Colorado is currently the #7 state in the US for total Meth users 12 years or older – this is astounding.

At The Matthews House we see the effects of methamphetamine nearly everyday; broken families, teen deaths, ruined lives – the list goes on. Some of the talented youth that attended this poster workshop were in fact themselves past users or victims of meth by association (family or friends).

However, our youth have hope for their futures as was evident as we created beautiful art work as a means of spreading the message of “Meth… Not Even Once.”

You might be familiar with the Colorado Meth Project as you’ve heard their ads on the radio, seen their commercials, or driven past a billboard. Although the messages associated with the Colorado Meth Project are vivid and often difficult to watch, research indicates that these messages are working.

Did you know that all the messages they send out are actually based on true stories?

The Matthews House is proud to take part in the efforts to stop meth use in Colorado by working with The Meth Project.  Thank you Jonathan and everyone at Colorado Meth Project who are making a difference in our communities!

A big thank you also to Rose at Half Moon Arts,  for the use of your studio and supplies!

To learn more about methamphetamine and it’s consequences visit www.methproject.org.  This interactive website is designed to speak directly to teens in order to challenge their knowledge but we’ve found it to be just as educational for the general populace.

We also suggest that you brief yourself on more facts about meth and it’s direct effects on the State of Colorado by going to  http://colorado.methproject.org/Results/index.php.

Just remember – “Meth…Not Even Once.”

[[Show as slideshow]]

Ho! Ho! Ho!

We’ve got so much going on at The Matthews House these days and we wanted to share a few things with you.

Young Mom’s Group:

It has been so much FUN this fall hanging out with our young mom’s.  These young women are a great example of patience, endurance, and love.  Though their children might not have been planned they truly are making lemonade from lemons – strawberry lemonade at that!  As our moms continue to  foster relationships with each other, there is more accountability, relevance, and hope with each passing group.

This month we were able to provide a traditional holiday favorite – we met Santa Claus (or Nana Claus as little bitty likes to say!) in Old Town Square. Our fantastic volunteer, Jessica, took beautiful pictures to help capture the memory – thank you!

After our expedition to the north pole we walked over to Everyday Joe’s Coffee Shop on Mason Ave. to participate in Help Portraits Annual Photo Session.  This group of fabulous photographers set up studio in Joe’s and wow, what an experience.  From hair and make-up before their personal photo shoots, to crafts for the kids, and hot cocoa to boot – it was a fantastic way to wrap up the day!

Each of our young moms received a personal photo shoot for them and their child, a free portrait, and a CD of all the photos taken.

Starting to look a lot like Christmas.

House Decorating:

We welcomed in the Christmas season this year with a House Decorating Party, full of music, laughter, and memories.

Our goal for this activity was to help our youth remember happy family traditions (most of whom didn’t have many to share) and to create new ones with each other as we continue to build our own Matthews House Family.

Our Christmas Trees are now lit with beautiful lights, ornaments, and homemade garland strings of popcorn and cranberries!  We feasted on homemade egg nog, cherry crisp, and the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies made by one of our youth.  It was a heartfelt evening, one which our youth are sure to remember.

This year we are creating Matthews House Christmas Traditions that we hope to relive in the years to come.  Some of these activities include our Annual Christmas Party, a Carriage Ride through Old Town, and taking our Young Moms and their little ones to visit Santa Claus.  Hmmmm…what should we add for next year?  Who’s up for a Gingerbread House competition?!

Handmade Aprons for Christmas:

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you to Carol, Joanne, Liz, Jessica, and Brenda for helping our young ladies craft the most beautiful aprons!

These volunteers worked one-on-one with our youth and staff teaching them how to cut a pattern, use a sewing machine, and develop patience for the fine art of sewing.  Our youth used their artistic flare to match up fun and funky patterns for the apron of their own crafting.  At the end of the evening we had 7 aprons to be proud of.

No substitute for experience.

It’s a great feeling when you know you have imparted a skill to another person and in a way that involves them – this is the very core of our Experiential Education Program.  These young ladies have gained an important skill because of the time a few individuals took to educate in a fun and tangible way!

Lastly, we like to give a special thanks to Peak Community Church for their generosity of space – we definitely could not have fit 7 sewing machines in The Matthews House.

Although generational poverty, homeless and unaccompanied youth, and families with abuse and/or drug histories are a very real part of our town and world, it is such a blessing to live and work in a community that not only acknowledges these situations, but come along side youth to support them in every facet of their life. 

Thank you Larimer County!

Recently, we celebrated Christmas with over 50 of our youth, along with more than 20 volunteers, community members, and staff!

Our youth took a horse drawn wagon ride from The Matthews House to Everyday Joe’s Coffee House through Old Town just as it started to snow.  They were met with hot chocolate, fabulous food, and wonderful live holiday jazz music.

After some socializing we were thankful to be able to provide each of our youth with a Christmas present – for some this might be the only one they receive this year.  A few of our youth had a tough time being at a Christmas party, as this time of year brings back some sad memories; but thanks to our staff and volunteers we were able to help acknowledge old memories while creating new positive memories.

None of this would have been possible without Colorado Carriage & Wagon, Everyday Joe’s Coffee House, the fantastic ladies with Bibliomaniacs Book Club, The Jingle Bell Jazz Ensemble (Kenny Workman: vocals, clarinet, tenor sax, guitar, Brian Fromme: keyboards, Dennis Griffing: upright bass, Paul Gerberding: vocals, djembe, guitar, hand percussion), and our ever faithful volunteers.

And a special shout out to Kara, Aaron, Brenda, and Jessica who consistently attend our events and are an invaluable source of help in making them run smoothly.[[Show as slideshow]]

Some Exciting News Shared At The Christmas Party!

