What is Give Thanks?

Each November, Vanguard Skin Specialists and Clara (medical aesthetic skincare brought to you by Vanguard) honor charities in Southern Colorado. We had a record number of charities apply this year, and we’re excited to announce our top ten finalists.

These are organizations that work in the communities where Vanguard has offices: Cañon City, Castle Rock, Colorado Springs, La Junta, Pueblo and Woodland Park. They focus on helping children and/or families in need.

The finalists are competing in the following award categories:

People’s Choice Award ($10,000): Selected based on the total number of votes received on social media. Voting will take place through Facebook from November 5 to November 29.

Vanguard Impact Award ($10,000): Selected by Vanguard Skin Specialists for a charity that has made a lasting, meaningful and sustainable contribution to vulnerable members of a community where Vanguard has an office.

Clara Share the Merry Award ($10,000): Selected by Clara for a charity that empowers women or children in the Colorado Springs community.

Who are the 2021 Finalists?

Children’s Literacy Center

Since 1993, Children’s Literacy Center’s only mandate has been “Building a life of success through a foundation of literacy….ONE child at a time.” The Children’s Literacy Center provides free one-to-one tutoring to students throughout Colorado that are reading below grade level.

Forge Evolution

For 27 years, Forge Evolution (formerly Colorado Springs Teen Court) has been a proven alternative to the traditional court for youth who commit misdemeanor crimes. Instead of the justice system, which emphasizes punishment, Restorative Justice focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community. In its tenure, the organization has proven to be an effective way to reduce youth crime – only 7% of former defendants commit a second offense while being tracked up to two years after completion, compared to 45 – 50% of the juveniles processed in a traditional court system.

Help & Hope Center

Help & Hope Center is a human service organization whose mission is to meet the immediate needs of residents of Douglas and Elbert counties who are in financial distress and at risk of becoming homeless, to help them work through troublesome times with dignity. The Center provides food, clothing, and household items, as well as emergency financial assistance for housing and utilities (gas, electric, and water).

Meals on Wheels of Cañon City

Meals on Wheels of Cañon City has continuously delivered hot, nutritious meals to the homebound of the Cañon City area since 1974. We are a 100% volunteer organization with 77 full and part-time volunteers who prep meals, work in our office, deliver meals and serve on our Board of Directors. Every dollar we receive in donations is used in Cañon City to subsidize the cost of meals we provide our homebound clients.

Pueblo Cooperative Care Center

Pueblo Cooperative Care Center provides emergency resources to individuals, families and seniors across Pueblo County at zero cost. Support includes emergency food assistance, clothing, emergency transportation, medical prescription assistance, personal hygiene essentials, voucher programs, nutrition on wheels, mobile showers and supportive youth services.

Royal Family Kids

Royal Family KIDS is a ministry to foster children – ages six to twelve – that serves kids through a weeklong summer Camp and school year-long Mentoring Club. Our local chapter, RFK Colorado Springs, is part of a larger organization now For The Children. We’re one of over 240+ chapters in the US and an additional twelve countries. In June, we celebrated Camp year ten and our eighth Mentoring Club season and look forward to Camp 2022 from June 7-11.

Safe Families for Children

Safe Families for Children exists to prevent child abuse, child neglect and ultimately children being separated from their family through foster care. When a family in poverty experiences a crisis and does not have a supportive community to lean on, children suffer the most. The Safe Families for Children model empowers volunteers from local churches to come alongside struggling families by forming a targeted and personal “circle of support.” As a result, children are kept safe, parents receive needed support and family units are strengthened.

Teller Senior Coalition

The Teller Senior Coalition’s mission is to provide services to Teller County senior citizens to enable them to live healthy, active, and independent lives. Services include transportation, food delivery, energy assistance, respite for caregivers, homemaking services, home visits and personalized assistance from TSC Case Managers. TSC serves over 1000 individuals per year.

TESSA

As the only organization dedicated solely to supporting victims of domestic violence and sexual assault (DVSA) in El Paso and Teller counties, TESSA works to develop a community free of violence where all people can thrive. We serve over 15,000 clients each year, providing advocacy, Safehousing, legal support, children’s programming, educational opportunities, and clinical services to individuals and families recovering from DVSA.

Tri-County Family Care Center

Tri-County Family Care Center (TCFCC) serves Bent, Otero and Crowley counties. TCFCC educates and empowers all families and individuals to gain stability through life skill programs, service and support to maintain self-reliance.

How can I vote?

Go to the Give Thanks albums on the Vanguard Skin Specialists Facebook page and the Clara Facebook page. LIKE and SHARE the photo of the charity you want to vote for. Every LIKE and SHARE will count as a vote. Votes are collected until November 29th.

Thank you to the many local charities that serve our community. We appreciate you!

Vanguard Skin Specialists is a dermatology and plastic surgery practice with locations throughout Southern Colorado. Our mission is to make a positive impact on our patients, our community and our world. To that end, we find joy in to giving back to others, and we’re grateful to sponsor Give Thanks once again in 2021.

Clara is Vanguard’s aesthetic retail division providing quality, medical grade skincare products. Clara donates 20% of product sales or all profits (whichever is greater) to charities that support women and children here and around the world. 2021 Q4 donations are allocated to Give Thanks for local charities, and any remainder will be donated to World Vision.