April Brent’s Buddies Buzz A P R I L , WHAT HAPPENED IN MARCH  Outings to see the new SpongeBob movie and to the Denver Zoo.  Mikey turned 8 and Trace turned 7.  Our teens en- joyed our “Teens Only” movie night and enjoyed a PG-13 movie. 2 0 1 5 With All Our Hearts We Say Thank You! April is volunteer appreciation month and we have so much to appreciate. The time and dedication that you provide to Brent’s Place has a tremendous impact on our families. Because of you, we are able to provide meals to our families 4-5 days a week, meal delivery to the hospital, arts and crafts, movie nights, game nights, music classes, weekend events, and yoga. You’re a friendly face at our front desk and help to raise much needed funds. You help to keep our facility clean and do so much more! 12 year old Aria has been staying at Brent’s Place in April 2014. She has spent the last few months writing a song with Swallow Hill music teacher, Amy Whitley, to show her appreciation for all of our volunteers: Because of You By Aria Crane and Amy Whitley Chorus: Because of you, I’m not so blue. Our volunteers they’re tried and true. With all our hearts we say thank you. Verse 1: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday dinner. Chefs come in, make me feel like a winner. Then Friday breakfast is a special one; it’s the little things that make mornings fun. Because of you, I’m not so blue. Our volunteers they’re tried and true. With all our hearts we say thank you. Verse 2: Arts and crafts are really big here. We like doing things that bring us cheer. For Valentine’s you may get a wreath; no matter the season it never puts us beneath. Because of you, I’m not so blue. Our volunteers they’re tried and true. With all our hearts we say thank you. Refrain: I could write a rhyme for all of those who donate their time. Sorting the mail and cleaning the rails, these volunteers work off their tails. All the things you do that I don’t see, can really help me. Because of you, I’m not so blue. Our volunteers they’re tried and true. With all our hearts we say thank you. Because of you, I’m not so blue. Our volunteers they’re tried and true. With all our hearts we say thank you. With all our hearts we say thank you. PAGE 2 “Brent's Place is an Volunteer of the Month: Lucy Logan amazing facility that not only looks out for the children's welfare, it provides families a home. While everything else in our lives seemed out of control we found comfort in knowing that we had a home where our family could find a sense of normalcy. What makes Brent's Place such an amazing place are the people who work and volunteer here. “ “Brent's Place is like an island in a storm. Our home here is the one constant that we can count on during this journey. The kindness and support has been amazing.” Lucy Logan has been volunteering at Brent’s Place for about six months after first volunteering for the Brent’s Place Urban Navigator event last September. She is in school fulltime but has managed to find time to help out at our front desk once a week to be a friendly face for our families. Once she is done with school, she is hoping to get more involved by helping with meal preparation and arts and crafts. Please read Lucy’s answers to the following 3 questions. 1. Why do you volunteer, and specifically at Brent's Place? It’s really APRIL BRENT’S BUDDIE S BUZZ easy for me to get caught up in school, work, or whatever else I have going on, so it’s important to make the effort to get involved in causes greater than my own little bubble of life. I like to think that if my contribution helps makes the lives of Brent’s Place families just little bit easier, then all of us volunteers together are helping change lives significantly! I had been looking for a place to volunteer in Denver for a while that incorporated my love of kids and my health care experience, and when I found Brent’s Place I knew it was the perfect fit! I’ve really felt at home with the staff and families of Brent’s Place, and I’ve loved volunteering here so far! 2. What is your favorite memory at Brent's Place? My favorite memory at Brent’s Place has been volunteering at the Urban Navigator, which was my first time volunteering for Brent’s Place. I was nervous showing up by myself, but when I saw how enthusiastic the staff and participants were for such a good cause, I couldn’t wait to get more involved! 3. How have you incorporated volunteering into your life? I’ve been volunteering all my life. My parents would take my brother and I to volunteer to build trails when we were kids, and since then I’ve volunteered as a mentor for underprivileged kids, at an Emergency Room, as support at various races and runs, and even in India at a newspaper and a daycare for Tibetan toddlers! ————————— Thank you Lucy for being a constant source of support for our families and for bringing such positive enthusiasm to Brent’s Place! PAGE 3 Upcoming volunteer needs Friday Breakfast from 7:30am to 9:30am Cook a hot breakfast for our families in the Brent’s Place kitchen. Brent’s Place provides the food, you provide the cooks (no more than 6 volunteers), enjoy breakfast with our families, and help clean up. To follow along May 22 May 29 with all our kids and Movie Night Shifts, Tuesdays from 3:45pm to 6pm Make popcorn and watch a movie with the Brent’s Place kids (Brent’s Place provides the movie). June 9 see what they are doing everyday please follow us on facebook at Arts and Crafts Host, Wednesdays from 4:00pm to 5:15pm Come lead an art project with the kids at Brent’s Place. May 27 www.facebook.com/ BrentsPlacedenver Personal Chef Dinner (Marion St—located at 1721 Marion St, Denver) Meals are cooked in your kitchen and served in to-go containers provided by Brent’s Place. Volunteers meet a Brent’s Place staff member at this location on Thursdays only to deliver the meals at 5:45pm. A time commitment of a regular schedule is preferred (ie. first Thursday of the month). 1st Thursdays of the Month 2nd Thursdays of the Month 4th Thursdays of the Month Front Desk, Various Shifts (8am to 12pm, 12pm to 4pm, 4pm to 8pm) Be a friendly face for our families at the Brent’s Place front desk. Available days and shifts vary, so contact Becky for more information. This volunteer task requires a time commitment. Contact Rachel Bernstein for a volunteer application and to attend a volunteer orientation: [email protected] or 720-343-2807. If you’ve already attended a volunteer orientation, contact Becky Selig to schedule a volunteer shift. bselig@brentsplace,org or 720-343-2819. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME AND SERVICES FOR OUR FAMILIES IN MARCH! Brent’s Place 11980 East Sixteenth Ave Aurora Colorado 80010 www.brentsplace.org Phone: 720.343.2800 Fax: 303-831-4567 E-mail: [email protected] Joy is not in things; it is in you. -Wagner- Baby Ricky is excited to be out of the hospital! Aria with Swallow Hill Music Teacher, Amy Whitley Mikey and RJ at the movies Leena having fun at BINGO Eniya showing off her craft Happy birthday Trace!