September 2021. Hungry for Change Award
Metro Caring honored the Denver Cherry Creek Rotary club with their annual Hungry for Change Award. This award celebrates the work of individuals and organizations that have made a significant impact improving the health of our communities and addressing hunger. The Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club donated warehouse space to Metro Caring and operated a food repackaging operation from June 2020 - August 2021. We packaged over 700,000 pounds (350 tons) of food to serve over 140,000 people in the Denver Metro area. None of it would have been possible without the inspiring dedication and hard work of over 500 volunteers |
Robert Mintz, Club President and Joel Russman, Metro Caring Champion accept the Hungry for Change Award from Metro Caring
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August 2021. Richard Sanford, Past President (1966 - 2021)
We mourn the loss of beloved Rotarian and past club president, Richard Sanford. Richard’s most important work was with two nonprofits: Operation Warm and Rotary Clubs International, where he was the 2020 President of the Cherry Creek (Denver) Rotary. Through Rotary, Richard volunteered at (and eventually managed) a local women’s homeless shelter, where everyone knew of his sincere commitment to support women who had fallen into serious difficulty. He treated those whom society marginalized with true dignity and respect, personifying Rotary’s mission of “Service above self.”
We mourn the loss of beloved Rotarian and past club president, Richard Sanford. Richard’s most important work was with two nonprofits: Operation Warm and Rotary Clubs International, where he was the 2020 President of the Cherry Creek (Denver) Rotary. Through Rotary, Richard volunteered at (and eventually managed) a local women’s homeless shelter, where everyone knew of his sincere commitment to support women who had fallen into serious difficulty. He treated those whom society marginalized with true dignity and respect, personifying Rotary’s mission of “Service above self.”
August 2021 Operation Warm
Remembering Richard Sanford Jr. In memory of Richard Sanford Jr., Operation Warm, together with the Cherry Creek Rotary Club hosted a giving event to provide a pair of athletic shoes to every Pre-K thru 3rd grade student at Paris Elementary in Aurora, Colorado, on Thursday, August 26th.
Remembering Richard Sanford Jr. In memory of Richard Sanford Jr., Operation Warm, together with the Cherry Creek Rotary Club hosted a giving event to provide a pair of athletic shoes to every Pre-K thru 3rd grade student at Paris Elementary in Aurora, Colorado, on Thursday, August 26th.
August 2021, Metro Caring Warehouse
The Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club hosted 29 high school students from Castle Pines at the Metro Caring Warehouse. These students took a Saturday afternoon to package over a ton of food to help fight food insecurity in the Denver Metro area. Click on this link newspaper.castlepinesconnection.com/2021/sep/index.html#p=28 to read the full story.
The Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club hosted 29 high school students from Castle Pines at the Metro Caring Warehouse. These students took a Saturday afternoon to package over a ton of food to help fight food insecurity in the Denver Metro area. Click on this link newspaper.castlepinesconnection.com/2021/sep/index.html#p=28 to read the full story.
July 2021, Imagination Library of Denver
From Jack Tate, Imagination Library of Colorado President:
I wanted to reach out and share my gratitude to the Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club for continuing to support the Imagination Library of Denver (ILD).
As you know, kindergarten literacy readiness in Denver is below the national average, which Imagination Library is working to improve. We are thrilled that the Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club supports ILD to ensure children in Denver have inclusive access to good books. We know that simply putting books into homes of children significantly increases kindergarten readiness and helps create a family culture of reading. Growing a community of readers is our goal as we expand Imagination Library throughout Denver and all of Colorado.
From Jack Tate, Imagination Library of Colorado President:
I wanted to reach out and share my gratitude to the Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club for continuing to support the Imagination Library of Denver (ILD).
As you know, kindergarten literacy readiness in Denver is below the national average, which Imagination Library is working to improve. We are thrilled that the Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club supports ILD to ensure children in Denver have inclusive access to good books. We know that simply putting books into homes of children significantly increases kindergarten readiness and helps create a family culture of reading. Growing a community of readers is our goal as we expand Imagination Library throughout Denver and all of Colorado.
May 2021 Channel 7 honored Rebecca Thomas and the Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club as the Channel 7 Hero of the Week for the club's support of Project Worthmore. Project Worthmore is a nonprofit organization serving our refugee neighbors with a variety of programs including an English language school, a community farm, a food share program and a dental clinic.
The Cherry Creek Rotary Club has supported Project Worthmore's Dental Clinic with over $5,000 of dental equipment and supplies. Several metro-area Rotary clubs have joined together to provide food to Project Worthmore's Yu Meh food program and Rotary volunteers help package and deliver food to about 300 refugee families each month. District 5450 and the Mile Hi Rotary Club hosted a Rotary Day of Service at Project Worthmore's Delaney Community Farm and helped to paint two barns and get the farm ready for spring planting.
Click here for the full Channel 7 story:
https://spotoncolorado.com/denver-area/1050045/denver7-everyday-hero-rebecca-thomas.html
May 2021 Joel Russman honored by Rotary District 5450 as Rotarian of the Year
A Rotarian since 2004, Joel is a Past President and Foundation Chair of the Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club. He is also a multiple Paul Harris Fellow. Joel has been instrumental in many local community service projects. As the pandemic first hit, Joel took on the Grub for Scrubs project providing meals for first responders and hospital workers. Most recently Joel has been working with local nonprofit Metro Caring to repackage dry food staples into individual sized quantities so that they can be provided to those in need. Rotarians from a number of Clubs have volunteered at the Metro Caring facility.
