Joining forces with the Colorado Village Collaborative, LivWell Cares has donated big to help a great cause for the homeless community.
On Wednesday, October 18, LivWell Enlightened Health's philanthropic branch, LivWell Cares, donated $10,000 to the Colorado Village Collaborative to help close out funding for their homeless housing project. The donation helped ensure the project was completed debt-free -- allowing the organization to continue focusing on helping the homeless community of Denver. The Colorado Village Collaborative is a community organization founded by members of Denver Homeless Out Loud, the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, Beloved Community Mennonite Church, and residents of the Beloved Community Village. The group recently built- and launched Denver's first "tiny home village" as a solution to the increasing homelessness issue in Denver. "We are extremely grateful to LivWell Cares for stepping up to give us the finances to complete this much-needed project," said Cole Chandler, organizer for the Colorado Village Collaborative. "We need a solution to homelessness beyond shelters, emergency rooms, and jails, and thanks for LivWellCares, our Beloved Community Village residents can now take back their lives and their dignity." The homes were designed with a concept to address both increasing homelessness, and the extreme housing shortage Denver faces. The Beloved Community Village features eleven 8-foot by 12-foot shelters, as well as a communal kitchen, bathroom, and shower facilities, on land leased from the Urban Land Conservancy at 38th and Walnut. The Village has been operational for three months now, and on July 21, 14 homeless-no-more residents moved into the Beloved Community Village. And in such a short time, the villagers and organizers have seen dramatic changes in their lives. [gallery size="medium" ids="25706,25707,25708,25709"] In the three months of operation, the village has seen no turn-over, meaning no one has moved out of the village. This has given the residents an opportunity to focus on pulling their lives together for the better. The Beloved Community Village allows these citizens to have some stability in their lives, including a fixed residence, a hot meal during their day, and a shower. With that stability comes the ability to get their lives on track. The Village has an 80-percent employment rate, with 12 of the 15 residents in the village having found jobs.
John Lord, owner and CEO of LivWell Enlightened Health, and his son Michael Lord, LivWell's Director of Business Development and founder of LivWell Cares, saw the impact the village was having on the community -- and wanted to join in on making Denver a better place. "Giving back to the community is part of our company's DNA," said John Lord.
Michael Lord, who first heard of the Community Village, immediately recognized the potential of a program such as this. LivWell Cares has already had a long history of lending a hand to the community by giving back what the people are putting in by way of marijuana sales. LivWell is the first business to donate to the Community Village, and they hope they can lead the way in pushing more businesses to give back as they do.
When this [program] was brought to our attention, we thought it would be a great opportunity for us to strengthen our relationship [with the community]... It feels great to lead the way, but also it's something I wish we weren't the first to do. I do believe, the businesses, regardless of cannabis or whatever you're selling, have an impact on the communities that they operate in. Our staff lives in the community -- they work, they sleep, they eat, they go out -- and these businesses become a staple in the community. Initiatives like this are a great way for businesses to help give back without it having to be a branded business event. It provides an opportunity to directly help people who need help."Kayvan Khalatbari, a Denver community advocate, and 2019 mayoral candidate, has been working with LivWell Cares on several projects, but is also a leader in launching Beloved Community Village. As the one who brought the community to John and Michael's attention, Khalatbari hopes the day's donation will cause other businesses to spring into action; "LivWell Enlightened Health continues to lead by example through its proactive engagement with communities across Colorado." And the impact was clear as John Lord passed off the large check to the organizers and residents of the Beloved Community Village. Allowing an organization who is attempting to make our city a better place to walk away from a project debt-free is an amazing feat. This is especially true when these kinds of organizations are constantly facing hurdles. In January, the Beloved Community Village must pack its tiny homes up and find a new location. With that weighing heavily on their minds, they at least have a little breathing room to know they won't have any accumulated debt. If you'd like to learn more about the amazing community programs LivWell Cares has contributed to, you should absolutely visit the LivWell Cares site. And, of course, if you want to contribute to LivWell Cares, the easiest way you can do it is to stop by any LivWell, buy yourself some goodies, and know that your money could go to another great community initiative. What do you think about local businesses like LivWell giving back to the community -- and especially helping alleviate the homeless issue in Colorado? Let us know in the comments!