July / August 2001 Virginia Vobejda, Editor

Letter From The Director
Vincentian Volunteers Receive "Daily Ponts of Light Award"
Neighborhoods Play An Important Role
Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendar
Volunteer News
Volunteer Training Calendar
Volunteer Opportunities
Kids Corner
Choices and Challenges for Teens
Garden Tour 2001 Thanks

Letter From The Director Dear Friends, How did you spend the 4th of July this year? As we celebrate our independence and freedom, it is also important to remember and celebrate our interdependence and responsibility. For a variety of reasons I ended up celebrating this 4th in Castle Rock at the Meadows. A good Sousa Band was one of the reasons. It made me think of neighborhoods and how they influence our lives and lifestyles. I happened to have a visitor from Sri Lanka with us and it added to our celebration to hear about her neighborhood and celebrations. I also remembered past 4th of July’s and different neighborhoods. The Meadows is a large, very clean, meandering park. People came with their children in wagons or on bikes or walking. There was no loud music playing (other than the band, which we had all come to hear). I never heard an angry voice. Children were played with and supervised. People seemed to be happy there. The quality of our lives is dependent on our neighborhoods. We have the power to create the kind of neighborhoods we want to live in. AND we must remember to think about our interdependence with and responsibility to one another as well as our independence and freedom. Peace, Elizabeth Loescher Executive Director	Congratulations to the Vincentian Volunteers "Daily Points of Light Award" Congratulations to the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers, who have been chosen as one of the Daily Points Of Light. The purpose of this award is to “recognize and to call public attention to the contributions that individuals, organizations, and businesses are making towards solving serious social problems.” The Colorado Vincentian Volunteers representative, Rachel Rudeen, has been working at the Conflict Center for the past 11 months with the Youth At Risk program. The Colorado Vincentian Volunteers is an organization founded by Bill and Mary Jaster to promote the teachings of St Paul. They accept Christian students from around the United States to live and work in Colorado for a year with organizations such as the Conflict Center. For more information regarding the Vincentian Volunteers, please call 303-863-8141.
Neighborhoods Play An Important Role It Takes Everyones Involvement to Create Peace and Safety
Our neighborhoods play an important part in our lives. They come in assorted sizes, histories and expectations. Each one is unique and greatly influences those who live there. Building a strong and safe neighborhood is everyone’s responsibility and is essential to everyone’s well being. Children feel safer in a neighborhood where the residents communicate with each other. The housebound and those who need occasional assistance also benefit from a strong neighborhood. Does your neighborhood have an organization that enables people to discuss their needs, problems and potential? A good starting point is to establish a Neighborhood Watch Program to upgrade security in the area. Block parties get neighbors together. The process starts when neighbors get together and accept ownership of the problems and choose solutions to help. The next step is to define some common goals for the neighborhood. These goals can be as simple as reducing the amount of trash found in the neighborhood or eliminating graffiti on walls.	The third step is to ask, “What does this community need?” Be prepared for a variety of answers because everyone has their own ideas of what action will enhance the neighborhood. Playgrounds Community Gardens Recreation Centers Libraries Ball Fields Community Theatre All these add to the quality of life in the neighborhood. An active neighborhood is likely to have less conflict. The residents are the catalyst for getting things done. A community accommodates a variety of people, interests and activities. As long as its inhabitants are respectful of each other and as long as each individual accepts responsibility for his/her part in building a healthy community, the neighborhood can thrive in peace.
Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendar
3rd Annual Peace Leadership Conference October 23, 2001 8:30 am to 2:30 pm Regis University, Denver This conference is co-sponsored by The Conflict Center and the Colorado School Mediation Project and is offered to students in grades 3 through 12, school administrators, counselors and educators to share ideas and develop skills in school-based conflict resolution. For more information call Pete Lauch at TCC 303-433-4983. Volunteer Opportunities Youth Peace Leadership Conference Tuesday, October 23rd All day Ambassador of Peace Award Dinner Monday, October 29th Evening If you are interested in volunteering, call Heather at 303-433-4983 or Mary at 303-265-8622.	2001 Ambassador of Peace Award Event Monday October 29th 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM Doubletree Hotel 3202 Quebec Street Tickets From $100 ($75 is tax deductible). Please join us for a special reception, dinner and book signing. Award Recipient Barbara Coloroso, M.A. Well-known parenting expert, international speaker and author of many books and tapes on effective teaching and parenting, including "Kids are Worth It!" and "Parenting With Wit and Wisdom:. For over 30 years Ms. Coloroso has had a positive impact on the lives of thousands of families. Keynote Speaker James Garbarino, Ph.D. Author, expert and pioneer in understanding the inner life of youth. Dr. Garbarino will outline the steps that parents, teachers, and the general public must take to keep children safe. Author of "Lost Boys", his new book, "Parents Under Siege", will be available at the event.
