GPHC Command Central: In One Fall Swoop, It’s Autumn Again
The Height Of Event Season Is Upon Us
By Lori Midson
Executive Director, GPHN, Inc.
I’m breathing a sigh of re…leaf. We’re finally flirting with the finish of a long summer.
I know some of you are saddened by summer’s end, and while I’ll miss the early morning slaps of sunshine and the beams of light well into the night, I absolutely love autumn. There’s the crisp, cool air, the rustling of amber leaves, no more bikini body anxiety, the arrival of football season, bike rides though brisk breezes, corn mazes, pumpkin patches and haunted houses, boots and sweater weather and mountain hikes that meander through whistling Aspen groves.
Autumn is also synonymous with Greater Park Hill Community’s main event season. Between the months of October and November, we’re crazy-busy. We’ve got our annual board meeting and board elections, the Park Hill Community Fall Festival, the continuation of our no-cost farm stand every Monday at 10 a.m. and our annual Thanksgiving Giveaway. And, of course, as you read this we’ll just be recovering from our 45th Annual Park Hill Home Tour & Street Fair. Whew!
Our annual board meeting — which we highly encourage you to attend — takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 2823 Fairfax St. If you can’t be there in person, you may attend via Zoom. Festivities begin at 6 p.m. with a free reception (beer, wine and food will be served) followed by a presentation highlighting organizational and board activities and accomplishments over the past year.
The meeting also includes honors to our tireless volunteers and community members, plus board elections for Districts 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 and three at-large seats. If you’d like to run for a board seat, vote in the board election or simply attend the meeting as an engaged neighbor, you’ll find all the details at greaterparkhill.org/join-us/annual-meeting.
Fresh on the heels of our annual board meeting comes the Park Fall Community Fall Festival, Sunday, Oct. 15 at the City of Axum Park at Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Cherry Street.
Fall Fest is a festive, free and family-friendly gathering that celebrates the amazing block workers who bundle and deliver the award-winning Greater Park Hill News to homes and businesses in and around Park Hill. The festival is sponsored this year by Be Well, the AMP-athy Project, Councilwoman Shontel Lewis and Denver District 8 and runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Come on over and bring the kids for face-painting, games, bubbles, food and more.
Next month we trot toward our annual Thanksgiving Giveaway. Last year, we distributed more than 10,000 pounds of Turkey Day fixings to nearly 500 families, seniors and students in and around the neighborhood. We’ll start requesting donations of both funds and food in the coming weeks as we prepare to feed even more struggling families this year. Please consider supporting this huge endeavor as you plan your holiday giving and food drives.
We’ll also have multiple volunteer opportunities to help with sorting, organizing, assembling, distributing and delivering food boxes throughout the month. Watch our website and Facebook page for updates.
Thank you, as always, to our donors and volunteers for your kindness, in-kind and financial contributions, involvement and dedication to GPHC. You are so appreciated.
