GATHERING PLACE A REFUGE FOR REBUILDING LIVES
1535 High Street, Denver, CO 80218 www.tgpdenver.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: To build a community of safety and hope where positive relationships, choice, and resources transform lives.

Meet Basic Needs: Resource advocates on the Community Access Team (CAT) respond to members' immediate needs with services that include showers, laundry, naps, mail service, locker storage, telephone access, and an extensive array of resources and referrals. Similar to the CAT response, TGP's Family Program provides support to families in a safe, nurturing, and developmentally rich environment and the team is available to care for children while mothers/guardians utilize or participate in other TGP services and programs.(Continues on Schedule O)In our community dining room, the Food Services Program serves freshly prepared meals (breakfast, lunch, and early dinner) that include healthy and delicious options, which accommodate most dietary needs and preferences. For example, vegetarian options are available for meals. Our Food Pantries (Betsy's Cupboard and Family Program) provide healthy groceries, baby food/formula, toiletries, and diapers. Bridget's Boutique, TGP's clothing bank, distributes clothing to members who have an emergency need for replacement clothes or need clothes for employment reasons.In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TGP worked closely with the City and County of Denver and other shelter-providing agencies to establish and operate a new, 24/7 Auxiliary Shelter for women and transgender adults at the Denver Coliseum, which opened April 20, 2020. On August 4, 2020, guests were moved from this shelter to a former motel property owned by Denver Housing Authority. TGP is solely responsible for operating daytime services at the motel shelter location, and will continue to provide daytime staffing and services at this facility through the end of 2021.

Foster Personal Growth: TGP's Education and Job Readiness Program helps members reach their goals, advance their education, improve their employment potential, and increase their income. Educational opportunities for adult members at TGP include the High School Equivalency Program, Skills Development Classes, and Writers Group. Through August 2020, the High School Equivalency Program was provided in collaboration with Community College of Denver through its Foundational Skills Institute, and provided students who test at a seventh grade level or above with classroom instruction in a dedicated study room with access to computers for studying and taking tests.(Continues on Schedule O)Unfortunately, the Community College of Denver closed the Foundational Skills Institute in August 2020; TGP hopes to identify a new partner to provide onsite high-school equivalency courses in 2021. Students who have a reading level below seventh grade can increase their reading level and math skills through the Skills Development Classes, which are led by volunteers, and include instruction in English as a second language.Job readiness opportunities include job search assistance, onsite job fairs, and private appointments. Job search assistance sessions, held twice per week, include dedicated time in the computer lab to complete online job applications, help from volunteers on resume and cover letter building, and assistance with conducting online job searches. At least once a month, a job fair is hosted onsite and can either be a practice event with human resource volunteers or an actual hiring fair with an employer. Private appointments with the Job Readiness Program Manager also provide members a chance to discuss their job or education related needs and get referrals, assistance, and advice. TGP's computer lab provides access to technology, including internet access, which is increasingly vital for social connection and opportunity in modern society. Volunteers run the lab and are available to help members learn computer software and programs, supporting increased computer literacy. The Physical and Mental Health Program promotes wellness and growth by increasing access to health care information, services, and referrals. Bringing partner agencies and pro bono health professionals onsite to serve members relieves various barriers to care (e.g., transportation) for members who are already at TGP for other reasons. Additionally, by building trusting and collaborative relationships with both members and partner agencies, TGP is able to provide "warm hand-off" referrals where members are introduced personally to outside partner agencies, improving the success rate of such referrals. The program also provides assistance to pay for prescriptions or pharmacy gift cards for minor medical supplies and over the counter medications. In 2020, TGP also expanded its program offerings to include housing-focused case management services, designed to assist members with obtaining housing and overcoming other barriers to exiting homelessness and achieving long-term stability in housing.

Building Community: Building community is woven through our work, on a number of fronts with a large number of stakeholders. It involves: providing regular and periodic trauma-informed care trainings for staff, Board of Directors, volunteers, and members to ensure greater understanding of our commonalities, TGP's philosophy, and our approach to creating a safe community; opening channels of communication with members via community meetings twice a week; involving members in writing and ensuring access to our internal, bi-weekly newsletter, TGP Post, and engaging members as long-term volunteers and promoting their direct involvement in providing services, such as clothing and food distribution.(Continues on Schedule O)TGP is also participating in The Denver Foundation's "The SHIFT" cohort, in order to support our work in becoming a more participant-centered organization and increasing member engagement in decision-making and governance for the organization.

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