Community of Caring Foundation

The Aspen Mine Center, under the non-profit umbrella of the Community of Caring Foundation, provides a visible, neighborhood "one-stop shop," connecting families and individuals to 24 on-site agencies and programs. This range of services also includes 14 programs supporting our efforts to address gaming impacts and build a healthy community. These programs encompass a food pantry, clothes closet, commodities distribution, resource agency coalition, county transportation directive, county housing stakeholders, summer youth enrichment, senior case management, Medicaid health navigation, financial health advocate, workforce program, volunteer and community service, pioneers in public service and philanthropy, community Thanksgiving meal program, Christmas outreach, book exchange library, scholarships, and a community meal program.

The Aspen Mine Center Gift and Thrift Stoppe, staffed completely by voulnteers and 1 Ser-national program individual, provides an affordable shopping outlet that repurposes and recirculates our many donations into valuable revenue that our organization uses for its many programs and client assistance funds. It also provides a donation center for our community and neighbors.

The Mountain Alternative Education Program has helped 210 students over the past 16 years to graduate who otherwise would not likely have finished high school. For the past 16 years, the Community of Caring provided $50,000 per year as well as administrative oversight for this vital program. This program transitioned to a school-based after-school and summer school program that incorporated 8 to 10 after-school activities led by community specialists. Some of these included chess, cooking, sewing, drama, tutoring, and robotics. The Community of Caring was again instrumental in funding a part-time coordinator and paid activity leaders.In July of this year, the program was redesigned and approved for continuation through a state 21st Century Grant, which is now funding the program in full. While the Community of Caring is no longer providing funds for this great program, we have proudly participated in the design committee to implement this program, which now benefits children of all ages. We continue to work with the Cripple Creek-Victor Schools as a critical partner in their newly developed Career Technical and Education Program and will be providing a significant amount of in-kind support in the coming years.