​Flood Disaster Becomes Flood Recovery for Volunteers of American Northern Colorado

"Doing Whatever It Takes and Going Wherever We Are Needed."

The Volunteers of America Northern Colorado in Larimer County has been organizing volunteers and recovery efforts since October 2013. This special project is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service and managed through the VOA RSVP program in Fort Collins. Since this effort began VOA has managed 197 volunteers working on seven projects. These volunteers have organized donated goods, manned call centers, removed debris from residential areas and community parks, managed client cases, and organized and lead volunteer crews. Volunteers of America staff coordinated holiday service projects for 4 local schools, in which students created over 150 holiday ornaments that were donated to the Disaster Donation Center. Starting in January, Volunteers of America is sending debris removal crews into Estes Park and surrounding mountain communities. To date, 115 clean-up crew members assisted on six properties.

Through the winter, our Flood Program Coordinator, Kaitie Fancher, organized 23 AmericCorps volunteers and 33 UNC volunteers to help clean up the Ranahan Ranch in Estes Park. The ranch has been operating for 135 years. According to one ranch employee, the ranch was the first establishment ever in Estes.

"Estes took a hard hit during the flood," he said. "If we can get this place back on its feet that might inspire the rest of Estes to get back on their feet as well."

We are certainly all inspired by the good works that are being done by our Northern Colorado Volunteers of America as you live out the creed of our founders, "Doing Whatever It Takes and Going Wherever We Are Needed."