In service to children, Women Helping Others chose to “adopt” the Mountain Star Center in Denver, Colorado, a therapeutic residential childcare facility that is part of the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan.   Mountain Star supports 15-20 children between the ages of 11 and 18.  Most of the children who reside at the Center face challenges related to some level of previous abuse or neglect, as well as a failure in the social systems (i.e., schools, treatment centers, etc.).  Mountain Star’s mission is to provide psychiatric treatment to the children, to educate them about how to manage their medications, to teach them skills to regulate their emotions and impulse tendencies, to raise their formal education to grade level, and to socialize them back into the community so that they can move on to other less restrictive settings.   Most of the children who participate in the Mountain Star Center program ultimately become successful as adults.  What is success?  To have a job, to support themselves and to appropriately maintain their medical / mental health regimen.

When Women Helping Others adopted Mountain Star Center in the fall of 2007, one of the first things the group considered was how to best serve these children. The Center is a state-funded entity and while the childrens’ basic needs are adequately met, the extras that make life more enjoyable are sometimes lacking.  These children are separated from their families for various reasons and sometimes do not even receive gifts for their birthdays - or holidays.   So, with help from staff at Mountain Star, each month any child who has a birthday receives a gift from the “WHO Ladies”, a nickname coined by the children.  Staff members at Mountain Star say that the group’s offer to provide birthday gifts for the children as “the most important contribution. Birthdays are a big deal to all kids and receiving a special present is a big boost for them.” The children love it when they have some extra money and can go shopping at Wal-Mart. So, instead of picking individual gifts for the children, $30 gift cards to Wal-Mart are purchased so the children can have their own shopping sprees.  In addition to making sure each child receives a special birthday gift, Women Helping Others made a commitment to ensure that the children have fun and memorable holidays with gifts, celebrations, entertainment or crafts.

The need for clothing at Mountain Star is critical. These are teenagers who continuously outgrow their clothing while residing at the Center, so the need is ongoing. Women Helping Others holds regular monthly meetings and at each meeting women are encouraged to bring gently used or new clothing appropriate for the children. Just before the 2008 Easter holiday it came to the attention of Women Helping Others that most of the children desperately needed undergarments and socks. Deb Meogrossi sent out an email asking the group to approve sending money to Mountain Star so these items could be purchased. Just a few days later, the Director sent a note: “Thank you so much for the donation of $500 for the children of Mountain Star. We are again overwhelmed by your compassion and generosity. The kids are thrilled, especially those who have to do laundry every other day because they only have a couple pair.”  Each year, Women Helping Others votes to donate additional funds to help Mountain Star purchase clothing or other necessities for the children.

Beyond providing for birthdays, holidays, clothing and basic needs of these children, the women of Women Helping Others also volunteer time at Mountain Star. Volunteers go through formal volunteer training, but as one volunteer shares, “Giving of your time is a two-way street. You go expecting to help the kids, and they end up giving you so much in return.”  Women Helping Others has also reached out into the community to secure other needed services for the children.  One Boy Scout troop helped hang pictures, another Scout troop came in to give their bicycles a spring tune up, and a local hair salon is donating time and talent by giving the children professional haircuts on a monthly basis.

Another objective for Women Helping Others is to motivate and encourage the children toward success.  An incentive awards program is in place for the children, providing recognition for three categories on a monthly basis:

• Score! Award:  Presented to the child who receives the highest points in one month.  (Mountain Star Center maintains a daily point system recognizing various types of scholastic and behavioral achievement.)

• Reaching Higher Award:  Presented to the child who has the greatest percentage improvement in total points from the previous month.

• Pay It Forward Award:  Presented to the child who has demonstrated random acts of kindness …helping their peers, doing good deeds, etc.  The winner is chosen by a voting process with staff and children participating.

The monthly award for each winner is $10 and a certificate acknowledging their achievement.  The awards are given out at a monthly pizza lunch or special party sponsored by Women Helping Others so that all Mountain Star children can participate in the presentation as they cheer on their peers. 

But the women aren’t the only ones giving. In February, 2008 Mountain Star presented the group with a plaque that reads: “In heartfelt appreciation to the members of Women Helping Others for your contributions to Mountain Star Center. Your generosity and compassion have improved the quality of life for many disadvantaged children.”

Mountain Star Center

303-866-7777

Anne Gargano , Nurse Manager