Geri Grimes makes it her business to understand the tribulations facing east Denver kids.
The executive director of Hope Center, Grimes has been working to prepare poor children for the challenges ahead for more than a quarter of a century.
Grimes and her staff of more than 20 have engaged in yeoman’s work necessary to see results. She believes offering needy and struggling children the foundation required to deal with the system before they see a classroom is imperative.
“We are reaching kids at an early age and who we feel otherwise would not have a sound early childhood and not start well in kindergarten,” Grimes said. “We are especially concerned about children with color. Black kids are starting out far behind the middle-class white neighborhood kids.”
Hope Center has been in this northeastern community for more than 40 years. The agency is seeking funding from the Post-News Season to Share campaign.
Hope Center features a number of programs helping everyone from toddlers to older students, the developmentally disabled to those who are gifted.
Finally, there are the Hope Center vocational programs that seek employment, assessment, community activities, training and placement of adults from the age of 16 who have been diagnosed as developmentally disabled.
It’s not simply about finding low- wage jobs or time-filling activities for those developmentally disabled adults, but for the grander goal of professional and personal fulfillment.
As the school puts it, they are “providing not just training but a lifetime of self-worth.”
Hope serves about 200 children throughout the year. The school has a waiting list of about 70 children, many of whom are desperately in need of early- childhood education.
Grimes is struggling to keep up with the demand. The school possesses the space for expansion but lacks the funding.
David Harsanyi: 303-954-1255 or dharsanyi@denverpost.com
Hope Center
Address: 3400 Elizabeth St., Denver
In operation since: 1962
Number served last year: 235
Staff: 22
Yearly budget: $1 million
Post-News Season to Share, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, gave $1.79 million to 62 agencies last year serving children, the hungry, the homeless and those in need of medical care. Donations are matched at 50 cents for each dollar; 100 percent goes directly to the agencies. To make a donation, see the coupon in today’s paper, call 888-683- 4483 or go to .
