Mile High Magazine Podcast

Guest: Morgan Seibel Executive Director

WeeCycle supports families with infants and toddlers with essential baby gear and supplies. Things like diapers, but also car seats and strollers.  They accept donations from the community, then we inventory, clean and make sure those donations are free from recalls or any damage.  They have a network of partner agencies that they distribute baby gear through to their clients as well.  WeeCycle supports almost 60 organizations with baby gear and has a waitlist of 93 organizations that want to be onboarded to receive baby donations.  There is an extended network of an additional 150 organizations that are throughout the whole state that they also provide diapering supplies to as well.  WeeCycle has mobile baby essentials distribution events, where they go out into the community, they partner with food banks, so food banks give out food and they give out diapers, wipes, baby food and formula to anybody that needs it.  Coming up on August 3^rd is a family friendly concert called Together We Rock  it's at Levitt Pavilion featuring Shake Down Street.  They also have a golf tournament on September 20^th.    

https://weecycle.org/

Guest:  Brooke Way Communications Manager 

Vitalant is non profit blood service provider, they are the primary blood provider in Colorado.  Every May they do a donate for mothers campaign, the goal is to raise awareness for mothers who experience childbirth complications or emergencies giving birth and may need blood transfusions.  There are over 40 blood drives across the state in May.  Vitalant needs to collect 600 units of blood a day to meet patient demand.   Summertime is the lowest time for blood donations.  Donating blood takes less then an hour from start to finish, the process is quick and easy.  One in 83 moms will need a blood transfusion after giving birth, for anyone who donates blood in May, they will be entered to win an $83 gift card.    

Vitalant.org    

Guest: Vicki Pyne Program Director

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), they work with children court cases that deal with neglect and abuse.  CASA volunteers are the voice for the children in the court room, they help children from ages 0-18.  CASA in Jefferson County also has a program that helps provide housing for kids who have been emancipated from foster care, the children in this program range from 18-26.  April is Child Abuse Prevention month and May is Foster Care Month, which helps raise community awareness for the work CASA is doing.  They are looking for volunteers 21 and older.  The ideal CASA volunteer is able to work independently and be able to look at a case and child/children and create a plan for what the child needs.  A volunteer needs to be able to set boundaries and still have compassion.  Coming up on May 7^th, CASA host a Champion of Children’s breakfast.       

https://www.casajeffcogilpin.com/

Guest: Seth Dean Director of Development

Parkinson is movement disorder that impaired balance and coordination, it leads to slow movement and tremors and stiffness of limbs.  It is caused by a degeneration of dopamine producing cells in parts of the brain.  Parkinson is progressive and it will not go away.  It is the second fastest neurological disorder.  No one person will have the same journey.  It can be a combination of genetics and environment.  It is more common in males.  The average age for diagnosis is 65.  Medication can help your symptoms but the best thing for a person with Parkinson is exercise.  Parkinson Association of the Rockies have over 80 exercise programs throughout the state and they are free.  They also offer support groups, educational events, social workers on staff, and equipment rentals.         

 https://parkinsonrockies.org/

Guest: Sheryl Barto Founder/Executive Director

Smiling Goat Ranch is an animal therapy program, they bring the healing effects of horses, movement, nature, and an impassioned support of community to people with neuropsychiatric condition.  The horse boy method of equine therapy is an approach based on neuroscience.  The horse boy method is an approach that is done out in nature and following the child or the person, and it's not designed to teach horsemanship skills, but uses horses and small social animals and movement based activities.  It is a tool to reduce stress, improve communication and ultimately the quality of life for individuals with autism, PTSD, depression, anxiety.  Last year they did 630 therapeutic sessions.  All the services they provide are free. 

smilinggoatranch.com

Guest: Finn Murphy Program Manager 

Adaptive sports are sports for people with disabilities, it could be physically or cognitive.  You can be born with the disability or have been in an accident or had trauma.  Adaptive sports use specialized equipment and require special training.  Ignite Adaptive Sports is at a ski resort, they help people with snow sports.  They have all kinds of special equipment for people to enjoy winter sports.  This past season they gave over 1,300 lessons for people with disabilities, that is over 350 different individuals.  They had to turn away people this season because they didn’t have the space or the instructors.  They have almost 300 instructors that are all volunteers that are instructors, but they are always looking for more.   

