Notes from the Road: Colorado Road Trip!
Look out Jack Kerouac! I had the pleasure of driving 861 miles around the southwest quarter of Colorado earlier this week to visit several of our member agencies that operate outside of the the Denver metro area...
DAY ONE: 8:02 a.m.; Ellicott - With gale force winds drowning out most of her words, Donna
Ralph gave me a tour of the Ellicott Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. They rehabilitate and care for injured wild birds and small mammals for purposes of release and education. These animals really get the best care possible. For example, it turns out that a Turkey Vulture they have will only eat road kill. Donna has to secure this special chow every couple of days. Here is a photo 
as a bird of prey takes a "fly by" over my head thinking that I may a decent meal. Ellicott wants to install "critter cams" in each holding area. Give them a call at 719-683-8152 if you can help. 9:58 a.m.; Colorado Springs - I'm on time and keeping a tight schedule. Inside/Out Youth Services educates and advocates for LGBT youth ages 13-22. Dr. Deborah Surat is the new ED of Inside/Out and comes to Colorado Springs from the Cayman Islands of all places! They serve over 400 youth annually and now have a huge drop-in center to help meet demand for the program. 10:47 a.m.; Colorado Springs - I drop in unannounced on Jeff Briggs of the Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission. Jeff updated me on the latest developments at PPJPC including a small incident at the St. Patrick's Day parade in Colorado Springs. Apparently certain officials felt that St. Patrick, himself a victim of conflict, would have been against any discussion of peace at such a public event. 11:05 a.m.; Colorado Springs - A little late, I rev up the Honda and head east to the new location of the Pikes Peak Gay & Lesbian Community Center. The Center has over 3,000 square 
feet of space to serve their support service and advocacy efforts. Ryan Acker, ED of the Center, told me that this was just slightly more square footage than the 300 sq. feet they had in their old location. The grand opening for the Center is on Friday, May 4th from 6-9 p.m. 12:10 p.m.; Colorado Springs - I'm really late now. The Citizens Project, which works on civic engagement, equal rights, and respect for diversity, is also in new office space. After a wrong turn into the local War Veterans clinic lobby, I managed to find my way to visit with the CP team of Barb Ferrill van Hoy and Christina Student. They are working on an exciting collaborative in Colorado Springs called the Diversity Forum which includes corporate, government and nonprofit members. 1:05 p.m.; Colorado Springs - Katie Groke Ellis, public affairs coordinator for Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, caught up at one of their women's health care facilities in Colorado Springs. I know Katie is working hard to mitigate damage to women's health and safety from this week's US Supreme Court decision. 1:43 p.m. After brief stop for a Mountain Dew and package of beer nuts, I head to Durango for DAY TWO of the road trip! To be continued....
Ralph gave me a tour of the Ellicott Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. They rehabilitate and care for injured wild birds and small mammals for purposes of release and education. These animals really get the best care possible. For example, it turns out that a Turkey Vulture they have will only eat road kill. Donna has to secure this special chow every couple of days. Here is a photo 
as a bird of prey takes a "fly by" over my head thinking that I may a decent meal. Ellicott wants to install "critter cams" in each holding area. Give them a call at 719-683-8152 if you can help. 9:58 a.m.; Colorado Springs - I'm on time and keeping a tight schedule. Inside/Out Youth Services educates and advocates for LGBT youth ages 13-22. Dr. Deborah Surat is the new ED of Inside/Out and comes to Colorado Springs from the Cayman Islands of all places! They serve over 400 youth annually and now have a huge drop-in center to help meet demand for the program. 10:47 a.m.; Colorado Springs - I drop in unannounced on Jeff Briggs of the Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission. Jeff updated me on the latest developments at PPJPC including a small incident at the St. Patrick's Day parade in Colorado Springs. Apparently certain officials felt that St. Patrick, himself a victim of conflict, would have been against any discussion of peace at such a public event. 11:05 a.m.; Colorado Springs - A little late, I rev up the Honda and head east to the new location of the Pikes Peak Gay & Lesbian Community Center. The Center has over 3,000 square 
feet of space to serve their support service and advocacy efforts. Ryan Acker, ED of the Center, told me that this was just slightly more square footage than the 300 sq. feet they had in their old location. The grand opening for the Center is on Friday, May 4th from 6-9 p.m. 12:10 p.m.; Colorado Springs - I'm really late now. The Citizens Project, which works on civic engagement, equal rights, and respect for diversity, is also in new office space. After a wrong turn into the local War Veterans clinic lobby, I managed to find my way to visit with the CP team of Barb Ferrill van Hoy and Christina Student. They are working on an exciting collaborative in Colorado Springs called the Diversity Forum which includes corporate, government and nonprofit members. 1:05 p.m.; Colorado Springs - Katie Groke Ellis, public affairs coordinator for Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, caught up at one of their women's health care facilities in Colorado Springs. I know Katie is working hard to mitigate damage to women's health and safety from this week's US Supreme Court decision. 1:43 p.m. After brief stop for a Mountain Dew and package of beer nuts, I head to Durango for DAY TWO of the road trip! To be continued....- Jesse
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