Rifle vets home seeks advisory board members

If you are community conscious and want to make a difference in the lives of our nation's heroes, the Colorado State Veterans Home in Rifle is currently seeking new volunteer members for its Citizens Advisory Board. The board meets with resident members and administrative staff to assist with decisions regarding resident needs and ongoing projects at the home.

The Citizens Advisory Board meets on the third Monday of every other month at 6:30 p.m. at the Colorado State Veterans Home, 851 E. Fifth St. in Rifle. The next meeting will be on Monday, May 16.

Local community volunteers have devoted many years as board members: Cindie Ellis of Silt has served as secretary/treasurer for the past 24 years, and Jerry Olp of Glenwood Springs has committed 22 years as a board member. For the past six years Jerry has been the board's chairman. LeRoy Snyder of Silt has served as a board member for the past five years, as well as other past board members and Glenwood Springs Elks Lodge members John Pettit and Dennis Carey. Their dedication and allegiance to our communities and to the Colorado State Veterans Home in Rifle is commendable and appreciated beyond words. Thank you for your commitments to our nation's heroes.

For more information or to become a Citizens Advisory Board member at the Colorado State Veterans Home in Rifle, please contact Lisa Adams (Marketing Department) at 625-0842.

Women's Support and Empowerment Group

Roaring Fork Valley women have a safe, supportive and confidential setting in which to express their concerns and challenges and to embrace their successes with the debut of the Women's Support and Empowerment Group.

The group will be held on Mondays at Creative Spark Studio, Third Street Center, in Carbondale, from 6:30 - 8 p.m.

“The idea is to provide a safe place for women to come to discuss a broad range of topics and address the unique issues relevant to women,” said Janet Gordon, a licensed professional counselor, who will lead the discussion. She said that she expects the topics to vary from week-to-week, but she does anticipate that work, parenting, financial issues, self-esteem, and relationships will be discussed.

Another focus of the group will be to learn healthy strategies for coping with stress and life. Gordon said that a big focus will be on promoting self-care. The group is designed to happen weekly to offer a consistent resource for women when they need it.

The Women's Support and Empowerment Group is sponsored by The Aspen Hope Center, a referral and crisis center in the Roaring Fork Valley, which is a project of The Aspen Valley Medical Foundation.

The group is offered to women for free. A $10 donation is suggested but not required.

For more information and to register, please call the Aspen Hope Center at 925-5858 or Janet at 379-4983.