Grantees
Through the combined efforts of The Lillis Foundation and our grant recipients, we improve the lives of individuals in our community. We welcome you to click on the logos below to connect with these wonderful organizations and learn more about their positive impact.
Castle Rock Senior Center
The Castle Rock Senior Center, Inc., was first started by a small group of people in Douglas County as a Senior Citizen Club in late 1971. They have since evolved into a non-profit 501(C)3 organization with a present membership of 900+.
The Castle Rock Senior Center is a community-gathering place where seniors laugh and learn, find information and assistance and focus on their complete health and wellbeing. Seniors from in and around Castle Rock come together to meet each other, learn to know each other, and help each other. At The Castle Rock Senior Center, seniors can take advantage of a one-stop-shop for all kinds of information related to aging. The Senior Center offers visiting nurses, health screenings, and other medical information. Seniors will also find an environment that encourages them to be active, to stay mentally, physically, and socially engaged and to live lives of quality, meaning and dignity. If needed, the Senior Center can also coordinate a variety of direct services, such as senior transportation, meals, and financial counseling (investment clubs, tax assistance, etc.).
The Lillis Foundation has supported Castle Rock Senior Center’s “scholarship program” and educational lecture series. The scholarship fund allows financially constrained seniors to participate in field trips and other fee based activities that they would not otherwise be able to participate in and enjoy. The Lillis Foundation has also provided funds to the Castle Rock Senior Center for the purpose of establishing a monthly, one-hour Active Minds Lecture Series. The Lillis Foundation is pleased to provide this opportunity for seniors to engage their mental wellness through this educational and informational offering. (Summarized from The Castle Rock Senior Center website).
Wellspring Community
The state of Colorado ranks among the lowest in the nation in terms of funding services to individuals with special needs. The waiting list for services is thousands deep, leaving many adults with special needs sitting at home bored and lonely. Their parents are fraught with anxiety trying to find productive activities for their adult child and wondering who will care for their child when they no longer can. Wellspring Community was created in response to this need.
Parents face an enormous emotional challenge when planning for the future for their child with special needs. As one parent poignantly put it, "I just have to live one day longer than my daughter." With few exceptions, individuals with Downs Syndrome, Autism and other developmental disabilities will not go on to college. They won’t have careers or move into their own apartments. Many will struggle to find work. Most will never drive a car. For the rest of their lives they will need support and supervision. Some will require 24-hour medical care. Yet, like most everyone else, these people want – and deserve - a place to belong, a place where they can feel accepted and valued and where they can experience the satisfaction of meaningful work and activity. Their families want a place where they know their loved ones will be safe and well cared for when they are no longer able to provide that care.
The mission of Wellspring is life-giving, not only for the participants, but for everyone involved in this great venture.
Wellspring Community began with four young women with developmental disabilities learning how to bake cookies in a private kitchen. Through careful observation and task analysis, modifications were made with equipment and processes to enable these women to be successful. Soon their cookies were selling at local churches and Wellspring's first business enterprise, Best Buddies Bakery, evolved in January 2008. Following this success, New Hope Presbyterian Church in Castle Rock opened its doors to enable Wellspring to continue their Work & Enrichment Program on a part-time basis. They also obtained the use of Sweet Nothing's commercial kitchen to continue to develop their Best Buddies Bakery. Next was the launch of the Wellspring Wonders Choir. Under the direction of a professional vocal coach and piano accompanist, choir members learn rhythm, breathing and voice exercises and have the opportunity to perform before audiences.
In April of 2010 Castle Oaks Covenant Church offered space to host Club 21, a social and recreation program where adults with developmental disabilities can meet with peers on a weekend evening to enjoy game nights, hobby nights and a variety of fun activities in a safe, structured and supervised setting. Thanks to the partnership with Castle Oaks Covenant Church, Wellspring moved into this new facility that provided the opportunity to operate all programs under one roof.
The Lillis Foundation has supported both the Wellspring Community’s Community Garden Program and the Best Buddies Bakery and Café located inside of the Emporium Shops in Castle Rock Colorado. (Summarized from Wellspring Community website).
Think 360 Arts For Learning
The vision of Think 360 Arts For Learning is a community that embraces the arts as a fundamental tool to enhance learning. Through their mission, they strive to lead Colorado in cultivating and sustaining the arts as essential to all learning through creative experiences for students and teachers.
Think Arts 360 For Learning has many values, which include; collaboration among artists, educators, and communities to provide equal opportunities to engage students of all ages in the arts. Think 360 Arts For Learning embodies diversity through their audience, artists, educators, programming, organization, board, and learning styles. They believe that creativity sparks inspiration, imagination, and expression and they work to infuse quality into every aspect of their service. Mostly, Think 360 Arts wants students to have FUN and embrace the joy in learning, while encouraging a school’s deepening commitment to the arts as a key component of the teaching and learning environment.
The Lillis Foundation has supported arts education experiences in rural classrooms throughout Colorado that would not have otherwise had access to arts programming. (Summarized from Think 360 Arts For Learning website).
