How to Get Involved

Stay Informed:

Join the CCE's Poverty & Inequity Outlook group 

Current State of the Issue at CC

Groups

Visit our student org webpage for the most current info and student leader contacts.

• ROOTS  
  • ROOTS is focusing on fundraising for Food to Power and is working generally in the areas of food advocacy and access.  
• Colorado College Mutual Aid (CCMA) 
  • CCMA is a student-run group that works to raise funds to provide immediate financial relief to students experiencing hardship. Long-term, CCMA is hoping to establish a network of non-monetary mutual aid for students. Ultimately, CCMA is centered around solidarity, not charity. 
  • CCMA has open meetings every Monday at 7pm in room 317 in Tutt Library. 
  • Contact: coloradocollegemutualaid@gmail.com 
• Justice Watch  
  • Justice Watch brings students to the El Paso County courthouse to independently monitor local judges and to ensure a fair trial for members of the community.  
• Prison Project
  • The mission of the Prison Project is prison reform advocacy and education on our campus. We believe that every person is complicit in the injustices of incarceration, so we must utilize our power and resources to make change in our community. 
• Colorado College Refugee Alliance  
  • CC Refugee Alliance partners with Lutheran Family Services Refugee and Asylee Programs to help refugees achieve self-sufficiency in the U.S. 

Local Organizations

• • Food to Power (High Impact Partner)

    • Founded in 2013, our flagship program designed to reduce food waste while increasing food access, quickly evolved into our “organism with a mission” — multi-faceted programming working together to cultivate a healthy, equitable food system in the greater Colorado Springs community. 

      So, we’ve recently changed our name and look from Colorado Springs Food Rescue to Food to Power in order to reflect the breadth of work we do more clearly.

      We know that food is an essential source of everyone’s power to work, play, serve, and live. Our mission is to transform every aspect of our food system into co-powerment and equity. From food, to power.

  • Concrete Couch 
    • Concrete Couch works with kids and community groups to create public art, build community, and create environments and experiences that humanize our world. 
  • Community Health Partnership (High Impact Partner)
    • CHP creates a consistent space for idea generation and exploration, then offers connections, business services, and as appropriate, seeks funding to bring to fruition the best ideas with potential for strengthening the health of the region. We lead, facilitate, connect, innovate, and solve problems. CHP acts as a backbone entity.  
    • Opportunities:
      • CHP is looking for help developing a platform for community engagement that is authentic and intentional. CHP is also continually seeking access to relevant research conducted by CC students. 

• Educating Children of Color  (High Impact Partner)
  • To dismantle the cradle-to-prison pipeline for children of color
    and children in poverty through education.
• TESSA 
  • TESSA works to foster a community free of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking by raising awareness in the community, working with key partners, and educating children and teens. TESSA provides immediate safety at their confidential Safehouse for women, children, and other victims escaping abuse. 
  • Opportunities:
    • In order to become involved with TESSA, volunteers must complete a 36-hour Confidential Victim Advocacy Training. TESSA will be hosting a training in January 2022. Learn more: https://www.tessacs.org/volunteer/  
    • TESSA is also looking for interns! The application can be found here: https://www.tessacs.org/intern-application/   
• Catholic Charities of Central Colorado  

  • Catholic Charities provides social services throughout a 10-county area with most of the services targeted to people living in Colorado Springs, Castle Rock, El Paso County and Douglas County. The agency provides services to people of all races, backgrounds, and beliefs.

    Catholic Charities Provides Help and Creates Hope for people who are poor and vulnerable in our area through the efforts of a wide range of programs and services.

• The Place 
  • The real life challenges of youth experiencing homelessness can be overcome. That’s where The Place comes in – we offer three vital programs that support young people on their journey. At The Place, youth find skills, support and insight that allow them to step off the streets and step toward a brighter future.

• Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust 
  • We partner with families in home ownership and other local non-profit organizations in transitional housing for homeless families and affordable rentals for low-income households
• Partners in Housing
  • Partners in Housing provides one year of transitional housing and supportive services of families expereincing homelessness or at imminent risk of becoming homeless with the goal of achieving self-sufficiency.
• Colorado Springs Pro-Housing Partnership
  • We seek to mobilize the diverse communities within Colorado Springs who support taking the necessary steps to deal with our affordable housing crisis. We believe these voices represent a majority of the city, and we seek to represent that reality to our local elected officials.

Resources

CCE Lead Panel

• Poverty & Inequity Issue-Based Panel held on March 2, 2021
  • Facilitated by Willik Mir '24
  • Panelists:
    • Misbah Lakhani '24, CC Student/CC Mutual Aid
    • Patience Kabwasa, Food to Power
    • Andy Petersen, The Place
    • Andy Phelps, City of Colorado Springs

Documentary Films

Kanopy

• "Requiem for the American Dream," featuring interviews with prominent scholar Noam Chomsky, provides a personalized and accessible introduction to U.S. policies and ideologies that have, and continue to, perpetuate economic inequity

Netflix

• If you have a Netflix subscription, the movie "Inequality for All" is an excellent starter for understanding the U.S. economic situation, especially relevant for the current time period.

Podcast Episodes & Series

• United Shades of America, featuring host Kamau Bell, focuses on storytelling related to many different communities across the nation and the challenges they face.

Websites, Databases & Newsletters