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April's Theme: Transformation
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In the Calvin & Hobbes comic there was a strip where Calvin was showing his usual insight to Hobbes. He explained that he had heard that the secret to success was being in the right place at the right time, but you could never know what the right time would be. If, he said, you knew where the right place was, then all you had to do was stick around long enough and good things would happen. And, if that right place happened to be the drugstore, well, then you could read comic books while you waited.
I don't know how many drug stores are left in this age of mail order pharmacy, nor how many ever would have let you just sit around reading comic books you never paid for, but I found myself thinking about this issue of waiting over the long months of winter, now just passed. As a church our focus in April is transformation, and however silly Calvin's notion of success, there remains the point that sometimes transformation is not about going somewhere, nor changing some thing. It can also be about watching for the transformations that burst forth before our eyes, if we have eyes to see.
Over these long, cold months I found myself watching a set of videos from The Great Courses. Joel Sartore is a long-standing National Geographic photographer, and I wanted to know what I might learn from his decades of experience. He talked at length about photographs he took in his own backyard in Nebraska, and from planes flying over the Serengeti.
No matter where he was talking about taking pictures, he talked about the role of light in transforming the scene before our eyes. He has flashes and gear more expensive than I'll ever own, but more often than not what he wanted to do was take pictures with the light that was there. And that meant being up early, and spending the bright mid-day hours preparing, but not shooting. And then capture the scenes again in the fading half-hour before and after sunset.
The very same scene when photographed at midday was blown out, the colors lost, flat and without depth. But when he could wait for the scene to transform, something entirely new appeared before his, and our, eyes.
Transformation isn't always like this, of course. But if you're like me you see the same places and the same people in the same context week in and month out. Perhaps you are saving your eyes that see for the ones you love most already, letting their finest qualities show before you, and yours to them. Or perhaps you're giving your best hours away. What would it mean if you transformed your patterns long enough to see what beauty is already present, but not yet seen in the harsh light of midday? What would it mean if you waited somewhere long enough for the transformation to occur?
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Try Teaching Religious Education Next Fall
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Our second year in a Unitarian Universalist congregation, I was recruited to teach the three year old class. I was both anxious and excited. When I found out the new minister's daughter was three so she'd be in my class, I began to panic. I was so new to Unitarian Universalism! What was I doing thinking I could teach Religious Education? Then, I calmed down and began to have a joyful and very satisfying experience. That was twenty-six years ago. The time of year has come to begin inviting JUC adults into conversation about joining a teaching team for the next church year.
One RE teacher told me how much they love the theme based curriculum we use for kindergarten through fifth grades. They said, "I am led to explore the themes in the services and then I get to reflect with a whole different age group about the same theme in RE."
Another teacher said, how surprised they were that they came to love each and every young person in their group, something they didn't think possible at the beginning of the year.
Some of us hunger for time and relationships with people of different ages. Others feel intimidated by the idea of guiding a group of young people in opening rituals, games and craft activities. Each year, we have a combination of attitudes in our teaching/advising cadre, and that very diversity brings a richness to the program.
Here are some basic facts about how RE works for our kindergarten through 5th grades:
- Teachers are organized in teams of four people.
- Two teachers are 'on' each Sunday, with a lead teacher and an assistant.
- Lesson plans and materials are provided for you.
- The RE Church year begins in September (first Sunday after Labor day) and ends in May (the Sunday before Memorial day weekend.)
- The first Sunday of each month children start in the Sanctuary for a Time for All Ages and then go to their groups. The third Sunday of each month, they begin in the Chapel for about a half-hour Children's Chapel lead by Annie Scott and Sarah Billerbeck. Then they go to their groups.
- There are opening rituals that begin each session including a chalice lighting, sharing of joys and sorrows, and a reminder of the group's covenant.
- We often use games to help everyone feel relaxed and a part of the community. They can be used to teach interpersonal skills, like leading, following and cooperation.
- We begin the church year with a teacher orientation and training. Next year's will be Saturday, August 26, 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
I hope you will consider sitting down with me to talk about how teaching might add to your religious and spiritual experiences here at JUC. Or, you can
fill out an application online
and we'll get back to you.
Gabriel Moran, religious scholar and educator wrote, "To teach is to show someone how to live." We Unitarian Universalists believe in lifelong learning and encouragement to spiritual growth. Join us and show some young people that living is all about taking risks and trying new things.
