The Connection Drop-In Youth CenterThe Connection Drop-In Youth Center | Find Your Passion, Find Your Place

March Newsletter – The Connection Turns Two!

thec1553 — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 20:33:41 +0000

Two years ago, The Connection was a concept brought together by three board members and their experience supporting youth in the Denver metro area. Flash forward to today and The Connection has had over 7,000 students come through their doors to explore their passions and skills. Consistent programming is offered to students to connect them to causes, purpose, and friends.To celebrate this milestone, we decided to celebrate the students. Each student received a custom award encouraging the unique talents they exude. To compliment the award, a gift was also given to lend encouragement in their development. One by one the students sat in the hot seat to receive their award and gift while their peers cheered them on.

[Students & awards] [Caylee sharing her Swiss Army Knife (Good at Everything) prize]

Intern Program Launch

Just as we assist students to find their passions and interests and how that relates to post-high school options, we want to continue that mission with college students in the Denver metro area. We have launched an intern program for college students to take their first career steps in areas of youth development, non-profit management, and sustainability. We are now accepting applicants for the Fall 2013 semester. More information can be found on our website.

Chipotle Night – Many Thanks!

Thank you for joining us for a fun, snowy evening at Chipotle. We enjoyed catching up with you and sharing the latest stories from the center. The support received through the event is equivalent to seven days of operations for The Connection!

Wish List

Items needed to support youth:
- plates/bowls
- disinfectant wipes
- bean bag chairs
- easels

Upcoming Events

Mar 25- Apr 1: Closed for Spring Break

Apr 5: Guitar Lessons

Apr 12: Kickball Opening Day

Donate

$5 a day allows The Connection to provide a student with a safe place for connecting to causes, purpose, and friends.

Donate Now »

February Newsletter – Feeding the Masses

thec1553 — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 21:56:02 +0000

The semester has started with strong momentum. We opened a snack shop to serve students a low-cost lunch option. Our menu consists of burritos from a local Broomfield establishment, Burritos to Go, and a variety of drinks and snack foods. Over 125 students a day are coming in to eat lunch with us. The snack shop has been an excellent outreach tool to introduce more students to the services and resources of The Connection. We’ve made several new friends that have become afternoon visitors. Plus four students have enjoyed learning the operations of the snack shop to gain vocational experience, and the staff loves having their help!

[Ryan helping write the daily menu] [Students waiting in line to purchase lunch]

Big 5-Day Announcement!

Beginning February 1st, The Connection resumed a full five day week. Students now know The Connection is open and ready for exploration every day of the week; no more needing to remember a pesky schedule. We are looking forward to additional student-led activities — such as Zumba — as well as free music lessons this coming month. Since December, The Connection has increased hours available to students from 11 to 25 per week!

We will be having our second birthday party on Feb 22nd! We look forward to celebrating the students who have been devoted to The Connection and eating birthday cake together which is being graciously donated by Madelina’s Cupcakery.

Chipotle Night – Feb 20th

Please join us for a Chipotle Night on Wednesday, February 20th from 4-8 pm! The Chipotle located at 5160 W. 120^th Ave. in Westminster (120^th and Sheridan) will be hosting The Connection for a Profit Sharing Night. Fifty percent of each transaction will go toward the students at The Connection! We hope you will show your support by joining us for dinner. You can pick up or hang out to hear some of the latest stories from the center. Please bring in this flyer when you come.

Wish List

Items needed to support youth:
- plates/bowls
- disinfectant wipes
- bean bag chairs
- easels

Upcoming Events

Feb 1: Open 5 days a week!!

Feb 20: Chipotle Fundraiser Night

Feb 22: 2 Year Birthday Party!

Donate

$5 a day allows The Connection to provide a student with a safe place for connecting to causes, purpose, and friends.

Donate Now »

December Newsletter

thec1553 — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 01:27:47 +0000

From the Center

December was a busy month for students: finals were pressing, semester-end projects were due, and extended families came together to celebrate the holidays. Despite the stress, students came over to The Connection to relax through art projects, help those closest to them with service projects, and develop some film-making skills.

Kevin Reese volunteered his time to share his film-making talent with us! The students learned about filming, editing, directing, and acting during the six week term.

During service learning projects, students helped build a large new cabinet to store activity supplies at The Connection. They used their skills from jobs with their dads and “set crew” experience to guide the project.

Art projects were led by volunteer, Michael Lammers. He taught drawing techniques and participated in painting days with students.

Students making new envelopes for donor thank you cards

Tasha painting

Thank You!

Dear Connection Friends and Family,

It’s that time of year to reflect on what we are thankful for and who we appreciate. As I look back on 2012, I am filled with gratitude and humility. The support our community has put towards the importance of supporting our youth is amazing.

We recognize we are a fortunate group at The Connection. We all – the students, volunteers, board members, and staff – are supported to pursue our passions and skills. This is a unique gift specific to The Connection. We get to try new things everyday that help shape our perspectives and desires. We continue to meet new people along the way; students who come and paint for the first time or volunteers who get to share their talents with youth.

This past year was filled with joy and challenges. We celebrated many accomplishments, like the first graduating class of The Connection, and receiving our first grant. When resources became scarce, we had to make a tough decision to limit the days The Connection was open. We took each day as a learning opportunity, committed to serving the youth of Broomfield even better.

We stay devoted to helping youth to become focused, passionate, and involved in their community. The 2013 year is shaping up to be a very exciting time: we are opening a snack shop for students as a sustainable funding source and job skills training tool, we are expanding hours, and most importantly, we look forward to meeting new students.

You have played a big part in the growth and maturity of the organization. We couldn’t have done it without you. We are grateful for your support in 2012 and thank you for being a part of The Connection Youth Center.