From day one we have been blessed to have such a great house on Mathews Street to call home. And we’ve also been blessed with a very supportive community that has allowed us to grow, serve more youth and take on more staff. This past year as our staff would probably be quick to tell you things have gotten very “cozy” within the walls of The Matthews House.

Which is why we are excited to tell you that with a New Year will also come a new home for The Matthews House!

If all goes according to plan, we will be moving in mid-January. There won’t be any interruption in service to our youth and we’ll still be super-accessible, right in the Old Town area near Lee Martinez Park. We’ll be able to share more details soon and we’ll invite you all over to visit once we get settled.

Making the big announcement!

Merry Christmas from Everyone at The Matthews House.  May this season bring you joy!

Which is why, with the spirit of gratitude in the air, we were so happy to host our 5th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner for our youth, their families, our volunteers and staff.

Once again we filled the house with laughter as we enjoyed the company of over 60 people, had great conversations, and played countless rounds of Apples to Apples!

A monumental Thank You goes out to Chris, Becky, and all the fabulous folks from Citipointe Church for roasting 4 turkeys and making all the traditional Thanksgiving sides so that our bellies were full!

We wouldn’t be able to have this sort of celebration without the support of the amazing community we are blessed to live in.  For some of our youth this was the only Thanksgiving feast they will enjoy this year.

Happy Thanksgiving from Everyone at The Matthews House!

In the first three weeks alone, we have seen a group of teenagers with very little confidence begin to encourage one another, push each other to challenge themselves, and reach to fulfill their highest (literally!) potential.  The self-discovery that occurs during these sessions carries over to their lives in general, building positive self-image and a sense of hope for the future.

Each week we take the team to an indoor or outdoor location to climb.  During these training sessions youth set goals for themselves and for the team as a whole. They learn climbing skills, techniques, and safety protocol; then they get on the rock and use those skills. Seeing our youth begin to trust each other and our volunteers is truly amazing!

Thanks to the generous support of Inner Strength Rock Gym and La Sportiva, we have been able to kick off this fantastic opportunity for our youth.  However, we want to be able to offer this program to all of our youth, providing them with safe, high-quality equipment, weekly outings, and the opportunity to travel and compete.

If you would like to help young adults to push past their fears and grow in monumental ways through our climbing team, please contact Carolyn at 970-472-4293 or carolyn@thematthewshouse.org .

The Matthews House strives to fill the current gap in services for at-risk youth transitioning to adulthood by providing the resources and support necessary to empower these youth to take control of their lives, shape positive futures for themselves and become successful contributors to their community.

You can find out more about The Matthews House on our website which is located here: http://thematthewshouse.org

Other workshops included a philosophy class, a pottery and arts class, a tour of a science museum and geology class, a mass media communications class (where the kids got to film, direct, and act in a breaking news report about a recent zombie epidemic!), and various college prep workshops on applying for financial aid, and how to balance classes with work and a personal life.

One night there was a youth leader panel. A group of teens and young adults who grew up in foster care shared their stories and the different leadership projects they had become involved in. They challenged our teens to step up and speak out about causes they believed in, and encouraged them to give back to their communities.

The conference ended with a ceremony celebrating their attendance. A slideshow was shown with pictures from the week, and the teens cheered for each other whenever they saw their friends on the screen

College Connect is such a unique opportunity for our kids. Many of them have never been on a college campus, and are overwhelmed at the thought of it. After the conference, one of our teens said she was definitely going to apply to go to school at Adams State. Others said they didn’t think Adams State was a good fit for them, but that they were now very interested in applying at some larger state colleges. Our hope is that they come to believe that going to college and earning a degree is a dream they can attain, and that they know they have the support to get there.

Saturday, June 19, 12-4, Rolland Moore Park

All Proceeds Benefiting The Matthews House Event

Presented by Veritas and Sponsored by The Wright Life.

Complementary Food Provided by Mama Roni's Pizza.

Tournament Rules:

• 7-12 person Co-ed teams, ages 13-18
• Double Elimination,
• Standard Ultimate Frisbee Rules
• Prize for the Winning Team: Gift Certificates to the Wright Life 

Registration Fee: $5 Pre-registration. $8 Day-of-event Registration More info and registration on event Facebook page

On December 2nd our Girl’s Group had a chance to celebrate the Christmas season in style.

Even though it was a frigid evening, we had 15 young women come out to start off the evening with a horsedrawn carriage ride around Old Town. The ride ended up at Canino’s Italian Restaurant, where the group was treated to a 3-course spaghetti dinner, complete with gelato for a perfect finish.

This was a special way to end the year for our Girl's Group. This monthly group is an important time for our girls to be able to get together, build relationships, and broaden their horizons with new experiences.

Thanks so much to Colorado Carriage and Wagon and Canino’s Italian Restaurant for making this special evening possible!

Last Wednesday, we got together for our November Family Dinner, also known as our Thanksgiving Feast.

Once a month, we host a dinner for youth in our program and their guests. This is a time to just come to the house and have a tasty family style meal prepared by wonderful volunteers in a comfortable space. Each of our youth can bring along family, friends, a mentor – whoever they would like to spend the evening with. Sometimes after dinner there's a card game, charades, or an outdoor activity, sometimes just hanging out and talking.

This month, in honor of Thanksgiving, Ken Smith, one of our Board members and a professor in CSU's Restaurant and Resort Management program, organized a group of his students to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, veggies and topped off with delicious pie.

About 50 youth, staff, volunteers, family and mentors descended on the house for a festive evening of giving thanks!