Let me remind you, I was afraid when I first agreed to teach Unitarian Universalist RE, but it rather quickly it became a place of community within a multigenerational setting.
Call for an appointment or
fill out the form. Lets get talking about how you might be a part of the multiage community that is the JUC children and youth RE program.
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We Can Mend the Sky
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This spring's Choir services on Saturday, April 29 & Sunday, April 30 feature music of April's theme of "Transformation." The centerpiece of the service is a new work by young Minnesota composer Jake Runestad called "We can mend the sky." Jake tells this about the piece:
"My sister was an English teacher at the Minnesota International Middle School in Minneapolis which provides a safe and inclusive environment for East African immigrant students to learn (many of whom are Somali). Most of these students came to the USA to escape the violent civil war that has plagued Somalia since 1991. Seeking a better life for their children, these students' parents risked their lives to come to the USA - a valiant act of love. I wanted to tell their story through music and so I asked my sister to have her students write poems about their experiences leaving their home and coming to the USA. I received over 100 poems that contain passion, pride, emotion, and vivid stories of the sights and sounds that these young people have experienced. I sifted through these texts and found the powerful words of 14-year-old Warda Mohamed that became the backbone of the composition. Using Warda's poem and two Somali proverbs, "We Can Mend the Sky" is a musical depiction of one's journey as an immigrant and an affirmation of hope as we all embrace the diversity around us."
In a time when leaders are inviting American society to protect borders and defend boundaries, these April Choir services invite us to transform our own hearts. As Warda Mohamed says:
In my dream I saw
A world free of
violence
hunger
suffering
A world
filled with
love
Now, awake in this world
I beg, let my dream come true.
These services will be offered both
on Saturday
afternoon
4:30 p.m.
, and
Sunday
morning at
9:15 & 11 a.m.
Come help us Mend the Sky.
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The Upcoming Presidential Election
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OK, I admit that I wanted to have a headline that grabbed your attention and no, I'm not caught in a time warp regarding the election of a new President of the USA. I am talking about the election of a new President of our Denomination that will occur at the upcoming General Assembly (GA) of the Unitarian Universalists that is being held in New Orleans (how fun!) on June 21-25.
What is the process for electing our new President who will replace our very own Rev. Peter Morales who will conclude his six-year term? For starters, each congregation registered with the UUA is given a certain number of delegates each year to attend GA and to vote on various business items that come before the assembly. We do not hold votes as a Congregation on the business items including that of President of the UUA but rather JUC has chosen to empower our delegates to "vote their conscience" in representing JUC.
This year, JUC is eligible for 16 delegate based on the size of our Congregation. The JUC Board of Trustees, as outlined in our bylaws, has the responsibility for approving the delegates to General Assembly.
Who can apply? Any member of the Congregation can put forth their name for consideration to be a delegate. We certainly encourage delegates to attend GA as it is a wonderful and uplifting experience to be "rank by rank" with so many UU's from all over the U.S. My wife and family have attended several GAs over the years and always returned from them spiritually recharged and "fired up" about our faith movement. However, you can also be a delegate and participate in GA "remotely" including voting in the business matters that come before the Assembly and voting for our new President of the Association.
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Metro Denver Sanctuary Coalition - Keeping Families Together
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You may have seen in the news that First Unitarian Society of Denver (FUSD) and the Mountain View Friends Meeting (MVFM) are working to protect mothers, Jeanette Vizguerra and Ingrid Encalada Latorre, from deportation by providing "sanctuary." It is considered safer for these women to live in a house of worship than to stay at home because churches, schools, and hospitals have been considered too sensitive for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to make an arrest. JUC also has a role in providing sanctuary to Ingrid and Jeanette because we are the fiscal sponsor for the Metro Denver Sanctuary Coalition (MDSC)
. FUSD, MVFM, JUC as well three other UU faith communities have joined together to form this coalition.
JUC's participation as the fiscal sponsor began in the fall of 2014 when we were approached by MDSC leaders for help. They were actively engaged in direct service work, but were struggling to adequately manage the financial activities. As a large church, JUC can more easily handle these tasks. We have a signed agreement with the coalition and day-to-day financial activities are handled under my supervision. I am happy to say that donations have been very strong this year. Almost $20,000 has been donated to help with this movement since July. Almost $17,000 of that has come in since the beginning of January. People are moved by the very real fear undocumented immigrants face of having a family member suddenly detained and/or deported. Contact me if you have questions about our role in this project.
