Page 17 - November 2019 proof 7 Castle Pines Connection

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The belief that nonpro t organizations strengthen our community, combined with faith in our readership and humanity in general that we all have talents to share, The Castle Pines Connection is committed to featuring a di erent local nonpro t each month. This month we highlight Tennyson Center for Children and Operation Santa.
and Operation Santa brings
Christmas to area families By Carin R. Kirkegaard; photo courtesy of Memorial Day Flowers
CastlePinesConnection.com
What’s your
APPtitude?
Giftster helps with
nding the perfect gift
By Lisa Nicklanovich
If you struggle
with trying
to nd a just-
right gift for
everyone on
your holiday
list, give
giftster, a
private web
and mobile gift
registry a try.
The giftster app
is free for iOs
and Android
uses and both
the app and
website are
very easy to use. It makes sure the gifts we give and receive are just right.
Whether you try the giftster website or app, the idea is that users share their wish lists with family and friends. I like the fact that while the gifts may not completely
be a surprise, they are exactly what was wanted and will be welcome. Think of all the returns that happen after the holidays. Giftster takes away the stress of guessing and potentially wasting time and money.
Create a group in giftster by pulling contacts from your address book and then invites are automatically sent. Everyone
in the group works on their own wish list by pasting in web links to items. Then giftster auto-populates a photo of the item, a description, the price and of course where to buy it. If you don’t have a link or it’s not an online item, simply type in the information for the item and where to get it.
Users can set their preferences, like sizes and interests, and then rank items on their wish list so gift-givers know the recipient’s priorities. I am thinking giftster will not just be helpful during the holidays, but for birthdays, graduations, college registries, weddings, showers and gift exchanges. Multiple groups can be set up for di erent occasions and used throughout the year and for years to come.
When you are looking through someone’s wish list, you can click reserve to hold
the gift so no one else can buy it. Once purchased, which you can do directly from giftster, the item is no longer available
to others in the group. The person who created the list can’t see if or when any gifts on their list have been purchased, so the gifts stay a secret until actually received.
I’m imagining some genuine, “That’s exactly what I wanted!” comments this gift-giving season.
Tennyson Center for Children
The holiday season, for many, is met
with joy and anticipation, and perhaps a dose of stress. Across the Denver metro area, there are many families that struggle through the holidays. Tennyson Center for Children (TCC), located in the Highlands neighborhood of Denver, is able to bring the excitement of the holiday season with their program, Operation Santa to more than 250 children and families served by the organization.
Tennyson Center for Children
TCC has helped and supported some of the state’s most abused and neglected children for the past 115 years. The organization
is a longstanding nonpro t in Colorado.
It found its origins in 1904 when orphan trains would drop children o in Loveland at what was then the Colorado Christian Home. Eventually the home was moved to Denver.
Today, two dozen children from ages 5 to 18 live in three cottages. The children
are divided into groups depending on their age and needs. The goal is to support the children to learn and develop skills to be safe in the community. Roughly 90 percent of these children are wards of the state. Typically, they have experienced abuse and neglect. They often struggle with mental health and/or developmental issues.
By the time the children are on TCC’s doorstep they have already been placed in 8 to 12 di erent living situations including their family home, foster homes and other group homes, according to Lauren Dartt, director of marketing and communications. “We want to be the last stop,” she said.
Rather than wait for the children to come to TCC in a crisis situation, the organization started providing community based services (CBS). This is a way to help strengthen the infrastructure for vulnerable families to stay together. Essentially, it allows them to get ahead of the problem before it becomes so severe that the children need to be removed from the family home.
The CBS includes in-home therapy
that focuses on the family unit and its preservation. Depending on the need, families can receive help that could include parenting classes, assistance in creating a structure in the home, crisis stabilization and where to nd resources when help is
needed. A family typically works with the CBS anywhere from three months to one year.
TCC also o ers an accredited, therapeutic K-12 school. There is a one teacher for every three students. Both residents at TCC, as well as children that live at home and come to TCC for school and therapy attend the school.
Operation Santa
Operation Santa is the annual holiday program that TCC organizes to help bring Christmas to children and families in need. At the onset
of the holiday
season, TCC compiles a wish list. Then, individuals and organizations can purchase items and deliver them to TCC. Volunteers organize the incoming gifts to be used
at the Santa Shop on December 18. The Santa Shop is a way for families to shop and purchase gifts for their loved ones.
Operation Santa allows us to bring Christmas to the kids that live here and allows our families in the community to bring Christmas to their homes, Dartt explained.
“Some of the kids receiving services at Tennyson are wards of the state, who simply would not get to experience the magic of the holidays without the support of our community. Other families we serve don’t have the means to celebrate Christmas. Our donors make a huge di erence in their lives. It reminds me
of the power of small acts of generosity and kindness, and that we can all do our part to make our communities brighter,” said Elizabeth Mayer, project manager for Operation Santa.
TCC is in need of Santa helpers throughout the month of December to help organize, sort and wrap incoming gifts.
To learn more about how to help contact operationsanta@tennysoncenter.org.