearly party to waste more donor funds? My direct experience with the Paralyzed Veterans of America organization over 8 year period is that they are as close to frauds as you can get in what they appear to offer veterans. A person off the street that gets PVA advertising receives more financial help then veterans do, I hear they get a nickel in the mail each year. This is only my experience with one chapter, but I don't know how donors can put up with organizations that disguise charity expenses with annual trips to expensive resorts claiming to get together to benefit veterans. The PVA is a sham as my advocate. [sham] noun. 1. something that is not what it purports to be; a spurious imitation; fraud or hoax. The volunteer advocates that worked at the VA were more effective patient advocate then the PVA could ever be and they take two months to answer a response with usually a non-responsive answer that makes you scratch your head. Results can vary so greatly though from person to person, many people in the health business have no business being there. Kind of like how business has no place in charity. I couldn't find one thing that the PVA accomplished in Washington DC to justify going there, other then its a great excuse to have an executive salary with paid expenses, or be an attorney and we all know how much DC lobby attorney's are hurting for money.

My husband is deployed in Afghanistan and I searched for organizations that would help my family with Christmas gifts for my kids. They miss their daddy and because the economy is so bad I just couldn't afford gifts for Christmas. I heard about this organization through another spouse and contacted them. They were so wonderful! They registered our kids for a Christmas program they do, and a few days before Christmas, we got a big box filled with at least 3 gifts a piece for each child. I was expecting someone's used and unwanted toys, but every toy was new! They also sent a printout of an email from my husband wishing us a Merry Christmas! It was so moving! They didn't take credit for the toys but sent them on his behalf as though he had sent them himself which I thought was extra special. You don't often find people who go the extra mile to make your day without taking some sort of credit for it but the people at this organization not only made my day but went above and beyond what I expected. They were so kind and really made a difference in our lives especially during the holidays which are tough for families who have a loved one deployed and not home. Thanks to this organization and all its volunteers. They were wonderful!

This organization went over and beyond our expectitations helping us rebuild a home to accommodate my husband who was severely injured in Iraq leaving him a Quadriplegic. This injury changed are lives drastically but because of American War Heroes,other organizations and volunteers we now have a new handicap friendly home which has allowed my husband regain most of his independence. We will forever grateful to Mr Goodale and numerous volunteers for helping us rebuild our lives. Proud to be an American.

Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA) helps youth succeed through the arts. DAVA promotes positive youth development through the arts. Building upon a unique collaboration with youth, it is emerging as a national model. Located one block south of East Colfax Avenue on Florence Street in Original Aurora, DAVA successfully utilizes multifaceted art programs to develop a unique approach to positive youth development, with an emphasis on social skills, personal exploration, job training and community pride. Founded as Downtown Aurora Visual Arts in 1993, DAVA serves urban youth throughout the metro Denver area. The organization&rsquo;s programs engage students ages 7-17 in progressively difficult projects as their skills develop and their ability to handle responsibility grows. All five of DAVA&rsquo;s programs &mdash;the OASIS Open Studio, Job Training in Studio and Computer Arts, Family Arts and the Portable Art School &mdash; are designed to reach inner-city youth and their families. On-site programs are offered year-round for free in a fully-equipped arts facility, including studios, computer art lab and a gallery. DAVA serves more than 900 youth on-site each year and reaches at least 2,000 other participants through the Portable Art School and Family Arts programs. time supervised by a qualified staff of six professionals and two studio assistants. This combination of instruction and exploration time has nurtured a strong sense of self-awareness among participants. Recent Colorado Council on the Arts testing found that 90 percent of DAVA&rsquo;s Job Training program students learn things they could not do before, feel better about themselves , and 83 percent feel better about the future. More than half are setting goals, believe they are better at making decisions, resolve conflict without violence or fighting and are more likely to stand up for their personal beliefs. Youth in DAVA programs demonstrate sustained negative attitudes toward substance abuse and have lower truancy rates. DAVA&rsquo;s unique programs have received a number of awards, including: · Coming up Taller Certificate of Excellence, President&rsquo;s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, 2008 · National award for outstanding youth prevention programs, National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, 2007 · Karl E. Eitel Award for youth programs, El Pomar Foundation, 2007 · El Pomar Award for Excellence in Arts and Education, 2006 · Special recognition from the Aurora Public School Board of Education, 2007 and 2008 Executive Director Susan Jenson, MA, leads a team of six art and education professionals and two studio assistants. The organization is supported by an engaged Board of Directors consisting of a variety of professionals from across the metro Denver area.