Volunteer News A million thanks to our many volunteers who assisted with Peace Day at Rude Park on June 9, 2001. This event was a celebration for the families at Decatur Place, who have been working with TCC all year, learning parenting skills and other ways to create healthier families and a more peaceful community. Some of our youth volunteers include David Ludwig, Fatouma, Cory Jones, and the Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre Project. MANY THANKS!!! As of June 30, 2001 a total of 107 of our "World's Best Volunteers" have contributed 2,778 recorded hours!! Very impressive indeed. Please help us keep our records accurate by getting your year 2001 hours reported to Mary Ann Tarpey by e-mail, phone, pony express, telegram, a note in her box, snail mail, courier service, fax - whatever works for you - but make sure your time gets counted. Every volunteer hour is treasured contribution, reducing violence and making peace in our community.	Volunteer Training Calendar Volunteers, supporters and friends, call Heather at 303-433-4983 to reserve your seat for... Volunteer Introductions Thursday, July 26, 3-5 pm Wednesday, Sept. 12, 6-8 pm Tuesday, November 13, 3-5 pm Learn about our organization, programs and volunteer opportunities. If our regularly scheduled orientations do not fit your schedule, you are invited to contact Mary Zinn-Stewart to schedule a session. Anger Mangement Monday, August 13, 6:30-8:30 pm, at the Conflict Center. Presented by volunteers Cary Leher and Katie Owens, this free workshop is designed for volunteers and supporters to teach practical skills to help us all "walk our talk". Call TCC at 303-433-4983 for reservations.
Kids Corner Summer is here and it's time to relax away from school. There's no better time to play with your friends and neighbors and those you don't see during the school year. The neighborhood you live in is a big part of day-to-day life, so help keep it safe and friendly. Each person living these has a responsibility to create peace, safety and caring as much as possible. If there are a lot of arguments and unpleasantness, think about why it's that way and what you can do to change it. Temperatures rise during the simmer and so do tempers. If you find yourself ticked off because someone didn't play fair, don't try to settle things with a fight. Step back, take a deep breath, and think of how you can settle the matter without hurt and violence. If your neighbors are friendly and helpful, take a minute to think about why. How can you and your friends be part of this trend? How can new people be welcomed into the neighborhood? What can you do to learn new ways of handling conflicts? And helping others handle conflicts? Are there things you can do to help your neighbors and keep your neighborhood safe and clean? Pat yourself on the back for being part of a strong, safe and peaceful neighborhood and creating win-win solutions.	Choices and Challenges for Teens The problem is youth violence. Even if we haven't directly confronted it in our own homes and neighborhoods, we are witnesses to its after effects on televisions and in newspapers. We as a society must worry that the youth who violate the law by breaking curfew, tagging, fighting and petty theft will move on to more violent crimes. The students in the Choices and Challenges program have committed offenses that range from curfew violation to second-degree assault and everything in between. Our classes are a way of preventing further negative interactions with the police. The solution is programs that teach youth nonviolent problem solving, provide options and change lives. The Conflict Center offers classes that connect youth to a caring supportive staff after their first brush with the law. The Choices and Challenges classes are designed to build relationships with youth and foster skills that allow them to control their anger and handle conflict situations nonviolently. The classes are four to eight weeks in length and allow the students to learn more about themselves through the help of their peers and an instructor. The results are encouraging. By checking court records we have found that we are successful at teaching the youth skills that help them avoid getting in trouble. The young men have re-offended at a rate of only 6.8% and the young women have re-offended at a rate of only 4.6%. The combined recidivism rate for the young men and women is 5.8%. This compares to a normal recidivism rate of 8.5% for youth of the same age and with similar level of offense.
Garden Tour 2001 Many Thanks to our sponsors for their generosity and our neighbors who opened their gardens for this very special event. Major Sponsors: Nostalgic Homes, Zinn-Cohen Consortium, Fuller Towne & Country Relocation Services Business Sponsors: Channel 7, Chess Communications, Izzi’s Coffee Shop, KG Brewster Remodeling, Lucia’s Casa de Café, MacCourt Products, Rosa Linda’s Mexican Café, Some Like it Green, Ellen Stark Graphic Design Individual Sponsors: Pam and Joe Ignat, Jesse Bailey, Isabel Alvarado Bailey, Vicki Braunagel, Cary Leher, Mark White Neighborhood Gardens: Barb Criswell; Mark and Alane Asimus; Mark White and J.D. Lowe; Randy Monica and Stephen Rozic; Cindy and Richard Luna; Patricia Laverty and Carol Clark; Helen Hanson and Robert Campbell; Joel and Cece Segal; and the Troy Chavez Peace Garden