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Welcome Our New Members
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Andrew and Natalia Ekberg
have three young children, and they enjoy the outdoors.
Richard Radow is retired and enjoys golf, book clubs, bridge, conversation, politics, and social justice.
Peter Pittman and Lisa Kish-Pittman enjoy reading, hiking, and spending time with their young son, Brock.
Lauren and Chris Esser enjoy hiking, skiing, and spending time with their two young daughters, Grace and Claire.
Sarah and Ben Teschner enjoy running, hiking, biking, and spending time with their young children, May and Alan.
Cindy Stechmeyer enjoys quilting, cooking, reading, and being outdoors to stay active.
Kate Allstadt and Andy Pickering enjoy hiking, music, skiing, and their interests include social justice and the environment.
Heather Kubert and William Cheever have two young children, Cordelia and Rowan. Their interests include real estate, baking, and the outdoors.
Nancy Curren is a returning member of JUC. She enjoys pottery, travel, and advocacy.
Sara Inskeep-Denning works for Sprouts and enjoys helping and working with people.
Steven Brentin and Rebecca Hartsough-Brentin have two young children, Gabriel and Eliana, and they enjoy rock climbing, cycling, hiking, and singing.
Peter and Doreen Kazura have two young children, Declan and Sasha, and their instrests include craft beer, music, and social justice.
Rosa Beargeon works in the medical billing field, has two teenage children, and enjoys reading and crafts.
Larry King is a family and divorce mediator whose interests include photography, poetry, reading, and gardening.
Kathy Stroh is a speaker and author whose interests include music, family, and social justice.
Tracy Nolan is a lawyer turned stay-at-home mom whose interests include yoga and Spanish.
Catherine Curran is a professor of speech pathology whose interests include travel, hiking, and reading.
Steven and Edie Daigle are both retired and their interests include nature, music, and cooking.
Dominic and Sadie May Weilminster work in architecture and education respectively. Their interests include backpacking, running, skiing, and traveling.
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Risk and Planned Giving
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During March we have explored the many facets of risk. It is part of our being on this planet and living our lives. We really have no alternative to learning and practicing risk management.
Estate planning is a form of risk management. We can provide for our care if we become disabled and provide for our loved ones as well. In the process we will build an estate that will not only support us and our loved ones, but build a legacy that will keep our UU values alive now and support generations to come.
We invite you to join us and over 50 other members by including JUC in your estate plans. This helps keep JUC a strong church where current and future generations of risk managing members and friends can
Deepen, Connect and Engage
.
Save the Date!
On Sunday, April 30 at 9:15-10:15 a.m., Mike Kramer an attorney and JUC member, will conduct an estate planning workshop.
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Golden Circle Luncheon
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Golden Circle Luncheon is a quarterly event for JUC members who are 70 and better. The next luncheon is
Thursday, April 13
, with worship at
11 a.m.
and luncheon at
noon
. If you are a member who qualifies and have not received an invitation, please contact Beth Leyba to have your name added to the mailing list.
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Young Adult Ministry Care Packages
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Every spring and fall JUC's Young Adult Ministry sends care packages to college students, military personnel, and young adults who are away. This April we are conducting our Spring 2017 campaign.
We will be collecting recipient names and addresses as well as donations in south commons after services during the first four Sundays of April. We will have a package stuffing party Tuesday, April 25 at 7 p.m. Volunteers welcome!
We expect to make about 40 packages. We seek donations to fit in a box about the size of a VHS tape (nothing large).
Suggestions:
- Food such as: Granola/energy/protein bars, Microwave Popcorn, Dried fruit, Nuts. Homemade items are very popular, but make sure they are something that travels well (e.g. Rice Krispies treats)
- Personal Care Items: Small samples, lip balm/Chapstick
- Study items: highlighters, notepads, tabs for marking pages
- Gift cards (iTunes, Starbucks, other inexpensive cards)
- Fun/Silly items or stress relievers
- Quarters for laundry or machines at school
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Love Knitting and Crocheting? Want to Make a Difference?
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JUC's community knitting and crocheting group meets every Thursday at 1 p.m. We make mainly afghans (49 blocks to an afghan) for Family Tree's Women in Crisis Shelter. The blocks are 7 x 9 inches and can be knitted or crocheted in any pattern. The blocks are edged with a single crochet, sewn together and then an outer crocheted edge is added.