https://igniteadaptivesports.org/

Guest: Barbara Lotze Director of Business Development

Cycling Without Age Littleton’s goal is that the most vulnerable never become the least visible, and that everyone has the opportunity to feel the wind in their hair, to be in nature, and to break the isolation barrier with our older adults and those with challenges.  Cycling Without Age Littleton serves people off all ages young or old and people with challenge to help them be outside.  The bikes they use have the seats in front and the person peddling and not behind them.  There is no cost for people to enjoy these services, but you need to make an appointment.       

https://cwalittleton.com/

Guest:  Kevin Petersen LMFT Founder

Anxiety is the moment between heartbeats, meaning it's the anxiety of will my heartbeat again.  With anxiety, it's this overall, I'm not going to make it to the next second.  Depression can come in all sorts of sizes and colors.  Everyone thinks depression is being mopey, can't get out of bed,  got the curtains drawn.  There can be different kinds of depression, it can be seasonal, situational, it can be mild, it can be severe.  Depression is a battle to just get my head just above water where I can breathe and survive and get through the day.  There can be good days, there can be days you are just showing up, other days might be you just can’t.  The majority of people that struggle with this stuff struggle with it on a day to day basis.  One of the best thing a person can do on a day to day basis is making sure they are crossing off their mental health checklist, which is, nutrition, exercise, therapy community.

www.chronichope.us

www.petersenfamilycounseling.com

Guest:  Dr. Angela Tran Med Fit Medical Weight Loss

Oprah has been one of the most scrutinized celebrities in terms of her weight.  Recently she had a special about weight loss, she really was very vulnerable, to help raise awareness that obesity is a medical disease.  There is a metabolic rooted problem when it comes to weight challenges.  There are certain medical conditions that can actually interfere with your progress, such as insulin resistance., diabetes, cholesterol problems and even females with, hormone problems, thyroid problems, and menopause.  There are medications out there that can help but not every medication is meant for everyone.  While these medications are very effective, they definitely need to be accompanied by the proper diet exercise, a person still need to develop the right healthy lifestyle changes.   

https://medfitmedicalweightloss.com/

Guest: Heather Burke PR/Communications Manager

Since 2003, Donor Alliance and the nation have been observing April as National Donate Life Month to raise awareness about the importance of registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor. It’s also a month to honor the heroic donors and their families who said “yes” to organ, eye, and tissue donation.  Currently, there are nearly 1,300 people in our community who are still waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant.  Last year there were 300 organ donors and of those 300 organ donors and their families provided more than 900 life saving organ transplants.  Also, there was more than 1700 tissue donors who provided more than  100,000 tissue grafts.  Anybody can donate at any age, there is no age limit.  Donor Alliance educates and inspires the community about the importance of registering to be an organized tissue donor.

donoralliance.org

donatelifecolorado.org

Guest: Trenda Snetzinger Founder

Hearts Hands and Hope Foundation’s focus is for the patients who may not be seen, a lot of people like to keep their diagnosis, more on the quiet side.  They support women and children who are battling breast and childhood cancer.  They provide a scholarship to three high school seniors along our I-70 corridor that gives back to the community and going into her career that helps others.  They also give care packages to Children's Hospital.  Each bag contains about 40 different items that would be beneficial during their treatment or while they're in the hospital.  They also help through either financial assistance, meals, transportation, different resources, even just sitting in the hospital with them.  They have partnered up with Mile High Harley-Davidson in Aurora and on May 18^th they are doing a five stop poker run.  You do not need to have a motorcycle to be involved, you can drive your car.  After there will be a party at Mile High.          

