By: Colorado College Public Awareness Fellow Mary Rose Donahue

Currently, Wilfred Romero, executive director of The Arc Pikes Peak Region, its Board of Directors, and staff members, are spearheading fundraising efforts for an ambitious, $2.5 million-dollar renovation and addition to The Arc Pikes Peak Region, Building for Change – An Inclusive Campus. “First and foremost, this project will truly be an accessible facility. Anyone can enter and all will be welcome,” Romero explained.  This facility will boast new conference room space, be open to the public, house classrooms, expand office space, and will be completely renovated. The new building will raise awareness of the skills and talents held by members of the Colorado Springs I/DD community that, as Romero says, “if tapped into correctly, will astound people”. “Being able to see the skills that these people possess will help change the culture. Through raising awareness of these ability levels, people will begin to look at the person first, before the disability. We will find and pull out each individual’s unique talents and strengths.”

Building for Change – An Inclusive Campus, is a capital campaign to reconstruct The Arc Pikes Peak Region’s (The Arc PPR) current facilities at 10 and 12 North Meade. Currently serving more than 2,000 individuals, the campus renovations will include classrooms, a library, a computer room, a working kitchen with home appliances and updated, expanded office space for The Arc Pikes Peak Region staff. The inclusive campus will be an open, accessible community hub, available for use by partner organizations and businesses.

Individuals with I/DD need more opportunities to learn necessary skills for living independently and thriving in their communities. The Arc PPR’s Inclusive Campus will have space for community organizations to provide classes to help individuals improve their lives. The Arc Pikes Peak Region envisions a class schedule to include demonstrations and hands-on training for safe, healthy cooking and nutrition, personal budgeting, resume writing, job coaching, proactive personal health and other life-skill workshops.

The Inclusive Campus will benefit the Colorado Springs Community by increasing community supports after high school, providing one-on-one guardianship consults, reducing caregiver stress, enhancing opportunities for future planning, increasing employment opportunities, offering fully-accessible services, increasing access to educational material concerning disability, increasing training opportunities for self-advocates, parents, caregivers, professionals and interested community members.

This ambitious project stands out from other community centers as it brings an accessible facility to the community, custom-built with clientele in mind. The Arc Pikes Peak Region will not be in competition with other organizations, but rather in collaboration with current providers for the I/DD population, enhancing existing programs. This project will allow other groups, community members, and organizations to hold meetings at little to no cost. The new building will allow staff to hold seminars, webinars, and life skills classes to enhance people’s lives that live with intellectual and developmental disabilities, while also continuing the existing services that The Arc PPR proudly currently offers.

 

This $2.5 million project is currently funded at 38%, largely from The Arc PPR Board of Directors’ tireless efforts and fundraising events. The Arc PPR continues to gain momentum through community donations, and the next big step includes applying for grants to fund a large percentage of the remaining costs.

Currently, the construction is in the first of two phases. 10 N. Meade has completed interior demolition, and wiring is underway in the rear parking lot area. Much of the current work is underground, bringing electrical and plumbing standards up-to-date. Phase one is slated to be completed by December 1st. Once phase one is completed, staff will move from 12 N. Meade to office space at 10 N. Meade while the current building, housing current offices, will undergo the second phase of renovations.

With all these physical changes underway, Romero asserts that, “these renovations do not increase the size of our staff, but they allow community accessibility and more available space for community members. We will continue to stick with advocacy, education, and guardianship, but will now be able to offer lunches, webinars, etc. for our community.” By this December, the community conference room should be completed and available for general use by the public.

Please consider donating to the Building for Change – Inclusive Campus Campaign to bring The Arc Pikes Peak Region closer to its $2.5 million goal. You can also purchase tickets for the upcoming Switchbacks season to help fund the Building for Change – Inclusive Campus project. When you purchase seats to any Switchbacks regular season USL match through this link (also available below), The Arc Pikes Peak Region will receive 20% of the proceeds.

tinyurl.com/arc-giveback


The Arc Pikes Peak Region Executive Director Wilfred RomeroWilfred Romero, executive director of The Arc of Pikes Peak Region, has been with the organization since 2011. Romero’s life was originally touched by a family member with a disability, and he has been involved with the I/DD community in some capacity his entire life. Romero has more than 30 years experience working in the nonprofit sector, bringing a wealth of knowledge to his current position. In 2007, when his cousin who had spent his entire life in an institution passed away, Romero knew that he needed a change in his lifestyle to advocate and fight for the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. When the opportunity opened to begin working at The Arc Pikes Peak Region in 2011, Romero jumped at the chance to join the organization and has held his position for six years now, recently earning a master’s degree in Disability Studies last year.

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