Dear Friends,
Once a week, the Shelter children follow our wonderful Child/Youth Counselor, Michael, into the Shelter courtyards to welcome an excited group of visiting puppies. The meeting is an explosion of laughter, woofs, prancing children and pups, and pure joy. Thanks to Denver Pet Partners, these weekly visits give Shelter kids (and their parents) a chance to connect with animals and each other and find pathways to healing from the trauma they’ve experienced.
At our Outreach Center, Abby and our creative Counseling Team host weekly Family Resilience Empowerment and Engagement (FREE) Spanish/English groups where a meal is shared, and parents/caregivers are provided stress-reducing and self-care support while their children participate in age-appropriate social-emotional skill-building activities.
Bundled in winter garb and toting walking sticks, hearty members of SPAN’s survivor support groups, joined Harpiar, our multi-talented Bilingual Tri-City Community Advocate/Counselor, for a snowy Winter Walk through Boulder’s Chautauqua Park in February. In partnership with Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, this was the first of a series of 2023 seasonal walks to make the healing power of nature more accessible to survivors.
These are just a few ways that adult and child survivors of domestic violence find healing, respite, and support at SPAN. At a time when tragedy, violence, and hopelessness take center stage in our public discourse and media, reflecting on the real power of healing, resilience, and hope is a necessary antidote to cynicism and despair. SPAN’s community of courageous survivors, generous supporters, and dedicated staff, volunteers, and community partners make this possible. Thank you for being part of the SPAN community.
In gratitude,
Anne Tapp, Executive Director
