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Since 1982, CWEE has helped over 8000 low income single families develop skills to successfully prepare for, find, and keep sustainable employment.
I AM collage by Marcie
CWEE Participant - August 2007
When working on my collage I wanted to find pictures of things that were like me and reflect my feelings about me. I'm a person who is not afraid to put my neck on the line to try new things. Suffering a little humiliation at times may be a part of that. So be it. Everything happens in life for a reason. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. I always describe myself as a little erratic, standing by the poolside jumping without fear, only to realize half way in air bound there's no water in the pool. My approach to life may not get me there faster or be the safest way. I'm going to have fun in my life or I might as well check out of the game. That's why my collage is a little crazy but a whole lot going on. There are a lot of different sides to me…. Love me or hate me. Either way I love me.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
This year CWEE's Annual Alumni Awards Luncheon, Investing in Success, will be held on Thursday, May 1, 2008 from 11:30 to 1:30 pm
New venue! EXDO, located in Downtown Denver at 1399 35th Street (corner of Walnut and 35th).
Reserve your seat today by calling Kristin Miner at 303.892.8444 ext. 308 or kminer@cwee.org.
Tickets are $50 each.
Free valet parking will be available.
CWEE is a proud member
of Comminity Shares
GivingFirst is a web-based tool that facilitates philanthropic giving in the Denver area through the Community First Foundation (formerly LMC Community Foundation).
CWEE is excited to be a part of the Foundation's “ePhilanthropy” campaign. The Community First Foundation is covering the costs of credit card transaction fees. That way, 100% of donations through GivingFirst will go directly to CWEE.
Please help us to build a stronger
community by donating to CWEE!
Get a 25% Tax Credit for
Donations of $250 or more through Denver Enterprise Zone (DEZ)
For more information please contact
Laura Gabbay at:
303.892.8444 ext 312 or lgabbay@cwee.org
CWEE Board Members
Donald D. MacKenzie, Chair
Robin Snidow, Vice Chair
K. Denise Albrecht, Treasurer
DaLinda Grimm, Secretary
Katie Agron
Darla Caudle
Kelli Fritts
Linda Niven
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QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER October 2007
In this Issue:
- Letter from Laurie Harvey, CWEE's Executive Director
- CWEE Program Profile / New Arapahoe County Contract
- Corporate Profile / Community Banks of Colorado
- CWEE Supporter Profile / Colleen Schweigert
- Leave a Legacy - Top 5 Ways
LETTER FROM LAURIE HARVEY,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
There are 10,754 Coloradans receiving welfare. The majority are single mothers with children. Who cares about them? I do. And so does our entire staff, our volunteers and our more than 400 annual financial supporters at CWEE.
Single parents are the main target audience of CWEE’s programs. On average CWEE participants have three children each. Last year we served 361 individuals, but we estimate we impacted not only these adults, but more than 500 children in our community. They are parents who are determined to become self-sufficient, move off of welfare and demonstrate to their children that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to do.
In the words of one recent CWEE participant, “I really like being here. I never thought there was a real school for women like all of us.” Another expressed: “I love it here at CWEE. You are doing a great job and are offering a wonderful service and opportunity to those of us who really do want to succeed – and excel – at something other than day-to-day basics. Keep it up and thank you.” Early in their time at CWEE, our participants create an “I Am” collage. The purpose of this exercise is to help participants identify past challenges and positive accomplishments and personal characteristics to focus on in the present and to carry them into the future. These collages are as singular and beautiful in spirit as the participants themselves. I invite you to come see these collages for yourself and visit our organization by calling me at 303-892-8444 x313. Most Fridays at 1:00 p.m., our participants display their public speaking skills sharing their incredible life stories in a weekly assembly.
CWEE PROGRAM PROFILE:
NEW ARAPAHOE COUNTY CONTRACT
The past year has been one of continued achievement for CWEE and the single parents we serve. Our organization was approached by Arapahoe County to provide job readiness programs to at least 100 new participants who are residents of the county and on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). It was a tremendous compliment to CWEE and speaks to our ability to remain on the forefront of serving single mothers on welfare.
For many years, CWEE has provided job readiness programs to residents of Denver and Adams Counties once they are determined eligible to receive TANF. This newest relationship is very exciting for all of us at CWEE.
