A place where members make friends and a difference!
The A.W.A.R.E. Center (formerly known as the Rainbow Center) is a peer run drop-in center where members of mental health services can find an accepting community, purpose and empowerment. Our services are rooted in the belief that people can and do recover, and that empowerment is a critical aspect of recovery.

Activities Calendar

Happy November!
Please take a look at what we have in store this month
Announcement!

Please take a look at our new hours that take effect the 1st of November 2020 until further notice:

Mondays: 11:15a - 4p
Tuesdays: 8:30a - 4p
Wednesdays: 8:30a - 4p
Thursdays: 11:15a - 4p
Fridays: 10:30a - 4p

A hot meal will be served 11:30a Monday through Friday.
AWARE Center Events
Friday Events
11/6 - Movie and Popcorn
11/13 - Birthday Bash Bingo
11/20 - Thanksgiving Dinner
11/26 -11/27 - Closed for Thanksgiving!

Member Meetings
11/10 - Community Advisory Panel: come and share your thoughts and ideas for what groups, events, and meals you'd like to see at the AWARE Center.
11/12 - Member Forum: a great opportunity to share your questions and comments with with Community Reach Center.

11/4 & 11/18 - Quebec Food Bank Outing
A great opportunity to get food for your home from Food Bank of the Rockies.
*Due to COVID-19, we are limited to the number of members we can take. Please call us at (303)451-4288 to check for available seats and more information.
Celebrating 20 Years of Rainbow!
We have recently discovered a long lost article about the Rainbow Center (now called the A.W.A.R.E. Center) when it started 20 years ago!

Mary Ann, a long time staff recalls the history of Rainbow Center:

"Over the years that I have been here there have been a lot of changes. We've had many transitions in staff, including three different managers. We used to be in a different location with a smaller building. Members used to go to conferences, where food and travel was provided! Some of our members were even staff. This year especially has been different from the rest due to COVID and the limits that places. We have a few members who have been around for it all."

Even though the A.W.A.R.E. Center has evolved, its heart and mission has stayed the same:

The mission of the AWARE Center is to create a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment for members, while promoting empowerment through opportunities for socialization, education, and fun activities aimed at advancing each member’s recovery process.
Member Spotlight!
How has the AWARE Center helped you with your recovery?

"The AWARE Center has helped me by keeping me out of trouble. It keeps me from hanging on the streets and gives me good people to hang around. I've been coming here for nine years. I go to Mary Anne's Spirituality group on Thursdays which helps me a lot, as well as Brennen's meditation group on Mondays. When I am not in a group I play trash with Mary Anne or play pool with other members. Here I make friends that are a positive influence."

What else has helped with your recovery?

"Surrounding myself with sober people has helped a lot and being around a better group of people. My mom, my grandma, my uncle and my step dad are all there to talk to me when I need it. I have few close friends who will also talk to me"

Brian H.
Member Poet

Ill Winds of September

It was a lonely time as I remember,
forsaken by my closest friends.
How alone I felt,
as the cards were dealt.
It seemed my world was coming to an end.

Beaten down and broken,
a shadow of a man.
Then evil entered my heart,
filled with fiery darts.
Until I fell into his fiendish hands.

Ill winds came now and then,
but the winds are about to change.
The past is gone,
I'm movin' on.
My life will never be the same.

Ill winds od September are callin',
callin' me back home.
So I started picking up the pieces,
but I didn't know how or where to begin.
So I heaved a sigh,
I finally cried for Jesus.

He came upon the whispering wind,
He calmed the clamoring seas that raged and roared in me.
He truly loved me when I needed a friend.

Ill winds came now and then,
but the winds are 'bout to change.
Is the wind calling your name?
Member Artist
Megan W. is a weekly attender of our Creations on Canvas class.
"I am very thankful for the opportunity to come and accessibly learn how to paint."
Peer Corner

Positive Self-Talk for Codependents

Co-dependency is an emotional and behavioral condition that impacts ones ability to have healthy relationships. Co-dependency is often rooted in childhood family dynamics where the child assumes roles outside of their development ability – for example, taking on the responsibility of caring for parents or siblings. The child may feel a need to focus on the needs of others before their own creating a pattern they continue into their adult years. Co-dependency may also stem from emotional neglect; co-dependents learn to look for people to “rescue” or “heal” to feel needed or important. 
Co-dependency may look like:

  • Someone who often does more than their fair share
  • An extreme need for approval and recognition
  • One-sided relationships and loose boundaries
  • Lack of trust in self/others
  • Fear of abandonment
  • Compulsive care-taking
  • Putting personal needs aside to meet the needs of others, even when there is a negative impact 
Meet the Staff

Dominique - she/her/hers
Dominique is a peer specialist and has been with the AWARE Center for 3 years!

What are some of your favorite activities and hobbies outside of work?
"Outside of work my favorite thing to do is travel and see new places. Getting exposure to new people and cultures is the best learning experience I’ve ever had. I can’t wait for Covid to be over so I can do it again!"

What is the most amazing place you have traveled to, or is there anywhere you’d like to travel to next?
"The most amazing place I have traveled so far would be Thailand, I loved all the nature! The next place on my list is definitely Greece."

What is the best thing about working at the AWARE Center?
"I have learned so much by working at the AWARE Center. I think the best thing is being around people who have had similar experiences and seeing the true resiliency."

What has helped you most in your recovery?
"Surrounding myself with people who love and care about me has been the most important thing. Having support is so necessary in recovery."
Resources
Thanksgiving Banquet-In-A-Box Registration Open Now!
Denver Rescue Mission is offering families a turkey and all the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal for 8-10 people. Boxes are distributed at Empower Field at Mile High Parking Lot B from Tuesday, November 24 from 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
REGISTER NOW to receive a voucher. After registration is full, families without a voucher may arrive on Tuesday, November 24 starting at 11:00 a.m. to receive a box on a first come, first served basis until 12:00 p.m. or boxes are gone, whichever is first.


November has been designated to recognize the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the United States. It is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people.

There are hundreds of tribes across the nation and a great way to celebrate Native American Heritage month is to educate yourself and others about the local tribe communities in your state.

Native American Tribes of Colorado

The Apache nation
The Arapaho nation
The Cheyenne nation
The Pueblo tribes
The Shoshone tribe
The Ute nation

If you'd like to learn more, please visit the official Native American Heritage month website!
Monthly Inspiration
"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." -Nelson Mandela
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