We can use more members in our group and more soft acrylic worsted weight yarn. We will shortly celebrate our one year anniversary at JUC. Interested? Drop by on Thursdays or contact Fran Loft if you can help.
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Gathered Here Menu
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Every Wednesday a fellowship dinner is served from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. for $5 per person, with food for omnivores and vegetarians. Folks are also welcome to bring their own dinners if they wish. After a shared meal, there will be 6:30 p.m. chapel service that will re-energize, relax, and refresh us as we take a mid-week opportunity to deepen to our true selves and connect with one another.
This month's menu:
April 5:
Kids Choice - Sloppy Joes with Mac and Cheese
April 12:
Chicken Pot Pies
April 19:
Basil Cheese Ravioli
April 26:
Taco Salad
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14350 W 32nd Avenue
Golden, CO 80401
303-279-5282
www.jeffersonunitarian.org
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Spirit Map Congregational Survey - Coming Soon!
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 The Spirit Map congregational survey kicks off later this month. Read on for more details.
Please Participate
We hope you will take the time to complete the Spirit Map survey. It will be an important source of information for the Board of Trustees and the ministry teams about our mission and ministry. It will provide valuable insight into our strengths and opportunities for development. The more participation we have, the better the information, so please make time to "click through" when we launch on Sunday, April 23.
What will it be like?
The majority of the survey is about spiritual strengths - what is important to you and how true is it for you right now? The analysis of this information will help identify our shared spiritual strengths as a congregation and our opportunities for development. You will also help us measure the impact of our ministries and strategic objectives as well as provide demographic information that will enhance the analysis of the results.
Expect the survey to take about 30 minutes to complete. It will be easiest for most people to do so online either at home anytime from April 23 through May 8, or at stations available for three Sundays, April 23, April 30 and May 7. There will also be a paper version for those who prefer that method.
Thank You!
The Board of Trustees and the church staff thank you for participating in this important project. You will be getting more information beginning Sunday, April 23 that will link you to the survey itself.
More Information
If you want more information about the methodology and survey itself, read a more in-depth description of the project. This survey is designed and analyzed by the lay and ministerial members of Unity Consulting, associated with Unity Church-Unitarian in Saint Paul, MN. More information at spiritmap.org.
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Keeping the Promise
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I am Mary Anne Schiff and I have a message for you about pledging. JUC uses a year around pledge system in which each household is asked to renew annually during their pledging month. Pledging is a part of our regular work all year rather than in just one big push and so you will see some more messages like mine over the course of the year.
I am proud to pledge to JUC and here is why:
When I was in my early twenties I read an article about Unitarians in the Empire Magazine of the Sunday Denver Post. I knew right then that I had found my religious home. My husband and I sometimes attended the UU church in Fort Collins while he was doing graduate work at CSU and when we moved to a Chicago suburb we joined a UU church that became a very important part of our lives. Our two sons were dedicated in that church and grew up there. My husband was active in the Religious Education program and in men's groups, I served on many committees and most importantly we made lifelong friendships with people who share our beliefs and values. We made two more moves and always considered the proximity of a UU church when deciding on a home but we weren't able to find the same connections. Our Sunday mornings were often spent with the New York Times and the Washington Post. When we were finally able to move back to Colorado finding a UU community was a top priority.
We first attended JUC almost exactly ten years ago in March of 2007. I remember crying during that first service because I felt that I had come home. My husband passed away several months later and JUC became both my refuge and my hope and it continues to be a foundation in my life. From the vantage point of my usual seat at the back of the church I have watched the heads change from mostly gray or white to a marvelous mixture of ages with much more interesting hair colors. How lucky we are to have so many new energetic members and friends.
I give generously to JUC because JUC has given generously to me and I want this church to be here for anyone else who might need it. I hope that when it is your turn to pledge that you will think about what JUC means in your life and consider making an increase.
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Family Ministry Team
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Our church is VIBRANT! We're exploding with new families (check out the new member board if you'd like proof). The recent (and amazing) production of "Stand Up" by our children and youth choir had more children participating than ever! Religious Education has robust attendance and is growing. Families are flocking to JUC in order to connect with people who share their values.
The FMT is working to help all of our families to feel more connected to the church. If you feel like a family, then we're working for you. We've implemented a variety of programs all focused on connecting families to JUC, and to each other.
