Zonta Club of Denver : A Day of Film

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zonta-clubMary Benoit, President, Zonta Club of Denver

The Zonta Club of Denver stands up for women worldwide, seeking to improve the legal, political, economic, educational, health and professional status of women, both globally and locally. Since 1927, the group has raised over $2 million toward the cause.

Recently, the Zonta Club held a fundraiser at Sie Theater to raise awareness and highlight a brutal cultural practice that continues to this day – Sati.

In some Hindu communities, a recently widowed woman either voluntarily, or by force or coercion, commits suicide as a result of her husband’s death.

The practice varies in how it is performed and perceived, however in most cases, the woman is thought to have brought upon her husband’s death by negative actions in her previous life or lives. The thought is that if she honorably burns herself to death alongside her husband, she will erase the shame she has brought upon her family and restore abundance and good will in future reincarnations.

Sadly, many of the women are forced into this practice, leaving behind their children and suffering an unthinkable and painful demise.

sie-film-centerZonta Day of Film at Sie Theater in Denver

The Zonta Day of Film brought home this alarming practice in a fictional story of one family who is torn apart by a father’s death and a mother’s sati. Later, hope is restored when bv chance, the mother’s only son happens to find her in a cave while tending his small herd of cattle. She had escaped in the night as the flames began to engulf her and dove into the river. Together, with the help of family members, mother and son were able to escape their community and tell their tale.

Sati was formally outlawed in 1920, however the practice continues to this day. And, in 1987 was brought to the media’s attention when an 18-year-old woman committed sati in the name of her husband.

At Conscious Real Estate, we are committed to giving back to organizations like Zonta Club. We donate 10% of our own commission to a non-profit of our client’s choice. We’d love for you to consider Zonta Club of Denver and also to spread the word about Conscious Group. Together, we can make an impact.

To set up a free consultation with one of our realtors, please email: [email protected] or [email protected] or, call us at 303-908-9873 and mention this article!

For more information about the Zonta Club of Denver, please visit: www.zonta-denver.org.

Nonprofit of the Month – Hope House of Colorado

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The Hope House of Colorado really does bring hope to young women, especially 16 – 21 who often lack resource provided to pregnant teens and low-income women.

hope-houseSara Littlejohn (left) of Hope House and Kim Johnson of Conscious Real Estate

I found out from a recent tour of Hope House that there aren’t many programs to help teen moms after they give birth. Hope House seeks to provide them not only with outstanding resources, but also a sense of family, community, and strength.

There are two parts to Hope House. One is the residential center where teen moms and their children actually live. I was shocked (utterly surprised!) to find out how much Hope House cares about the girls down to the smallest, special, important details. They actually interview them ahead of time to get a sense of their style and then paint and decorate their rooms based on that interview.

Hope House offers teen moms lots of in-kind donations like diapers, clothes and toys for their children

The moms get their own rooms and their child gets his or her own nursery. It’s not clinical feeling or looking like some would expect. It’s homey, it’s safe, and Hope House makes it theirs.

Hope House also has a separate building, a few miles away, which holds the development and program team. There, teen moms in the Hope House program can get childcare, a meal or snack, activities for bonding (think: pedicure and movie nights!), as well as help with resumes, classes on how to carry yourself in an interview, and free GED assistance (so awesome!).

The GED program is a huge cornerstone of Hope House’s offerings. One of the many goals of the organization is to help the girls and women graduate high school, go to college, or find a career. The ultimate goal is to help these women and girls become self-sufficient and off government assistance.hope-house-2Hope House offers daycare and early learning classes for kids of teen moms in the program

Hope House recently won a substantial grant which allows them to build on a plot of land they had purchased in the same block as the residential program. With help from the grant and donors, Hope House will soon be able to combine both sides of their organization and help even more teen moms become confident, self-sufficient women.

At Conscious Real Estate, we know how important donors are to the health and stability of a non-profit. That’s why we’re committed to donating 10% of every commission when we sell a home to a non-profit or charity of our client’s choice.

We want to urge donors of Hope House to consider us for their real estate needs. The impact is huge. We can help together!

To set up a free consultation, just call us at 303.908.9873 or email us! Expert Realtor, Allison Parks can be reached at [email protected] and Kim Johnson, Sidekick Do-Gooder Extraordinaire, can be reached at [email protected].

We also want to urge our clients to consider Hope House as their beneficiary of choice. Donations from our home sales average between $500 – $2500 (of OUR money, not yours!).

Curious about the impact you could make?

$80 = Counseling (one professional session for a teen mom or child)

$79 = Bus Pass (one-month bus pass for a teen mom)

$125 = GED Test (covers the government fees for GED certification)

$50 = Computer needs (covers Hope House’s computer, IT, & software needs)

$25 = Educational Software

$100 = Glasses (Help a teen mom cover vision costs)

$500 = New Tires (Self-sufficiency requires reliable transportation)

$30 = Prepare a teen mom for her first day of work

$75/$300 = Groceries (Feed a teen mom and her child)