You are an expert on your community and we want to hear from you about your community’s most pressing needs so that Serve Colorado can help local organizations address those needs through service and volunteerism, including AmeriCorps.
Please take 10-15 minutes to have your voice heard about the unmet needs in your community and to shape the direction of Serve Colorado. You can take the survey HERE.
Seniors often face new physical, mental and sensory challenges when it comes to driving safely. Traffic safety advocate, Sylvia Cordy with Denver’s Reaching Older Adult Drivers (ROAD) program, will discuss these subjects and others including safe travel options to help seniors maintain their independence. Cordy will also cover how to identify trusted conversation sources and how to initiate sensitive discussions between aging drivers, their families, friends and caregivers about creating driver retirement plans.
If you provided input on the plan at any point in the two-year process, please consider sharing your thoughts about the experience in this five-minute survey before May 14. With your help, DRCOG will continue to improve its public engagement efforts in the future. Thank you!
The Jefferson County Local Coordinating Council (Jeffco LCC) met on Thursday May 6 at 1:30. The information about their regular meeting – date, time, and contact – can be found here. There were 16 people in attendance, including several RTD Directors. The Chair, Joe Lamars, introduced Angel Bond from the Boulder LCC, who presented on her LCC – how it was formed, how it is supported, who attends, how they have generated funding to have staff, and what they believe their successes have been. The Jeffco group had lots of questions; a spirited discussion ensued. The conclusion was that a successful LCC should have projects and a planning process. The Jeffco LCC has had both in the past but doesn’t have a specific project or goal at this moment. The 2nd topic on the agenda was the RTD Advisory Councils’ possible sub-regional committees. The group discussed their inclinations – to apply or not to apply – toward this as yet undefined possibility. The members held a variety of sentiments; no conclusion was reached. The next meeting is on Thursday June 3 at 1:30 and will be held virtually.
This Wednesday from 5/5 from 10-11am Denver Workforce Services and AARP will be hosting a Back to Work 50+ workshop. This will be followed by four coaching sessions on networking, resume and cover letter writing, self-marketing and LinkedIn, upskilling, and recruiter Q&A. See the flyer attached.
Also, Andrew Steward, a PhD candidate at the University of Denver, is doing work on internalized ageism and racialized ageism. See the below message from Andrew and the two attached flyers.
You are invited to participate in a research study focused on better understanding racialized ageism among Black, Latinx, Asian, and White older adults. You are eligible to participate in this study if you are 60+ years of age, live in the Mountain West region of the United States, and self-identify as having one or more of the following racial or ethnic backgrounds: Black, Latinx, Asian, or White. The purpose of this study is to explore the perspective and lived experience of racialized ageism among older adults, including ways of coping and finding support.
If you decide to participate, please understand your participation is voluntary and you have the right to withdraw at any time. You will be invited to participate in a 60 min. Zoom interview. This interview will be audio recorded. The researchers will make every effort to preserve your confidentiality. You will receive a $30 electronic Target gift card via email within 2 weeks after completion of the interview.
If you would like to participate or have any questions, please contact the Principal Investigator, Andrew Steward, LCSW, PhD Candidate, at andrew.steward@du.edu or (505) 412-3077. You may also contact the Faculty Sponsor, Nicole Nicotera, PhD, LICSW, at nicole.nicotera@du.edu.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Via Transit Talks – 4/22/2021 (Updated)
During Via’s ‘Go Big, Go Electric’ Transit Talk, Frank Bruno, CEO, shared that Via’s new Strategic Plan will guide how Via will expand its paratransit and public transit services while being financially and environmentally sustainable.
Currently, Via has 4 electric HOP buses; three new Proterra buses, and a repowered 2004 diesel that was converted by Lightning Systems. Via’s goal is to have an entirely electric HOP fleet by 2030 and plans to convert their entire fleet to net-zero emissions. In addition, the City of Boulder has grants for three more battery-electric buses that haven’t been purchased yet.
To reach net-zero, Via plans to create an onsite microgrid to produce electricity through clean renewable solar energy to power 15 electric HOP vehicles and their building, eventually expanding this microgrid to power their entire operation.
Funding is the biggest obstacle to converting an entire fleet of vehicles from fossil fuels to renewable energy. While federal grants traditionally cover 80% of new capital expenditures, the funding for electric vehicles is more competitive it is unlikely that these grants will cover such a large portion of the new buses. Via is launching a Net Zero Fund to secure the required funds.
The panel also included guests from Boulder Valley School District, CU Boulder, the City of Boulder, and Microgrid Labs. It was extremely interesting how Boulder Valley Schools, Boulder, and CU were going all-in on as much solar electricity as they could.
