December is always a great time to look back on the year, acknowledging successes and spending time being grateful for our achievements. This year, we certainly have a lot to celebrate. Thanks to the generous support of donors in every corner of our jurisdiction, we were able to raise almost $32,000 to support Hopeful Youth, Strong Families, and Safe Communities during our Colorado Gives Day campaign this year.

We would like to extend a special thanks to First Bank for being our primary Colorado Gives Day sponsor. First Bank has a long history of supporting nonprofits – in 2010 they started the Colorado Gives Foundation, which amplifies the spirit of giving each year by providing matching donations and fundraising incentives on Colorado Gives Day. We’re so grateful for the financial contributions that we receive from First Bank, as well as the way that they encourage members of the community to donate to nonprofits each year.

Speaking of which, we’re also grateful for our community members. Whether you donated this year as an individual, a business owner, or a volunteer, we need you to know that our work wouldn’t be possible without you. This year, we provided nearly 500 assessments to more than 400 clients, some of which were conducted at police stations in the middle of the night as part of our CYDC Crisis Screening program. We provided 122 Substance Use Education classes to more than 150 youth, in which they received targeted support from our Certified Addiction Technicians. More than 100 victims, offenders, and community members participated in a Restorative Justice conference this year, giving them the opportunity to unpack the trauma associated with a crime and move forward together in a positive way. We also implemented a new Life Skills curriculum, providing 45 one-on-one sessions to kids who needed a little extra help with anger management, optimism, and other critical skills. These services have an immense impact on young people’s lives. Nearly 90% of our clients do not reoffend while working with us, and on average, 60% of them report improvement in their drug/alcohol use, optimism, community engagement, and safety. None of this would be possible without your support.

As we move into 2025, we look forward to continuing our work with key partners in order to effectively serve adjudicated and at-risk youth. These partners include local governments, courts, law enforcement agencies, school districts, and other nonprofits. We’re particularly excited about our increased commitment to youth and families in Rio Blanco County, where we’ve been providing services in District Court for many years. In 2025, we plan to expand our presence in Meeker and Rangely to give these communities the same level of support that we’re able to give to the rest of Colorado’s Ninth Judicial District.

We also plan to continue ensuring that our services are accessible to all, regardless of language, location, or income level. In 2025, we’ll continue providing on-demand interpretation for our clients, offering free bus passes to those who live outside of our service area, and implementing our new income-based fee schedule. We’ve also tapped into a variety of new billing sources to ensure that the remaining cost of our services is always covered. Naturally, we’ll continue to invest in our staff via competitive wages, ongoing professional development, and a flexible work environment.

If these accomplishments and goals sound impressive to you – it’s because they are. We’re proud of the work we’ve accomplished this year, and we’re excited to see where we go in 2025. It’s not too late to join us. You can visit our Colorado Gives Day page at http://www.coloradogives.org/donate/youthzone to support our work and become part of the movement. Together, we’ll be able to foster Hopeful Youth, Strong Families, and Safe Communities in 2025 and beyond.

YouthZone Deputy Development Director Ali Naaseh-Shahry is a Colorado native who holds degrees in international public policy from the University of Colorado (BA) and University College London (MSc). He moved to western Colorado in 2015 to teach six-and-under ski school at the Aspen Skiing Company. Ali has taught a wide variety of academic and experiential subjects to people of all ages. Most recently, he worked as a special education teacher with the Roaring Fork School District, where he used data-driven decision making to improve his delivery of specialized instruction. Ali enjoys lift-access powder skiing, raft-access fly fishing, and spending time with his cats.