In 1995, INC created a program called the Dollar Dictionary Drive to augment the education process of young Denver residents. The goal of the annual drive was to place a free, age-appropriate dictionary and thesaurus into the hands of some 6,000 third grade students enrolled in the Denver Public School system. The program was supported for nineteen years by the dedication of volunteers and donations from organizations such as The Denver League of Women Voters, Kiwanis, RNO’s and individuals.

Steve Nissen hands out dictionaries to the children of Colfax Elementary

For the past few years, enthusiasm from sponsors, volunteers, and the schools  had waned. By 2015, the EC had authorized a task force to recommend whether the Dollar Dictionary program could continue, and if INC could serve members better by supporting neighborhood-based efforts. At the May Delegates Meeting, the Charitable Works Committee was made official, with the  goal of making INC more of a grassroots clearinghouse for good works and giving.

That meeting was hosted by the South West Improvement Council (SWIC), and news of a neighborhood in need was met with a rapid response. Not only did monetary contributions to the center’s food bank come from delegates, but  ZAP Committee co-chair, Margie Valdez, added food collection to its monthly meetings to benefit SWIC’s Food Bank.

COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
Joanne Kuemmerlin
Jane Lorimer
charity@denverinc.org

THE MISSION:
The purpose of INC’s “Charitable Works” Program is to increase visibility and support for Denver’s inter-neighborhood charitable and service organizations that work to improve life in Denver. To this end, INC’s Charitable Works Program works with member RNO’s and other allied groups both to identify such organizations, and to establish relationships with them.

OUR PURPOSE:
INC’s Charitable Works program does not seek to duplicate or supplant existing programs and services or to serve as an educational arm of INC.

Rather, the overall purpose of this Program is to support strong and involved neighborhood and community development throughout Denver by helping neighborhood organizations expand their abilities to offer and sustain their charitable services whether through generating awareness, promoting volunteerism, or creating a vehicle for generating material support.

PRIMARY GOAL:
The goal is to create a program grounded in Community Charitable Works which is neighborhood-based and which can be responsive to the wide range of needs and concerns of Denver’s many diverse neighborhoods.

For our first official effort, Denver’s Inter-neighborhood Cooperation is excited to partner with one of our long-standing member neighborhoods, Cole Neighborhood Association, for a back-to-school supplies drive. READ MORE about how you can help!