A Rotarian since 2004, Joel is a Past President and Foundation Chair of the Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club. He is also a multiple Paul Harris Fellow. Joel has been instrumental in many local community service projects. As the pandemic first hit, Joel took on the Grub for Scrubs project providing meals for first responders and hospital workers. Most recently Joel has been working with local nonprofit Metro Caring to repackage dry food staples into individual sized quantities so that they can be provided to those in need. Rotarians from a number of Clubs have volunteered at the Metro Caring facility.
March 2021 Teva Sienicki, Executive Director of Metro Caring, shared the following:
These days at Metro Caring, we are helping 300% more families with emergency food than we were pre-COVID. Thanks to our partnership with Cherry Creek Rotary, we are able to buy pallets of bulk goods for far less than if we’d had to buy them packaged for retail. A Rotary member arranged for us to use a warehouse free of cost for the storage and breakdown on these items. And Rotary volunteers have pitched in and recruited others to contribute a total of over 8,000 volunteer hours (and counting!) to scoop dry food, such as flour, rice, beans and oats, from 50- pound bags into one-pound portions that we provide to community members.
At Metro Caring our mission is to meet people’s immediate needs for nutritious food while building a movement to end hunger in Colorado. That mission became harder due to COVID, and simply put, we couldn’t do what we do without the help of Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club. Thank you for being with us on our journey to respond to this moment and as we take the first steps to rebuild better together.
THANK YOU DENVER CHERRY CREEK ROTARY!
March 2021 Teva Sienicki, Executive Director of Metro Caring, shared the following:
These days at Metro Caring, we are helping 300% more families with emergency food than we were pre-COVID. Thanks to our partnership with Cherry Creek Rotary, we are able to buy pallets of bulk goods for far less than if we’d had to buy them packaged for retail. A Rotary member arranged for us to use a warehouse free of cost for the storage and breakdown on these items. And Rotary volunteers have pitched in and recruited others to contribute a total of over 8,000 volunteer hours (and counting!) to scoop dry food, such as flour, rice, beans and oats, from 50- pound bags into one-pound portions that we provide to community members.
At Metro Caring our mission is to meet people’s immediate needs for nutritious food while building a movement to end hunger in Colorado. That mission became harder due to COVID, and simply put, we couldn’t do what we do without the help of Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club. Thank you for being with us on our journey to respond to this moment and as we take the first steps to rebuild better together.
THANK YOU DENVER CHERRY CREEK ROTARY!
February 2021 Abigail Smith, Executive Director for Friends of the Haven, shared the following:
The $2,000 treatment scholarship was used by one of the mother’s at our Mother’s House. She was very grateful for her time and the Haven and for this scholarship helps her as she is moving on to the next phase in her life. She says, “ This program showed me a new way of life and how to “love myself” again, and find out who the real me is. My plan from here on out is to keep moving forward and not let anything or anyone stop me from getting to the top. I will continue to set goals for myself that I can accomplish. Soon after I am settled in my own place I plan to go back to school for something that helps others. I plan to stay connected and never forget what I learned in this program and how it gave me a new life.”
Our Baby Haven Center used the $2,000 grant for things such as classroom supplies to help the children learn each day. It’s important that items in the classrooms are in good working order so we are often cycling through art supplies, books, bibs, toys and items of that nature. Access to items that provide hands-on learning for children and that helps them to explore their world are so important for on-going learning and growth.
We want to thank you again for your continued support and we are so appreciative of the grant you awarded us in December. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the mothers and children in our programs!
The $2,000 treatment scholarship was used by one of the mother’s at our Mother’s House. She was very grateful for her time and the Haven and for this scholarship helps her as she is moving on to the next phase in her life. She says, “ This program showed me a new way of life and how to “love myself” again, and find out who the real me is. My plan from here on out is to keep moving forward and not let anything or anyone stop me from getting to the top. I will continue to set goals for myself that I can accomplish. Soon after I am settled in my own place I plan to go back to school for something that helps others. I plan to stay connected and never forget what I learned in this program and how it gave me a new life.”
Our Baby Haven Center used the $2,000 grant for things such as classroom supplies to help the children learn each day. It’s important that items in the classrooms are in good working order so we are often cycling through art supplies, books, bibs, toys and items of that nature. Access to items that provide hands-on learning for children and that helps them to explore their world are so important for on-going learning and growth.
We want to thank you again for your continued support and we are so appreciative of the grant you awarded us in December. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the mothers and children in our programs!
September 2020 The Your Hub edition of the Denver Post highlights the Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club's program to help feed the hungry in partnership with Metro Caring. See the article
August 2020 The Washington Park Profile highlights the Denver Cherry Creek Rotary's Club program to help feed the hungry in partnership with Metro Caring. See the article
August 2020 Bob Kemp, Rotary District Governor, highlights the Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Club's program to help feed the hungry in partnership with Metro Caring. Watch a short YouTube video.
August 2020 Rotary District 5450 Announces Awards and Congratulations are due to Denver Cherry Creek Rotarian Joel Russman!
Significant Contribution to Those in Need
Joel Russman (Denver Cherry Creek)
Significant Contribution to Those in Need
Joel Russman (Denver Cherry Creek)
- As soon as the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic became apparent, Joel quickly developed a program to help provide much-needed meals to community health workers. As more organizations began addressing those needs, Joel saw a more pressing need and began organizing volunteers for the Metro Caring Provisioning Project which breaks down bulk food staples into individual bags for distribution to various food pantries.
