Tri-Lakes Cares is the social safety net for the Tri-Lakes area and northern El Paso County. The community-based nonprofit agency provides emergency assistance, self-sufficiency programs, and other social services to those in need. A key to Tri-Lakes Care's success is help from hundreds of volunteers who provided over 10,000 hours of service in 2007.
The volunteer effort for Tuesday, May 13, 2008, was the pick up, transport, and stocking of 3,800 pounds of foodstuffs gathered by the Monument Postal Service last Saturday in the nationwide USPS food drive. The men from Agilent Technologies in Colorado Springs provided the muscle and energy to move the food to where the hungry can pick it up. Thanks guys!
Tri-Lakes Cares is truly a community effort. The agency occupies a new (and paid for) building in downtown Monument thanks to private donations, money from local churches, in kind donations from builders, and grants from a variety of foundations. It is a "building love built" noted the Board of Directors during the grand opening in August 2007. The site formerly was the parsonage of itinerant preacher John Dyer (1874), and also served the community as a front porch post office (1940's). In 2008 the new building contains Tri-Lakes Cares grocery programs (help yourself, commodities, emergency groceries, and senior supplemental groceries), seasonal programs (school supplies, holiday food baskets, gift program) and other programs (Susan's closet, post-secondary education, Granny's attic, limited financial services, and referral services.) Co-located in the structure are the northern branch of Pikes Peak Workforce Center, the Health Advocacy Partnership/Penrose St. Francis community nurse, and (new today), the Monument Clinic staffed with a volunteer doctor. The Tri-Lakes Cares brochure is entitled "We Can Help." And they do. Families are fed to prevent hunger and free up income for other expenses. Seniors get help to stretch limited budgets with once a month, supplemental groceries. Emergency financial assistance is provided for income-qualified families to avoid eviction and to keep the utilities on; gas vouchers are available as is assistance for small car repairs. In 2007 Tri-Lakes Cares served 1,053 low-income individuals through temporary assistance and encouragement towards self-sufficiency.
Executive Director Judith Pettibone says volunteers are needed in the following areas:
Monument Clinic for those without insurance and unable to access medical services. We need nurses and others with healthcare experience and other volunteers to receive patients and assist with paperwork.The clinic is open 9 a.m. - noon on Tuesdays and 6-8p.m. on Thursdays.
Workforce Center needs computer savvy volunteers who can help train clients to reenter the workforce. The Workforce Center has the same hours as Tri-Lakes Cares: Noon-4p.m. Mondays, 10 a.m. - 4p.m. Wednesdays, 9 a.m. - 9p.m. Tuesdays.
General Volunteers - Judith says, "We can always can use men with trucks and people for special projects throughout the year. E-mail us at
trilakescares@qwestoffice.net."
Can't volunteer? Bring money or food (call ahead 481-4864). Each dollar donated results in $5 in services. Cash donations can be designated for specific programs. $25 provides school supplies for one child for one school year. On the front burner right now for donations is the Post Secondary Education Program. In any case, do something to help your community today. And make it a point to thank staff and volunteers.