A friend recently wrote a blog in which she mentioned Chef José Andrés of the World Central Kitchen saying that he was always “looking for the helpers.” What a good admonishment for all of us. I have admired Chef Andres for a number of years, especially since his work in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and more recently in Gaza. Fortunately there are helpers everywhere you look.

Last Friday we attended a gala fund raiser or Lotería for Focus Points Family Resource Center, a local non profit here in Denver, that provides community support and outreach. The organization certainly meets my criteria for “helpers.” Their motto is “Building better communities by strengthening families.”

Until Bryn started working for the organization last November, we were unaware of the organization and the wonderful work that it does, but attending the Lotería we learned so much more about their mission. Our friends, Mart & Bob Larson came along with us, and Bryn acted as our host. What a fun evening in support of a good cause.

We are proud and delighted that Bryn is now associated with this extraordinary organization and attending their Lotería annual fund raising gave us an excellent opportunity to learn more about all of the services that Focus Points provides. Bryn serves as their financial controller, a daunting task given the challenges currently facing organizations like hers that serve immigrant and diverse communities.

Focus Points is a strong and vital organization and has been around for thirty years. They have developed a multi-pronged program focusing on family support, community development, education for both children and adults, financial literacy, job training, creating opportunities for new entrepreneurs and small local businesses, and urban farming.

Like most non-profit organizations, Focus Points depends on community support, volunteers, donations, and grants. Until this year, this formula meant that the organization could grow and enhance its outreach.

Unfortunately, this year federal grants for cultural enrichment and services, especially to new immigrants, have been slashed. As a result, Focus Points has lost a half million dollar federal grant and will have to discontinue its Wildflower School, an English as a Second Language learning center, that has operated for the last fifteen years.

Eight experienced language teachers will lose their jobs, and hundreds of children and adults will lose access to skills helping them integrate into American society, do well in school, or find meaningful work. Bryn and her colleagues are devastated, as you can imagine, and we were appalled to hear this news. All the teachers were at the event and everyone tried to put a good face on a bad situation, but it is a blow to the organization and the entire community.

We hope to do more with Focus Points in the coming months as Bryn tells us that there are always volunteer opportunities. Denver cannot afford to lose Focus Points and the valued “helpers” who make up the Organization. Perhaps we can help in some small way to make sure that Focus Points is around for another 30 years.