These events and programs include things that occur from time to time, like
:
Embrace -
Our welcoming program for new families.
gUUd dads -
A soon-to-be launched program specifically for fathers.
Cookin' for Others
- The FMT is partnering with Living Our Values (LOV!) to create these multi-generational, all-ages events where we cook together to provide those in need with food. Recipients of food created at Cookin' for Others events have included local homeless shelters, our own Family Promise families and more. Sign Up for our upcoming event!
Halloween Party
- This multi-age bash is a JUC tradition that keeps on thrillin' crowds. Parties in the past have featured a gypsy telling fortunes, a haunted (and a not-so-haunted) house, the shakin' your "boo-ties" dance party and more!
Intergenerational Events
- The FMT believes that intergenerational relationships deepen our lives. We bring seasonal events to JUC multiple times throughout the year.
Social Events for Specific Audiences
- This spring we're helping parents of preschool and nursery aged children come together to make art.
You may be asking yourself, how do I find out about this stuff?
Perhaps you're also asking yourself, how do I keep in touch with the FMT?
Are you someone who believes that this kind of programming happens
with you and not to you
?
Well we agree! Consider joining us (yep, you can just drop in) for a FMT meeting to see how you can get involved or to just see how it works (coming doesn't necessarily mean you will be in charge of the next party). We meet first Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and childcare is provided!
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UUSC Guatemala Partners
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JUC's Guatemala Scholarship Program has been providing financial support for Mayan students in the area of Rabinal, Guatemala since 2007. This year the program is supporting 59 middle and high school students who would otherwise be unable to attend school. In Guatemala the government only supports education through the 6
th
grade. After that the families must pay tuition, fees, purchase uniforms, books and other supplies.
The funds are administered by local human rights organization, ADIVIMA.
Students are selected by ADIVIMA based on their families' economic circumstances. In addition, t
o qualify for the scholarship a student must be a descendant of a victim or of a survivor of the massacres that terrorized the area in the early 1980's.
In April we are offering two opportunities to the JUC community to discover more about the history of this community and about the efforts to help them achieve a more secure future, preserve their culture and promote peace and reconciliation within their communities. In July a group of five JUC teens and six parents will travel to Rabinal to meet the students and expand the relationship with the students and their community.
ADIVIMA Posters
ADIVIMA has produced a series of stunning posters that represent each of the focus areas in which they have been working for almost twenty years to provide support and resources to the impoverished Mayan community of Rabinal. Beginning Saturday, April 1
these posters will be hung in the Sanctuary. Examples of the impressive breadth of their efforts are
Medicina Anciana del Pueblo Achi (Ancestral Medicine of the Maya Achi)
and
Organización Social y Política (Social and Political Organization of the Maya Achi).
We invite you to spend a few minutes to look at them individually. Your time will be rewarded with a greater understanding of our partner organization.
 Discovering Dominga
Sunday, April 9 at 5:45 p.m.
This one-hour award-winning documentary follows the journey of one child survivor of the Rio Negro massacres committed in 1982 against Maya Indian villagers who resisted the Chixoy dam project funded by the World Bank. A young Iowa housewife adopted from a Guatemalan orphanage as a child is disturbed by nightmares she can't explain. She eventually seeks to find out their source and who she had been. Her journey of discovery and transformation leads her to the village of Rio Negro and to many hard choices between her two worlds. Our sewing project partners in the resettlement village of Pacux are survivors of the Rio Negro massacres and their families were resettled in Pacux. A number of our scholarship students have come from Pacux and some have come from the small community of Rio Negro on the banks of the reservoir created by the dam.
Discovering Dominga
is a unique opportunity to understand the background of our scholarship students and our partners.
We hope to see you there!
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It's Time to Talk: Starting the Conversation
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JUC's Together Colorado Ministry has been hard at work since our one-to-one conversations last spring revealed mental health as one of the key issues impacting people in our community. Several months of research led us to organize
"It's Time to Talk: Mental Health and Emotional Wellness at School"
on Monday, March 13. Over 170 people gathered in the Sanctuary to hear from several experts about suicide risks and prevention in the Jeffco schools. There was not a doubt in anyone's mind about the relevance of this issue as a number of people, mostly from JUC, also shared powerful personal stories about how mental health issues have impacted their families or them personally.
