This year we are so excited to partner with Colorado UpLift for a Thanksgiving drive from October 4–November 6! If you bring a non-perishable item to the museum, you get free admission. Or, if you would like to donate to Colorado UpLift, we can offer 10% off of an MCA Denver membership (simply show receipt of your donation at the front desk or email membership@mcadenver.org). Now’s the perfect time to plan your visit to the museum or purchase a membership for yourself or a friend!

To learn more about Colorado UpLift, we connected with Erica Barreto, Volunteer and Events Coordinator at Colorado UpLift, to learn more about the mission and the work of the organization.

Can you share some background on Colorado UpLift and its mission? 

Colorado UpLift has been serving in the Denver Metro for forty years, originating in 1982. The mission of UpLift is building long-term, life-changing relationships with urban youth. UpLift currently serves 3,700 students all over Denver, Aurora, and Westminster with an ever-growing waitlist of students eager to enter into our free and accredited classes.

What made you want to become involved with the organization? 

I personally became involved with Colorado UpLift because I was searching for a justice-driven cause; a cause that had a greater impact and purpose towards our society. UpLift checked all the boxes, allowing me to feel passionate about the mission I was serving, as well as knowing that work being done at UpLift is impacting our next generation of leaders.

How does Colorado UpLift engage with teens and their families in the community? 

Colorado UpLift has volunteer events that engage the community, to provide relief for our students and their families. For instance, we are currently hosting a Thanksgiving Drive to collect non-perishables for our families. We are also collecting wishlists from our families this holiday season to help bring cheer to their celebration. Throughout our year we have many opportunities similar to these, where we interact with families while bringing the community into what UpLift does.

What are some of the programs offered to teens through the organization? 

UpLift has five program areas, all of which provide a holistic approach to our student’s lives. We began with an in-school program, where we access public schools by teaching character, life-skills, and leadership development in middle and high schools. We also have an after-school program with one-on-one mentoring, an Adventure program filled with fun and new activities for our students to experience, a post-secondary program that helps prepare our students for life after high school, as well as our advanced leadership program that is an accredited college credit.

How can the community support Colorado UpLift? 

There are many ways to get involved with Colorado UpLift. We are always looking for volunteers to come alongside our mission. We are also searching for great community partners who want to learn more about UpLift by attending site visits and becoming committed to our mission. We have opportunities to join our events that are posted on our website. Sponsorship is a great way of being a part of our mission; sponsoring our students and events, as well as becoming a monthly donor. All donations benefit our mission of serving more students and impacting our city. Through donations, we are able to afford to hire more teachers/mentors, provide transportation and food for our students, and much more.

Anything missed? Please share! 

I think that covers it! Thank you for the opportunity!

Click here to find out which items we’re collecting and plan your visit to the museum!