READ TO ME
READ TO ME has the unique opportunity to reach families at the earliest point in a child's development, and encourage and support them in taking advantage of the critical early months of brain development. Young children who are read to regularly by their parents develop better early literacy skills, vocabulary, creativity and imagination. They are also better readers when they reach elementary school and are more likely to succeed in school.
READ TO ME is implemented in hospitals serving low-income families. Mothers are given a READ TO ME ‘Bundle of Joy’. The ‘Bundle of Joy’ package includes a new children’s book, a re-usable tote bag and a special note explaining the importance of sharing the joy of books with their newborn baby.
The Lillis Foundation has supported the ‘Bundle of Joy’ program to put books in the hands of parents with young children. (Summarized from READ TO Me website).
Ready, Set, College
Ready, Set, College and first generation college students from the Denver area come together for a one day program of outreach, relationship building, and support. Ready, Set, College addresses the questions these students have, connects them with each other and with second and third year college students, and helps offset some of the costs not covered by scholarships.
The Lillis Foundation has supported the Ready, Set, College Program’s half day orientation event and student care packages. The college orientation experience empowers first generation college students with knowledge through keynote speakers, a network of expert support and the ‘essentials’ needed for a successful transition to college. (Summarized from Ready, Set, College website).
Children’s Village
Dr. Anne C. Fox-Clarkson, an elementary school principal in Coeur d'Alene, ID., and two parents from her school, founded Children's Village in 1983. Dr. Fox-Clarkson made a promise to a brother and sister who had been victims of child abuse that she would build them a home. Children's Village, Inc. was incorporated in 1984 in the State of Idaho. The facility is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and the daily operations are managed by a dedicated administrative team.
The corporation owns fifteen acres, two large homes and a shop. The first house, "The Moyer Home", opened in 1990 to serve children who are abused, neglected, homeless, or in severe family crisis. Children ages birth through 18 may live in this licensed group foster home - permanently if needed. Brothers and sisters are kept together and residents are transported back to their schools of origin throughout the Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls and Lakeland School Districts. Over 2,000 children have been sheltered since the doors opened. A second house, "The Miller Home", opened in 1996 and operated as a residential treatment facility and school until December 2011. Responding to the continuing need in the community, the Miller Home re-opened in March 2015 as a continuation of the services provided at the Moyer Home. With the capacity for growth in the Miller Home, Children's Village is able to grow from 12 children a night to 24 children a night and increase program support to over 150 children a year.
In 1995 a group of faithful supporters of Children's Village formed the Children's Village Foundation, Inc. The mission of this body is to ensure the future and financial stability of Children's Village and to support the programs serving children.
The Lillis Foundation has supported the Children’s Village Mentoring Program. Through this grant, the Children’s Village is able to pair children 'one on one' with staff members to provide new experiences and exposure to vital social situations. (Summarized from Children's Village website).
Anchor Center for Blind Children
Anchor Center for Blind Children is a nationally recognized, private nonprofit agency. Anchor Center for Blind Children provides early education and intervention services for children birth to five years old. These services foster the full potential of children who are visually impaired and blind. Utilizing a team approach, they nurture children’s emotional security, social and intellectual skills. The collaborative team approach to education, therapeutic and family support services ensures lifelong success.
The Lillis Foundation has supported Anchor Center’s Internship Program, a national training program for undergraduate and graduate students interested in doing a practicum with 0-5 year old visually impaired children. The program addresses the national shortage of teachers of the visually impaired qualified to work with very young children. (Summarized from Anchor Center for Blind Children website).
Seniors’ Resource Center
Seniors’ Resource Center has been providing services to seniors since 1978 and is dedicated to enhancing the independence, dignity and quality of life for seniors in the Metro Denver Area and surrounding communities. We started under Jefferson County Department of Social Services as a small department that handled inquiries about senior services and volunteer opportunities. Soon it became evident that there was a need for an agency dedicated to assisting seniors. Today Seniors’ Resource Center provides services, resources and advocacy to over 24,500 people a year. They help older adults remain independent and engaged and they believe that seniors are a vital part of our community. At Seniors’ Resource Center they provide an array of services that enable older adults to remain in their homes and thrive. Services such as transportation, in home care and adult daytime programs provide life enriching activities and support both older adults and their caregivers.
The Lillis Foundation has supported The Seniors’ Resource Center Tax Assistance Service. This program connects IRS-certified volunteers with seniors to provide free basic income tax return preparation. (Summarized from Seniors' Resource Center website).
Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation
The Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation, founded in 1978, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization advancing the mission of Children's Hospital Colorado, founded in 1908, and with roots as a pioneer summer tent hospital as early as 1897 in Denver, Colorado. Main hospital facilities are located on the Anschutz Medical Campus in the city of Aurora, Colorado. Children's Colorado Foundation serves three purposes: To educate and engage with the community on the hospital’s behalf, to fundraise for the hospital, and to steward funds raised for children and families who need Children's Hospital Colorado.
The Lillis Foundation is pleased to support The Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation Medical Career Collaborative (MC2) Program. This program increases the diversity of the healthcare workforce at Children’s Hospital, while creating the next generation of health and medical professionals. The Medical Career Collaborative Program gives high school students with a passion for the sciences the opportunity to experience medical careers first hand in the hospital setting. (Summarized from Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation website).