https://heartshandsandhopefoundation.org/

Guest: Veronika Clark Executive Director

Bridge of Hope Denver mission is to end homelessness for single mothers and their children in the Denver metro area.  They have have three unique elements in our mission.   The first is that we provide safe and stable housing for the families.  The second is they have intense case management so that they can learn life skills including.  They offer career development which includes education.  The third element is matching them with a group of neighboring volunteers which becomes a support community for the families.  Over the last three years, they have seen an increase of over 300% in calls with from families who are in need.  After graduation, they track the moms for five years so that they don't get back into the same situation, and they have seen an 87% success rate. 

bridgeofhopedenver.org

Guest: Monica Murray, a doctor of audiology with UnitedHealthcare

Hearing loss is the third most common chronic health condition in the United States, there are about 48 million adults who experience hearing loss to some degree.  Partially due to exposure to loud sounds and due to age related changes.  There are many social and mental impacts due to hearing loss.  People stop doing certain things because they get frustrated.  Once your hearing is gone, you cannot get it back.  Tinnitus is a persistent noise you hear; it could be a crackling noise or even a buzzing noise.  If you have tinnitus, it is important to go and get your hearing checked by a health care professional.  Wish of A Lifetime grants life changing wishes to older adults that helps them celebrate their accomplishments and share their stories and empowers them to chose how they live as they age. 

https://wishofalifetime.org/

Guest: Jonathan Dickerson

The Center for Relationship Education a science based, healthy relationship development skills training, that teaches you how to have healthier relationships at all ages.  They start as young as fourth grade and have even been in a senior living facility.  They have a number of programs and they are also free.  They also offer programs for first responders and military.  The Center for Relationship Education want to make sure that anyone who want to have healthier relationships, as the path to get them.        

https://www.myrelationshipcenter.org/

Guest: Imani Williams 

Bella Boutique provides free formal wear shoes and accessories to low income students, they support those that need help getting ready for homecoming and prom and can't afford to go otherwise.  They started in 2014 and helped 14 girls that year and since then it has grown to help 550 students this prom season.  They have over 2000 dresses.  A student makes an appointment, they get paired  with a one-on-one with a personal shopper and the personal shopper helps them pick out their dress.  The dresses they have in stock range from size 0 to size 30.  All the dresses are donated and are either new or have only been worn once.  They have also had people donate new jewelry, shoes and accessories.      

https://www.bellaboutiquedenver.org/

Guest: Vicki Macki Executive Director

Sites and Insights provides programs for adults impacted by cancer, addressing emotional trauma associated with a cancer diagnosis. Their support extends to patients, survivors, caregivers, and clinical staff. Regardless of cancer type or treatment location, they offer a unique approach to transform fear, anxiety, and grief into hope, motivation, and empowerment. These programs utilize therapeutic art, color science, complementary therapies, mindful healing tools, and neuroscience research. Participants learn to creatively express their emotions in a safe, abstract manner. All programs are free, with supplies delivered or shipped directly to participants.

https://www.sitesandinsights.org/      

Guest: Michele Majeune

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness month, dedicated to raising awareness about the inclusion and contributions of individuals with developmental disabilities across all aspects of life. During this time, we also acknowledge the ongoing work required to eliminate barriers to their full participation. A developmental disability is one that manifests before the age of 22. However, rather than solely focusing on disabilities and impairments, DDRC (Developmental Disabilities Resource Center) emphasizes building on individuals’ abilities. Their mission is to create opportunities for people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities, enabling them to fully engage in their communities.

www.ddrcco.com

Guest: Alex Egbune Health Equity and Wellness Coordinator

The mission of the Black Parents United Foundation (BPUF) is to educate and provide resources to improve health in disproportionately impacted communities. This includes African American, Latino and Native American people who face increasing barriers to accessing and utilizing health care.

https://www.blackparentsunitedfoundation.org/

Guest: Jennifer Anderson Deputy Director

March is problem gambling awareness month.  The Colorado Lottery is working with other organizations in the state to help raise awareness and provide recourses to folks who think they are problem gamblers.  People who hide how much they are gambling or not paying their bills to use the money for gambling, would be considered problem gamblers.  The Colorado Lottery is working to make sure that even giving scratch tickets could cause problem gambling later in life. 

1-800-gambler   

Coloradolottery.com