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 Tom
and Denice Chenault
To Whom it May Concern
For
four years now, we have had the extraordinary
opportunity to become involved with the Colorado
Coalition for the Homeless, and in particular,
The Forum Apartments. The Colorado Coalition for
the Homeless owns The Forum Apartments, and has
as its mission to provide permanent solutions
for the homeless. Within that philosophy, the
Forum is an 100 unit apartment building for people
who have been homeless. The purpose of the Forum
is to provide subsidized studio apartments for
the homeless. Their mission statement is to hold
a safe space for the formerly homeless to live
independently and maturely, with dignity, in a
compassionate atmosphere.
The
Chenault Family has taken on providing funding
for the Forum Apartment residents to be able to
have traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
Everybody gathers in the dining room for a wonderful,
hot, home cooked meal with candles, table linens
and music. It is a time that brings people together
and gives everyone something to be grateful for.
Our family helps serve the meals and we always
spend time just sitting and talking with these
wonderful people and walk away even more blessed
than when we walked in.
In
addition, we gather ALL of our family and friends
together a few weeks before Christmas and put
together huge gifts bags for every one of the
Forum residents. They are packed full of essential
toiletries such as soap, shampoo, razors, toilet
paper, lotion, tooth brushes, toothpaste, feminine
hygiene products, shaving cream, and other goodies.
This year, we were able to put together a "blanket
drive" and were able to give everyone a brand
new blanket or quilt. We had so many extra that
after the 100 residents received one, we went
out to the City Park and gave other homeless people
a new blanket also. Talk about a life changing
experience!
We
put together the gift bags partly so that each
resident will receive a Christmas present, but
also because these people have very little money
that they are able spend on what we would call
essential personal care items. These are items
that will last months and months and are really
a luxury for many of the people who live at the
Forum. We assemble the gift bags in a half a day
at our home, with the help of about twenty friends
and family. It is a military operation by now,
with an assembly line feel! After that, we load
up the bags into several trucks, (this year we
had a trailer to tote along the blankets), and
head to downtown Denver.
With the help of many eager children, we personally
deliver each bag to every resident in the building
with a cheery knock on their door and almost inevitably,
followed up by a hug. We are blessed to say that
we have the trust and affection of 100 new friends.
The
Forum Apartment project has brought on so much
love and support, that in the year 2003, we will
add another endeavor. We will take on doing the
same for another Colorado Coalition building that
houses mentally ill women. We have already been
able to supply them with several new twin beds,
and it is only January!
These projects have given us far more than we
have put out in time and money. They have given
us those things that are life changing. The idea
of community, the feeling of compassion, the ideals
of respect and tolerance, the gift of love and
giving. These are the most important values we
can pass down to our children, and we have found
that not just talking about it, but living our
life this way, has given us so much that we only
want to do more!
American
Longevity has been so very supportive with our
projects by sending hundreds of boxes of product
from nutrition supplements to personal care items.
By being Double Diamonds in American Longevity,
we are able to create financial stability for
our family, and, in return, give even more to
our community! Thank you!
Sincerely,
Tom and Denice Chenault
2430 West Long Circle Littleton, CO 80120
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