GroundFloor Media (GFM) and its sister agency, CenterTable, are proud to announce that their Get Grounded Foundation, the private 501(c)(3) charitable giving arm of the agencies, awarded its latest round of grants to three outstanding local community programs supporting youth services during its Fall 2018 grant cycle. Totaling $15,000, the grantees were selected for their efforts in getting a new or innovative program off the “ground floor” in the areas of child abuse and neglect, youth behavioral health and/or childhood hunger relief. Since 2015, the Foundation has granted more than $115,000 in community grants.
The Fall 2018 GET GROUNDED FOUNDATION GRANT RECIPIENTS include:
Mount Saint Vincent is the Rocky Mountain region’s premier provider of mental health treatment, foster care services, preschool through eighth grade education and trauma-informed training — all focused on children and their families. Their innovative programs help children reach their full potential within their homes, schools and communities. Mount Saint Vincent’s focus on trauma-informed care makes them one of the most highly regarded human services agencies in Colorado. For 135 years, they have helped more than 21,500 children realize their potential to succeed. The grant provided by the Get Grounded Foundation will go toward direct, age-appropriate therapy treatments, including creative arts, animal-assisted therapies and re-launching the cooking therapy program.
“We are grateful to the Get Grounded Foundation for their grant supporting the renovation of the children’s Aspen Club House,” said Kirk Ward, executive director, Mount Saint Vincent. “We are excited to use the redesigned space to launch our new culinary arts therapy program, which will allow our children to not only gain an important life skill, but also benefit from increased sensory awareness, improved attention and focus, and enhanced self-esteem.”
Denver Urban Scholars provides life-changing opportunities for students to pursue individual pathways to career and college. They engage students at the middle school, high school and post-secondary levels, combining clinical case management, mentoring and academic support to ensure positive academic and social-emotional development of youth. Funds from the Get Grounded Foundation will support Denver Urban Scholars’ New Program Launch for the Ropes Course.
“The Ropes Course was the perfect way to launch our new mentee-mentor relationship,” said Sean Kulzer, Fall 2018 Denver Urban Scholars Mentor. “We are able to push each other outside of our comfort zones and we felt connected alongside the greater Denver Urban Scholars community. It was a big step in learning trust and communication which will undoubtedly make a lasting impact on our mentee-mentor relationships.”
Spirit of the Sun’s mission is to work in partnership with Native American communities in urban areas and on reservations to boost the resilience of Native people, especially youth and young adults. Their vision is for the Native youth of today to become the next generation of Native leaders, entrepreneurs and skilled professionals who will guide their communities toward wellness, prosperity and cultural revitalization. The grant provided by The Get Grounded Foundation will support the Spirit of the Sun’s Red Earth Yoga Program, which teaches yoga and mindfulness skills to indigenous youth.
“Spirit of the Sun’s passion for the Red Earth Yoga Program comes from the hope that this program will bring about positive change, by allowing us to support Native American and indigenous youth through increasing physical health, and establishing behavioral/emotional stability. Thanks to the Get Grounded Foundation, will be able to offer tools of self-empowerment to create a generation of resilient and mindful youth on and off the mat, and make the feeling of peace through yoga applicable to daily life.”
Each grant cycle, a volunteer committee made up of individuals from the sister agencies review the grant applications.
