Nonprofits

A generous moment of 12-year-old Mykaela Garrett’s life has proven to be the turning point that could see her family overcome homelessness and poverty. The week before Christmas, Andrea Garrett took Mykaela to the 29th Annual Bob Telmosse...... Full story

At 42 years old, with a storage shed full of furniture, a car, and some money in her pocket, Andrea Garrett found herself homeless. Garrett, who lost her job in May, got lucky this January, and with a little publicity and help from the community,...... Full story

Nichole Russell’s move to Colorado Springs was a true leap of faith. Last year she and her husband, a recovering alcoholic, relocated from Lincoln, Neb., after what they considered to be a divine nudge. Old haunts and acquaintances were...... Full story

Imagine moving into your first home — you would need furniture, pots and pans, maybe even a television. That’s what Mykaela Garrett, 12, and her mother, Andrea, need. And then some. The week before Christmas, Mykaela and her mother...... Full story

For a Colorado Springs service that received about 26,000 calls last year, you wouldn’t think that name recognition would be a problem. But the folks who run the United Way’s 2-1-1 system in the Pikes Peak region are still trying to...... Full story

The classic Christmas fable, “The Gift of the Magi,” is a story of people who have the least to give but give the most. This year, 12-year-old  Mykaela Garrett did just that. At the 29th Annual Bob Telmosse Christmas Giveaway,...... Full story

It was a cold Christmas Eve morning, but dozens of families lined up early Saturday for an annual toy giveaway at Carniceria Leonela on East Pikes Peak Avenue.One 4-year-old boy wore a huge grin after his visit with Santa, even though he had trouble...... Full story

Of all the assistance offered to Julia by Northern Churches Care over the past eight years — the prescriptions it paid for, the food it donated, the rent and electric bills it covered — perhaps the most meaningful was prayer. Julia...... Full story

Jean Fox wanted a hand up — not a hand out — when she lost her job in 2009. The former college recruiter enrolled at Pikes Peak Community College in an attempt to enhance her skills. But her age seemed to prevent her from getting hired...... Full story

At the 29th Annual Bob Telmosse Christmas giveaway, Sunny and Tatum Gallegos worked some of their own Christmas magic with three words, “please” and “thank you.” The brothers, Sunny, 7, and Tatum, 5, came to...... Full story

Cynthia Pagan attributes it all to diet and exercise. Well, and the ability to do both with her children around. In the last year, she’s lost 100 pounds working out at the YMCA. It has not only changed her life, but that of her whole...... Full story

Amanda’s family had long struggled with their adopted son Nick’s anger issues. When Nick became a teenager, the situation only deteriorated. He threw the family dog down the stairs, threatened to kill his parents, became addicted to...... Full story

Tony Dal Lago works as a Department of Defense contractor in Colorado Springs. He’s a busy guy and doesn’t need to receive phones calls in the middle of the night from authorities asking him to help at a local disaster. He doesn’t...... Full story

Noodles or rice. It’s a simple choice that many would take for granted. But to Cynthia, a single mom down on her luck, the fact that a food pantry worker cared about her preferences made her feel like a queen. “It’s like you get...... Full story

As Joseph knocked on the door to ask for a place to spend the night Friday, an angelic voice pierced the air, singing a plea on his behalf: “En el nombre del Cielo/ os pido posada/pues no puede andar/ya mi esposa amada.” “In the...... Full story