Food trucks, Halloween costumes, good conversations, and acoustic music from local artist Aquiles warmed up the evening for close to 100 guests during our Community Impact Center (CIC) celebration on Thursday, October 26.
The idea for the Community Impact Center (CIC) launched in 2019 and then COVID-19 delayed things for a bit. But today, Brinkman and United Way of Larimer County’s vision for a place that offers low-cost or free rent to grassroots and community-led organizations is a reality with 11 partners calling CIC home. By co-locating organizations with aligned missions, community members can access a broad array of services and together, we will build a more connect community aspiring towards equitable outcomes. Read more about the history of the CIC here.
The October 26th event was held in UWLC’s parking lot at 525 W. Oak Street, which is home to the CIC. Guests enjoyed delicious food from Las Catrinas, Arepas Caribbean, and Fork Ya, drinks, face painting, and crafts and were given tours of the center, which is now home to 11 different partners in addition to UWLC. The current partners include:
- Aliance for Suicide Prevention of Larimer County: Works to prevent suicide in Larimer County through training and education, providing outreach, and offering support
- Alianza NORCO: Works to strengthen and empower our immigrant community and their families through key services, civic education, leadership development and community organization
- Yarrow Collective: Offers mental health support ‘by and for’ people with lived experience of mental health and substance use struggles. As an independent peer-run organization, we connect peers to one another, education, and resources
- Mi Voz: La Familia/The Family Center program dedicated to making positive changes in mobile home parks and the North College corridor by utilizing community strengths to create community solutions.
- 9to5 Colorado Northern Colorado Organizer: State-wide advocacy organization working to advance equitable outcomes for women through work/family policy, affordable housing, and workplace equity campaigns
- Unified Workforce: Assists members of underrepresented communities to find employment opportunities with training and education.
- Queen’s Legacy Foundation: Claims space for racial healing, self-improvement, and generational well-being. Queen’s Legacy Foundation takes a generational approach to improve education, provide better access to mental and health services, as well as build a healthy understanding relationship with community
- Memories of Us: Supports men navigating loss, recovery, trauma, and grief through podcasts, conferences, and opportunities for connection
- Interfaith Solidarity & Accompaniment Coalition + Fuerza Latina: An organization of immigrants and allies dedicated to educating, informing, organizing, and promoting change to facilitate an improved quality of life for immigrants in our community.
- Tiyospaye Winyan Maka: Working to address the multitude of issues facing the Lakota and other indigenous people by merging traditional wisdom and values with contemporary regenerative practices, particularly in the building trade.
- Out Boulder County Northern Colorado Community Organizer: Working independently and in collaboration, we facilitate connection, advocacy, education, research and programs to ensure LGBTQ+ people and communities thrive in Boulder County and beyond.
The center also offers meeting space for free to nonprofits, grassroots, and community-led organizations in Larimer County.
