GPHC Command Central: This Spring, Be Bold

Taking Risks Is More Than Worth The Reward

By Lori Midson

Executive Director, GPHC, Inc.

For most of my life, I’ve pushed boundaries. I’m a law-abiding rule-breaker by nature, which means I test the limits, but not to the point where I cross the legal line. Oh, okay. I occasionally speed on the highway, especially on long road trips when it’s just me and 1,000 miles of straight asphalt.

But while I’m more than comfortable going up against the status quo, I’ve also spent most of my life in a world of familiarity, which, I always thought, was sort of the arbiter of control and certainty. My old career — food journalism — was second nature to me and I had it dialed in. It was formulaic, and I could write a restaurant review in my sleep.

Then I got this job, and everything changed. I’ve never loved a job more than this one and, in part, it’s because there are times when it makes me uncomfortable, insists I take risks out of my wheelhouse, fuels my curiosity and challenges me to relinquish control. It’s the exact opposite of formulaic and certain.

In mid-March, I moderated a 90-minute city council forum comprised of eight District 8 and 9 candidates. Terrified is an understatement. As a relative newcomer to Park Hill, I felt woefully unprepared, so I read everything I could get my hands on, stayed awake until the wee hours of the morning researching the subjects of the more than 50 questions submitted by attendees and studied the candidates and their platforms. I prepped out loud until my voice was hoarse. There were a few times I thought I might throw up. That’s how nervous I was.

But you know what? That thing I was holding at arm’s length and had initially dreaded, resulted in one of the most enlightening, joyful and — dare I say it — fun experiences I’ve ever had. Did I crush it? No, I fumbled a few words here and there, but the risk was more than worth the reward.

There’s no doubt that the dozens of months living in near-isolation because of COVID-19 did a number on our psyches. Many of us are still recovering from that bubble of loneliness. But with spring in the air, and a spring in our step, there’s an enormous opportunity to rejuvenate our lives, tiptoe out of our comfort zones, expand our horizons and become involved in causes and activities that make a difference.

It can begin with something as simple as saying “hello” to a stranger. It can start with volunteering. In fact, we have several volunteer opportunities at GPHC, including sprucing up our patio garden and greenhouse, lending a hand during our annual Garden Walk on Sunday, June 11, distributing fresh produce during our summer farm stand, promoting GPHC at the 4th of July Parade or joining the committee that pulls off our annual Home Tour and Street Fair in September.

We start the planning process for the Home Tour and Street Fair in May, and we’re looking for a few dedicated folks who want to be involved in what has become our largest fundraising event of the year. If you’ve never volunteered before, I highly encourage you to get involved. Take the leap — it’s so worth it. And no experience is necessary.

A lot of us are hesitant to speak up, fearing our voices won’t be heard. We want to hear your voice. Your opinions, ideas and concerns matter to us, and we want to give our neighbors a voice. If you’re in bubble, burst it and attend our monthly community meetings. The next one is at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 6. Along with presenters, we have an open floor to give citizens a platform to ask questions and talk about what matters most to them.

Stop by our office at 2823 Fairfax St. and introduce yourself. We want to meet you. And if you happen to have a few donations for our emergency food pantry, we’d love to have them. The list below details our current needs.

As we embrace the onset of spring, embrace yourselves, too, and build on the momentum that inspires you to try something new and unfamiliar. Be bold!

As always, thank you to our wonderful members, donors and volunteers for your ongoing support. We appreciate you all so much.

 

Current Food Pantry Needs

• Boxes of dry cereal

• Bags of white rice

• Cans of diced tomatoes

• Jarred pasta sauce

• Canned fruit (peaches, pineapple, mandarin oranges and mixed fruit)

• Shelf-stable cartons of milk

• Canned tuna, salmon and sardines

• Baby formula

• Granola bars and kid-friendly snacks and juice boxes

• Canned and jarred salsas

• Taco shells and tortillas

• Cooking oils

• Eggs

• Bags and blocks of cheese

• Fresh vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots, tomatoes and salad greens)

• Frozen proteins (chicken, fish, ground beef and pork)

• Toiletries

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. Out of respect for our clients, we kindly ask that you only donate items that have not expired. Thank you for your understanding.

 

Donors

Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church

Mayfair Liquors

Messiah Community Church

Park Hill United Methodist Church

Park Hill Branch Library

St. Thomas Episcopal Church

Starbucks / Glendale Target

Starbucks / 29th Street Town Center

Augustana Lutheran Church

Cake Crumbs Bakery

Janey and Harmon Alpert

Annie and David Pratt

Penny Ashley-Lawrence

Cathy Bauchwitz

Simon Blamires

Zana Brown

Jennifer Calderone

Inga Calvin

Casey Guber and Erika Burke

Christine and Daniel Allen

Frederica Crews

Jenna Cruff

Emma Cummings

Carrie Davis

Martha and Bruce Douglas

Duane and Jean Gall

Beth and Robert Duncan

Jennifer Dyer

Anne & Joe Frank

Mary Frost

Christina Garrison-Diehn

Bobbi Gillis

Princess Gray

Lisa Haddox

Simon and Elizabeth Hambidge

Amy Harris

John Hayden

Deborrah Jackson

Bill Juraschek

Dirk Lashnits

Lola and Arlen Hershberger

Leslie Madsen

Matthew and Elizabeth Spohn

Sheila and John McMullen

Harriet Mullaney

Chris and Erin Nielsen

Glenna O’Neal

Betty Peterson

Mark Pressey

Samantha Lehni Reeves

Richard and Noni Horwitz

Louann Sakala

Mary Salsich

Ellen and Andy Selig

Beverly and Peter Skram

Jean and Rob Socolofsky

Mary Jo Starmer

Stephanie Wasserman and David Fine

Christopher Stewart

Thomas E Street

Michele Swenson

Wendi Torres

Jane Wainwright

Kristen Whealon

Linda Will

Dean and Marsha Woodward

Elizabeth Case

Abby Dice

Food Pantry Volunteers

Deb Rosenbaum

David Addor

Emily Clark

Linda Lovell

Beverly Miller

Ruth Ann Russell