'This is important for all of us'

Governor's wife, DNCC help out at Urban Peak

By David Montero, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Photo by Judy DeHaas

Colorado's First Lady Jeannie Ritter, second from right, talks with Anne Harris, right, Director of Development for Urban Peak, and a few of the young people served by the non-profit. Ritter joined Democratic Convention CEO Leah D. Daughtry and the DNCC staff today for a holiday service project at the shelter where they prepared and served breakfast.

Leah Daughtry had her hand on her chin, listening intently to 19-year-old Heather Cousins talk about getting her life together while preparing for motherhood.

Sitting next to Cousins was her boyfriend, Robert McCroskery.

"It's probably going to be really stressful," he said of his impending fatherhood.

Daughtry, chief executive officer of the Democratic National Convention Committee, asked how the pregnancy was going. They talked about the need to take prenatal pills. Cousins, while eating crispy bacon smothered in maple syrup, proudly told her about getting an apartment and saving some money.

Around the trio, video cameras rolled and the cafeteria at Urban Peak in Denver on Monday morning was filled with a cacophony of voices - troubled youth and those cooking breakfast for them in the kitchen on the other side of the counter.

Among those cooking was Colorado's first lady Jeannie Ritter and the staff of the DNCC.

For Ritter, drawing attention to the crisis of homeless and at-risk youth is a primary goal, and Urban Peak is a place she's visited several times. This time, the visit was coordinated with the DNCC's Service Day series.

Each month, the DNCC staff has tried to help out in the community. Last month at Thanksgiving, they sorted canned food items at The Crossing, a Denver Rescue Mission facility.

Ritter said a focus on these youth was important for long-term solutions to homelessness, and that Urban Peak has done "tremendous work" since the nonprofit opened in 1988. She said homelessness isn't cured by just building houses.

"It's nice to build homes for the homeless, but we need people to help them transition to jobs so they can have better lives," she said. "This is important for all of us."

In addition to cooking for the approximately 50 youths, the DNCC staff collected hats, scarves, gloves and coats for the youth.

Urban Peak's mission is to help young people who are homeless, victims of abuse, physically disabled or ill. The group provides more than 100 units of housing and tries to help its clients re-enter society through job training, obtaining GEDs or overcoming substance abuse.

McCroskery, 18, said he was going to try to find a job. But he also has long-term ambitions - notably to move to Germany. He said he loved that country and hoped to save enough to move there.

He loved Germany so much, he said, that if they have a baby girl, he's going to name her Erika.

"It's German for Heather," he said just as his girlfriend stood to get her prenatal pills.

He then pointed at her belly and smiled.