Businesses/Churches/Groups
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
Brothers BBQ
Cure D’Ars Catholic Church
Curtis Park Deli
Dahlia Campus Farms and Gardens
Denver Children’s Home
Denver Food Rescue
Ivy Street 2200 Block
Mayfair Community Garden
Messiah Community Church
Oneida Street Neighbors
Overture 9th & CO
Park Hill Branch Library
Park Hill Congregational UCC
Park Hill United Church of Christ
Park Hill United Methodist Church
Park Hill Urban Gardens
St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Starbucks
The Urban Farm
Individuals/Families
Carol Ahnen
Celia Alires
Ginny Allen
Raymond Allen
Ally Bailey & Matt McConville
Janey and Harmon Alpert
Surendra Amin
Marie Andrews
Annie and David Pratt
Armand Lebovits and Mona Estrada
Penny Ashley-Lawrence
Katherine Atkins
Laura Avant
Dede Barry
Cathy Bauchwitz
Deborah & John Beltz Wangerin
Simon Blamires
Zana Brown
Jennifer Calderone
Inga Calvin
Deborah Cella
Christina and Dan Manzanares
Christine and Daniel Allen
Liz Clymer
Charlie Curlee
Diane Dash
Christine Davidson
Anonymous Donors
Duane and Jean Gall
Ellen Reath and Craig Maginness
Scott Esserman
Steve Farley
Carla Finch
Denise Fisher
Anne & Joe Frank
Mike Freehling
Virginia Fuller
Sandra Garcia
Gary and Carolyn Martyn
Colleen Gill
Bobbi Gillis
Andrea Gordan
Elaine Granata
Eldridge Greer
Tanya L. Greer
Lisa Haddox
Christine Hager
Amy Harris
Adrienne Hill
Jim Hoops
Romi Howell
Adam and Laura Huff
Lee Huntington
Brian Johnson
Kate Johnson
Joncee and Glen Feakes
Liz Jones
Bill Juraschek
Jan Kennaugh
Chris and Sharon Kermiet
John Kerr
Patricia Kimitch
Karen and Steve Kudebeh
Lana and James Cordes
Edward Lapine
Bev Laughlin
Morgan Lemp
Patrice Lewerenz
Leslie Lloyd
Roberta Locke
Lola and Arlen Hershberger
Mary Murphy and John Brink
Matthew and Elizabeth Spohn
Wayne May
Patricia Mead
Rick and Carolyn Medrick
Lori Midson
Norman Mueller and Christy Murphy
Harriet Mullaney
Chris and Erin Nielsen
Patti Kato and Marty Esquibel
Janet Peterson
Samantha Lehni Reeves
Erin Reynolds
Gloria Richardson
Mary Salsich
Karin Schumacher
Adam Scoville
Susie Seawell
Paula Sehein
Kait Speth
Mary Jo Starmer
Johnlyn Stephens
Christopher Stewart
Emma Stewart
Melinda and Scott Stewart
Michele Swenson
Blair Taylor
Karen Thoreaux
Karen Thurlow
Wendi Torres
Angela Vanderlan
Robert and Jean West
Caron Wetter
Linda Will
Sally Wolfe
Debbie Zucker and Brian Field
Food Programs Volunteers
Deb Rosenbaum
Noni Horwitz
Linda Lovell
Emily Clark
Mark Pressey
Elliott Midson
Heather Selph
Carrol Rhead
David Addor
Beverly Miller
Heather Shulman
Claudia Fields
Nam Henderson
Tracey MacDermott
Heather Shockey
Bernadette Kelly
Shane Sutherland
Jacqui Shumway
Amy Harris
Essential Food Pantry Needs
This year between January and September, visits to our food pantry skyrocketed, and our food shelves desperately need some love. If you’re at the grocery store, please consider donating a few of these items.
• Canned meat
• Cereal and oatmeal
• Pasta sauce
• Canned tomatoes
• Canned/jarred pasta sauce
• Hearty soups and stews
• Canned and dried beans (especially kidney, refried and pinto)
• Canned vegetables (all kinds)
• Bags/cartons of mashed potatoes
• Shelf-stable packaged meals
• Shelf-stable milk
• Canned fruit (peaches, pineapple, oranges and fruit cocktail)
• Salt and pepper shakers and basic spices
• Boxes of mac-and-cheese
• Pancake mix and syrup
• Cornbread and biscuit mix
• Ramen
• Travel-size toiletries
• Size 4,5 and 6 children’s diapers
• Paper towels, boxes of tissues and toilet paper
Our address is 2823 Fairfax St. We accept food and toiletry donations between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and between noon and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays. We also accept donations by appointment. If you’d like to schedule a donation outside of our office hours, please send an email to director@greaterparkhill.org, or call 303-388-0918.
Please be mindful of expiration dates. Out of respect for our pantry families, we will not accept expired food items. Please do not leave donations outside our office door. Thank you for abiding by these guidelines.