The Estes Valley is a community of generous people who lean in throughout the year to share time, talent, and treasure. Three community organizations – Estes Park Quota Club, Blue Santa, Bright Christmas — step up at the holidays to lend Santa a helping hand, and one area organization — Crossroads Assistance Ministry — provides year-round social services.
The Estes Park Quota Club kicks off the annual giving season with its annual Festival of Trees. More than 40 organizations and individuals decorate tabletop trees, which are displayed from mid-November to mid-December. The trees and their elaborate decorations are raffled as a fundraiser, and this year’s festival raised $12,000.
The funds are distributed to support area nonprofits, including:
- Estes Valley Investment in Childhood Success = $3,000
- Habitat for Humanity = $3,000 with a $3,000 match by Lowe’s = $6,000.00
- Estes Dementia Day Center = $3,000
- Bright Christmas for backpacks for school kids = $750
- Scholarships = $1500.00 to a student from Estes Park for tuition for the fall semester
Since 1949, when the local Estes Park Quota Club was established, the organization has been giving back to the community through the purchase of ambulances, maintaining a medical equipment loan closet, funding hearing aids and speech therapy services for both youth and older adults, providing scholarships, and engaging in numerous other community outreach initiatives.
The Blue Santa program is an outreach of the Town of Estes Park’s Police Department Auxiliary. Funds are raised to purchase non-perishable food and hygiene products for more than 100 community members who are homebound, disabled, or elderly, providing them with extra holiday cheer in December. A team of 40 Auxiliary members and EPPD staff assisted with the deliveries.
The Estes Park Bright Christmas program also spreads cheer to families in the Estes Valley. Families can provide the organization with a wish list and information about the ages and interests of the kids in a household. Individual and organizational sponsors are then matched with a family, and the information is shared so the sponsor can purchase appropriate gifts. Rather than providing food, gift cards are given to local grocery stores so families can shop for what they need, and sponsors are asked not to purchase electronics or expensive items.
The nonprofit organization then distributes gifts at the 18-hole golf course 10 days before Christmas. It offers a kids’ market where children can “shop” for presents for their family members while their parents or guardians can enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and select age- and interest-appropriate books for the children.
Crossroads’ year-round social services
Crossroads Assistance Ministry provides the community with a variety of locally-based wraparound social services throughout the years, including The Market food pantry, weekend food bags that are sent home with students to make ensure they get fed over the weekend, $16,000 annually; mental health counseling sessions for neighbors who need support to deal with the pressures of life, $80,000 annually; transportation services provided to neighbors unable to get around town, $20,000 annually; and Meals on Wheels delivered throughout the Estes Valley to everyone in need of a hot nutritious meal who cannot afford the full price; $28,000 annually.
In total, this past year, Crossroads Assistance Ministry, a Christian human service agency that recently updated its name to include “Assistance,” provided 5,854 services to Estes Valley neighbors in need, valued at $746,000. Click here to learn about donating before the end of the year.
Crossroads, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, was founded in 1985 by the Estes Valley Interfaith Council. Crossroads is supported by fifteen local churches as well as multiple businesses, civic clubs, the Salvation Army, Town of Estes Park, and several collaborative partners.
You must be logged in to post a comment.