Yesterday's Coloradoan included the picture above and the article below.

The photo: CSU professor Ken Smith, center, poses with CSU culinary students who served a Thanksgiving meal at The Matthews House.

After just 4 years, we’ve seen some major life changes and we now have youth who've successfully completed our program who are coming back and wanting to help others coming from similar situations. We have seen great results in our program and it is great to have the community agencies and media recognize our success as well.

The article:

Agencies display proven record of aid

BY SARA B. HANSEN
SaraHansen@coloradoan.com

Pathways Past Poverty provided money to prominent agencies in 2009 in an effort to showcase best practices for helping move people from poverty to self-sufficiency.

Pathways Past Poverty, an initiative of the United Way of Larimer County, provided $35,000 for The Matthews House and $50,000 to Project Self-Sufficiency.

Both agencies have a proven record of helping people become self-sufficient, said Marija Weeden-Osborn, Pathways Past Poverty coordinator and community investment associate.

The goal is to help them expand their reach, Weeden-Osborn said."When we look at this thing, we can show that we can move more people than Matthews House or Project Self-Sufficiency on their own," she said.

Matthews House serves 16- to 21-year-old residents who are aging out of the foster-care system and youths on parole who have virtually no family.

Project Self-Sufficiency helps low-income, single parents achieve economic independence by assisting with education, housing, child care, transportation, employment and health.

Matthews House first assesses the physical and mental-health needs, housing needs, employment experience, education and life skills of its clients, said Jerri Howe, executive director. Then it works to create a program for participants and meets weekly with them to discuss their goals.

"We're not what I call a flop house," Howe said. "Don't just come expecting handouts." The goal is to get the children to see they have a future outside of survival mode, Howe said. And Matthews House does that by getting its clients to help create an independent living plan. The agency helps with finding housing, internships, apprenticeships and jobs.

Matthews House has the staff to work with 65 to 70 people at a time and tries to keep a balance of 16 to 20 participants for each staff member so they can build relationships, Howe said, and really work to help the clients develop solutions.

The agency also relies on volunteers. "We have art teachers, music teachers, sewing instructors and more come to Matthews House to volunteer," Howe said. "The youths see these community members donating time, and they see that sense of community. It means so much for them to see that people care for you even if they aren't being paid to care for you." …

(complete article here)