CJ Andrews
Executive Director

Year End Giving
Year-end giving is possible until December 31, 2012. The Connection is a 501(c)3, and all donations are tax-deductible tax-exempt (#27-1861253). Checks can be made out to “The Connection” and sent to PO Box 9045, Denver, CO 80209, or online giving is available here.

Wish List
Items needed to support programming this year:

- plates/bowls
- guitar
- bean bag chairs
- easels

Upcoming Events

- Dec 24-Jan 8: Closed for Winter Break
- Jan 11: The Connection Snack Shop Opens
- Donate

Donate
$5 a day allows The Connection to provide a student with a safe place for connecting to causes, purpose, and friends.

Donate Now »

November Newsletter

thec1553 — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 22:43:13 +0000

October Newsletter

thec1553 — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 22:33:58 +0000

August Newsletter

thec1553 — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 22:25:36 +0000

Fall is Underway!

thec1553 — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 01:31:39 +0000

Back to school! Hard to believe school has already been in session for over 2 months now. We had a propelling back to school event in early September, the “Game Day Extravaganza.” Some familiar faces showed up, as well as half we met for the first time. We feel very honored that the students who come to The Connection enjoy it enough to bring their friends!

Students participated in deciding what we do for 2 of our current weekly themes; they chose Games and Four Square. Four Square now happens every Friday through November 9th. It’s something that gets the kids active – but doesn’t matter if you have coordination or not. Actually it’s more entertaining if you just have fun with it!

To date, over 500 students have walked through the doors of The Connection. Wow! We are so excited to be in Broomfield for another year and continue to serve these students well. It’s an invaluable privilege to get to know each one of them… learn what makes them tick… and help them discover their untapped potential!

We’ve found we are still able to do this on a more limited schedule. The Connection has changed their hours to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays only.

Our desire is to meet the needs in all the places we can, we do that by managing our resources and providing programs at a high standard.

If you feel compelled to get involved more… check out all the links below for our fall gala, ways to give online, or donating much-needed supplies! Thank you for contributing to what we love to do!

November Gala Event

Invitation ImageFriday, November 2, 2012
7-9 pm
The Burnsley Hotel – Denver, CO
*No cover charge and free parking available.

Come to learn about the programs and offerings of The Connection, and add your name to bid on some sweet gifts!

Must RSVP at: theconnectioncolorado.com/gala>

Would you like to automate your giving?

The Connection can now accept weekly or monthly recurring donations.

Click on the link below to select the amount and frequency of your choosing: https://theconnection.cloverdonations.com/donate/

Open for Connection!

thec1553 — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 01:22:34 +0000

The Connection is open for the 2012-13 school year! The center reopened on August 16th and is once again operating Monday through Friday from 1-5pm. During the summer, staff met with students who were interested in brainstorming creative new ways to stretch the imagination and assist teens in developing skills they’ll need after high school. The year has started off great with many returning students picking up where they left off last year. They continued their passion for art, student development, and friendships. We are extremely excited to kick-off this new season with additional programs, increased staffing, and most importantly… the students!

Mexico Service Trip

Service opportunities are one of The Connection’s three pillars, with students being given a variety of ways to get involved in service to others. During the summer, we took that to a whole new level. Two students accompanied CJ, the executive director, and ventured to Baja California, Mexico. The trip included many facets of home building, from foundation work to roof tiles. In addition to the hard labor, afternoons were spent playing with orphanage kids and participating in a sports camp. A couple of day trips were made to Tecate to visit a youth center focused on arts and music. The trip was a stupendous success with the students expanding their ideas of service and cultivating a desire to continue in the future. Great friendships were made and we are getting excited to take a larger group next summer.

Noodles Dinner Event

Please join us for a Noodles Night! Noodles and Company will be hosting The Connection for a Profit Sharing Night on September 6th from 5-9 pm. Come join us for dinner and hear the latest stories from the center at Noodles and Company at 4530 W. 121st Avenue (120th and Sheridan). Twenty-five percent of the transaction will go towards the students at The Connection!

The Connection Blog

The Connection is catching up with the times and is happy to introduce The Connection Blog! Keep up to date with the latest events from the youth center and youth culture topics. Add this link to your blog reader to get all the updates.
Keeping The Connection Summer Series

Since The Connection closes for summer break, a series of cultural events was created: Keep the Connection. The staff met with students regularly throughout the summer to watch Colorado Rapids and Rockies games, and also visited the Denver Art Museum. Hanging out with the students outside the center allowed us to maintain relationships while learning more about their likes and interests.

Second Annual Gala Event

thec1553 — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 14:47:32 +0000

thec1553 — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:00:09 +0000

Thinking back to February of 2011, what The Connection is today was just a distant dream. Being one of the original staff members, I can remember many afternoons spent without any students showing up to The Connection. We knew that what we were offering was a good thing, but it felt like we were on an island with little to no contact with students.

Last fall, after a change in location, we were able to see some of what we were hoping for. Because we were so close Broomfield High School, we were able to see students consistently. Instead of it being a surprise when someone showed up, we started noticing when specific students didn’t. We built relationships with students that we could have only imagined months before. One thing that I didn’t really expect was the number of seniors that regularly attended The Connection last year. I think we had somewhere around twelve students that we saw fairly regularly who graduated in May of 2012. It’s been a great encouragement that around half of those students who graduated have come by to see us in the first few weeks of this new school year! Maybe we’re doing something right.

In preparing for this school year, I didn’t really know what to expect. Are students that we saw last year going to come back? Are new students going to show up? Are ANY students going to show up at all? Well, the answer to all of those questions has been yes. We have seen students that we are familiar with as well as students that we have just met this school year. It has been a great joy to be in a position to continue and start building relationships with these students. I hope that the students that we come into contact with this school year will get as much out of knowing us as we get out of knowing them.