Living Aspen has Merged with BeyondHome
December 19, 2020
What a year for change! 2020 has left nothing unturned in our lives.
I have personally found that this year has required a lot of letting go of things that have meant a lot to me. But with the loss has come opportunities to simplify life and live in moments, wrapped in gratefulness.
Living Aspen as an organization has experienced the same challenges we have all faced this year. There have been opportunities and losses. The biggest opportunity was to move to online programming.
The City of Arvada followed the recommendations from the State and County with stay-at-home orders the Friday before our annual Gala. We improvised with a Facebook live event that invited everyone into our story and space where we have connected with many survivors of abuse as we partnered with them on their healing journey. We are grateful for the business partners who sponsored our event and the many donors who kept us going in a topsy turvy year.
In the fall we followed PPE and safety guidelines and began an Art Journaling class at our Thrive Workplace office. And we offered a Trauma Informed Yoga program, online, with a new instructor Aurea Victoria from California. What an opportunity to bring expertise from afar into our space.
I am proud of how Living Aspen responded to the demands of 2020 and am confident that we lived into our mission of helping women and men heal from abuse by addressing the needs of the body, soul, and spirit in an integrated, self-directed process.
Over the last five years we have supported nearly 50 survivors as they walk into wholeness in this life. We have partnered with fantastic organizations and businesses in the Arvada area and built relationships with our loyal donors. Thank you for making another year of ministry happen.
As we close 2020, our Board of Directors and myself, Cheryl Meakins, Executive Director, were faced with a difficult question; “Can we continue to live out our mission within the confines of this pandemic in a fiscally prudent and responsible way?” In considering how to carry our work forward, we concluded that it would be best to combine our efforts with an organization with whom we have already connected and served some of their people on their journey to wholeness!
We are excited to announce that Living Aspen will merge with BeyondHome at the beginning of 2021!
BeyondHome is a nonprofit organization in Arvada that has served families experiencing homelessness for over thirty years. This merger was entered into because many people in their program also have a history of trauma. In 2019 they were named Arvada’s nonprofit of the year!
Karen Allen, Executive Director of BeyondHome, and I have developed a fantastic professional relationship and I am confident that her leadership of BeyondHome will allow the good work of Living Aspen to continue as a result of this merger.
As loyal supporters of Living Aspen through these years, I hope that you will now support the life changing work of BeyondHome. I would be happy to talk with you about BeyondHome and help transition your support to their organization in any way possible. You can also read more about Beyond Home at www.beyondhomeonline.org
Thank You Donors, Supporters, Volunteers, Participants, and Board of Directors for the honor and privilege to dream a dream, begin a work of healing with so many individuals, and make a way for that work to continue beyond these tremendous five years as Living Aspen.
May each of you find peace and grace to begin 2021 in new ways and with fresh hope.
With all my love and gratitude,
Cheryl Meakins
Living Aspen Executive Director
What a year for change! 2020 has left nothing unturned in our lives.
I have personally found that this year has required a lot of letting go of things that have meant a lot to me. But with the loss has come opportunities to simplify life and live in moments, wrapped in gratefulness.
Living Aspen as an organization has experienced the same challenges we have all faced this year. There have been opportunities and losses. The biggest opportunity was to move to online programming.
The City of Arvada followed the recommendations from the State and County with stay-at-home orders the Friday before our annual Gala. We improvised with a Facebook live event that invited everyone into our story and space where we have connected with many survivors of abuse as we partnered with them on their healing journey. We are grateful for the business partners who sponsored our event and the many donors who kept us going in a topsy turvy year.
In the fall we followed PPE and safety guidelines and began an Art Journaling class at our Thrive Workplace office. And we offered a Trauma Informed Yoga program, online, with a new instructor Aurea Victoria from California. What an opportunity to bring expertise from afar into our space.
I am proud of how Living Aspen responded to the demands of 2020 and am confident that we lived into our mission of helping women and men heal from abuse by addressing the needs of the body, soul, and spirit in an integrated, self-directed process.
Over the last five years we have supported nearly 50 survivors as they walk into wholeness in this life. We have partnered with fantastic organizations and businesses in the Arvada area and built relationships with our loyal donors. Thank you for making another year of ministry happen.
As we close 2020, our Board of Directors and myself, Cheryl Meakins, Executive Director, were faced with a difficult question; “Can we continue to live out our mission within the confines of this pandemic in a fiscally prudent and responsible way?” In considering how to carry our work forward, we concluded that it would be best to combine our efforts with an organization with whom we have already connected and served some of their people on their journey to wholeness!
We are excited to announce that Living Aspen will merge with BeyondHome at the beginning of 2021!
BeyondHome is a nonprofit organization in Arvada that has served families experiencing homelessness for over thirty years. This merger was entered into because many people in their program also have a history of trauma. In 2019 they were named Arvada’s nonprofit of the year!
Karen Allen, Executive Director of BeyondHome, and I have developed a fantastic professional relationship and I am confident that her leadership of BeyondHome will allow the good work of Living Aspen to continue as a result of this merger.
As loyal supporters of Living Aspen through these years, I hope that you will now support the life changing work of BeyondHome. I would be happy to talk with you about BeyondHome and help transition your support to their organization in any way possible. You can also read more about Beyond Home at www.beyondhomeonline.org
Thank You Donors, Supporters, Volunteers, Participants, and Board of Directors for the honor and privilege to dream a dream, begin a work of healing with so many individuals, and make a way for that work to continue beyond these tremendous five years as Living Aspen.
May each of you find peace and grace to begin 2021 in new ways and with fresh hope.
With all my love and gratitude,
Cheryl Meakins
Living Aspen Executive Director