Remember the story that Rev. Eric tells about rescuing babies from the river and a wise person going upstream to figure out why the babies were falling in the river? That's what organizing is about - finding the upstream-root-causes and solutions to the issue we are working to address. There are several suicide prevention programs and services in the Jeffco schools that aim to act "upstream" to give students the skills and emotional resiliency to stay away from the river's edge. This is some of what we learned on March 13:
- Jeffco Public Schools Data & Programs: Jon Widmier, Director of Student Services for the Jeffco Public Schools, and Amy Hansen, School Services Manager for the Jefferson Center for Mental Health, spoke about upstream prevention, intervention and postvention services and programs. Jeffco schools performed 1,276 suicide risk assessments last school year, with the number of assessments rapidly increasing since 2011 due to better reporting procedures as well as growing numbers of students at risk for suicide. Most assessments are performed in grades 7 through 11 but students as young as kindergarten have been assessed as at-risk. Jeffco schools placed social-emotional learning specialists (SELS) in each middle school this school year because the transitional years between elementary/middle and middle/high school are periods of critical concern and necessary support. Early indications are that this SELS middle school program has been effective.
- The Sources of Strength program is an upstream suicide prevention program that has been initiated in over a dozen Jeffco schools. This program promotes connections between peers and caring adults and strengthens multiple sources of support (protective factors) around young individuals so that when times get hard they have strengths to rely on. We heard from Jen Byrne, Adult Mentor, and brothers Jordan and Zach Fehrn, Student Mentors, about the successes of the program at Golden High School.
- Adolescent Brain Development: Jenn Marshall, an adolescent and young adult life coach and Fire Within Coach, shared some of the things that stress out teens and pointed out that the reasoning center in the brain is not fully developed until the mid-20s. She had several suggestions for parents, including know what's going on, take a walk with your children and talk, make sure children have someone to talk to, and increase positive neural pathways, motivation and vision.
What can you do?
Inform yourself:
The Jefferson Center for Mental Health offers free classes and training. Adult Mental Health First Aid
is an innovative, 8-hour course designed to give you the tools to recognize a range of mental health problems and the skills and confidence to help someone in a mental health crisis. The program offers a concrete action plan to help someone in crisis connect with appropriate professional, peer and self-help care. JUC is hosting a class on May 6
and May 13
from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Register here
.
Seek help and support when you need it:
At JUC
Pastoral Care Team volunteers and ministers are here to help. Reach our on-call minister by emailing cares@jeffersonunitarian.org or by calling 720-CHURCH9 (720-248-7249).
For family support, try the new Family Ministry Team activities, which include:
-
Parent Conversations at 4 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month (childcare provided)
-
"We are Family" Services on the first Wednesday of each month (5:30 p.m. dinner, 6:30 p.m. service)
-
FMT Meetings at 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month (childcare provided)
Community Resources
There are
several resources in our community for assistance
, including hotlines, reporting tools and financial aid for therapy. Please do not hesitate to seek help for yourself, your family or your friends.
Colorado Crisis Services: confidential and immediate support 24/7/365 for those in crisis or who need help dealing with one. Toll-free 844-493-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 38255 to speak to a trained professional or chat online
. Six metro Denver 24-hour walk-in centers (the nearest one is 12055 W. 2
nd
Place, Lakewood).
Safe2Tell Colorado
for students, parents and community members allows you to anonymously report anything 24/7/365 that concerns or threatens you, your friends, your family or your community. Call toll-free 877-542-7233 or use their mobile app.
Second Wind Fund
matches children and youth at risk for suicide with licensed therapists in their communities. If a financial or social barrier to treatment is present, they pay for up to 12 sessions of therapy from one of their specialized network providers. They are not a crisis center. General Information: 720-962-0706, and Referral line 303-988-2645.
Stand Up:
Join the Together Colorado Organizing Ministry. For more information, contact Jill Armstrong.
Our Together Colorado team has already written a letter to the school board and spoke at a school board meeting, as well as hosting this event. However, funding for mental health programs in the schools may be cut due to budget reductions. Also, 5 of the 16 Jeffco High Schools do not have mental health programs. We will continue to work to support mental health resources in Jeffco Public Schools. You can join in our efforts:
-
Speak to middle and high school principals in support of mental health programs at school
-
Write a letter to the school board
-
Attend a school board meeting and speak in support
-
Write, call and e-mail your congressional representatives and senators re: good health care for all people, which includes mental health
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