To learn more about CWEE’s programs and expansion plans,
contact Program Director Barb Wallace at barbw@cwee.org
CORPORATE PARTNER PROFILE:
COMMUNITY BANKS OF COLORADO, INC.
 Community Banks of Colorado, headquartered in Greenwood Village, is one of the largest and fastest growing banking organizations in the state. The company began in Rocky Ford, Colorado in 1988.
Today there are over 400 employees and nearly forty locations across Colorado, with more in the planning stage.
Community Banks of Colorado espouses a philosophy that they often refer to as, Lifestyle Banking. One way to describe this is to visualize a three-legged stool. Each leg represents a critical element that sustains communities far into the future. These are the economic, social, and environmental foundations... or, people, places and performance that are critical to healthy communities.
Community Banks develops community economic growth by focusing on the business leaders, small business owners, proprietors and entrepreneurs, ranchers and farmers who are all working hard to turn profits into legacy businesses that improve the lifestyles of their families and communities. The bank nurtures and develops the social networks in communities by supporting education, the arts, affordable home ownership, responsible land development. And, finally, as the only bank in the country that’s a member of 1% for the Planet, they contribute resources towards the sensible use and development of our environment.
Community Banks is a proud supporter of CWEE through annual support and sponsorship of CWEE's Annual Alumni Awards Luncheon.
For more information on Community Banks of Colorado: www.cobnks.com
CWEE SUPPORTER PROFILE 
COLLEEN SCHWEIGERT:
I just loved Paint-A-Thons – someone else organized the whole thing, bought the paint, brought the ladders – all I had to do is show up, get a free T-shirt and paint a house! Then I got to feel good about what a great person I was to donate my time.
Okay, what does that have to do with CWEE? Well, Wells Fargo stopped organizing Paint-A-Thons back in 1998. I complained to our Community Service representative about the lack of an “easy” way for me to make a contribution to the community and she suggested I accompany her to a CWEE graduation.
I was knocked off my feet. I watched 20+ women stand up in front of a room filled with their relatives, CWEE staff and total strangers (like me), and tell us of their goals in life. Goals like … I want to be able to give my children a house! …. I want to be able to hold my head up and say I did it myself! … I want to be a good role model for my children! These amazing women wanted to accomplish simple things that so many of us take for granted.
The strength, the honesty and the whole-hearted commitment these women possessed was so incredible that I wanted to do nothing more than find a way to help them meet those goals. So I applied for membership to the CWEE Board of Directors and was actually accepted beginning in March 1999. I served on the Board through three three-year terms, for a total of nine years. During my service, CWEE changed it’s name, bought its building and doubled the number of people it served – and it was easier than painting a house!
I will continue on in my support of CWEE through its auxiliary organization and through donations because there is nothing more impressive than helping someone become a productive member of our world and a good role model for others.
TOP 5 THINGS YOU CAN DO TODAY
TO LEAVE A LEGACY FOR SINGLE PARENTS
1. Prepare a will. Only 40% of those who pass away have one. Without a will, you may lose control over the assets you wish to pass along.
2. Include a charitable bequest in your will. Don’t forget about charity when you make a will. Work with your lawyer to include a charitable bequest in your will (or revocable living trust if you have one). Your bequest can be an outright gift of money or property, a gift of a percentage of your estate, or a gift of the rest of your estate after gifts to your family.
If we at CWEE have touched your heart with our mission, consider leaving a bequest to us.
3. Use your retirement plan. By filling out a simple change of beneficiary form, you can name CWEE as the beneficiary of your tax-deferred IRA or 401(k) retirement plan. Don’t worry - the money is still yours to live on following retirement. By naming a charity as the beneficiary, you are giving away only whatever is left at the time of your death--the money you don’t need during your lifetime.
4. Use your bank accounts. Consider filling out a change of beneficiary form and name CWEE as beneficiary of your checking or savings accounts. Again, the money remains yours to use during your lifetime as needed.
5. Leverage your life insurance policy. It is easy to call your life insurance company and request a change of beneficiary form. You can name a charity as beneficiary of all or part of the policy proceeds following your death.
Help CWEE continue to assist single parents in our community to prepare for, find and keep sustainable employment in the next 25 years of CWEE’s history and beyond.
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