Eleven teens from Epiphany Lutheran Church, in Castle Rock, and
St. Phillip-in-the-Field Episcopal Church, in Sedalia, decided they
wanted to be part of the solution to world hunger.
In the weeks leading up to April 24-25, the teens shared
information on world hunger with others. Some “tagged” their cars
with messages about world hunger, and most asked friends and others
to make a contribution for each hour they would starve for
food.
On April 24, they ate their last food for 30 hours, and from
then on for the rest of the weekend they survived on juice and
water. When they gathered at Epiphany at 550 Wolfensberger Road,
they built a “cardboard town” to sleep in for the night — all
designed to help them experience hunger and homelessness. During
the night and the next day, they participated in Tribe Amazon,
reality games designed to help them experience obstacles that many
people must overcome each day just to survive.
On April 25, they volunteered for Castle Rock, cleaning several
miles of the East Plum Creek Trail between the trailhead and Castle
Rock Middle School, and then held signs for those driving by to
read about world hunger. At 6 p.m. April 26, they “broke the fast”
with a meal together provided by parents from both churches and
celebrated almost $2,500 they could send to World Vision
International.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Victim Assistance Program is
seeking volunteers to be trained during September and October. This
program assists victims of crime and surviving families in cases of
death by providing immediate crisis intervention, referrals, and
follow-up support. Volunteer staff work directly with sheriff’s
deputies and investigators, as well as other law enforcement
agencies in Douglas County.
This position requires reliability, integrity, discretion, and
commitment. Candidates must be at least 21 years old and live in
Douglas County.
Those interested must complete the online application, and they
must undergo an integrity interview, a criminal history and
background check, and a polygraph. Those who are selected must
attend 45 hours of initial training, and must attend one evening
meeting per month, which is always the second Monday.
Volunteers will be on call by pager three days and nights a
month, and they must have reliable transportation.
Those selected must make a one-year commitment, and have the
ability to cope with emotional and stressful situations.
New volunteers are being sought to enlarge the current program.
Training will include information on sexual assault, domestic
violence, the criminal justice system, crisis counseling
techniques, understanding the structure of the sheriff’s office,
community resources, and grief support.
Interested persons should contact victim assistance at
303-660-7561. The application deadline has been extended to June
30.