FW Connects Day

December 3, 2015

Community leadership is part of our DNA at First Western. From serving on local boards and committees, to volunteering our time and making donations, it is a source of pride to all of us at First Western that our collective efforts help bring our communities to life.

As part of our community focus, on Saturday, September 24, 2015, we hosted our second annual company-wide volunteer day, FW Connects. In total, we invested more than 330 hours of time into our local communities, supporting organizations that focus on one of our three core pillars of philanthropy: economic development, the arts, and women and girls.

In Arizona, our teams had the opportunity to work with two great organizations: Childsplay and UMOM.

Childsplay is a theatre company focused on delivering original theatre in form, content, or both, that instills in young people an enduring awe, love and respect of the medium, thus preserving imagination and wonder, those hallmarks of childhood that are the keys to the future.

UMOM is dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness with innovative strategies, such as workforce development and housing solutions, that meet the unique needs of each family and individual.

In Boulder, we worked with the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless.

Boulder Shelter for the Homeless provides safe shelter, food, support services, and an avenue to self-sufficiency for homeless adults in the community.

In the Denver Metro area, we partnered with Art from Ashes, Florence Crittenton, Groundwork Denver, Mi Casa Resource Center, and the Women’s Bean Project.

Art from Ashes empowers struggling youth by providing creative programs through poetry, spoken word and visual art, that allow young people to tell their stories and find personal transformation through the power of artistic expression.

Florence Crittenton provides comprehensive educational opportunities, early childhood learning, and wrap-around services to support teen mothers and educate, prepare, and empower them to be productive members of the community.

Groundwork Denver deliver programs that help lower-income communities not only make a wide range of environmental improvements in their communities but also build leadership and job skills.

Mi Casa Resource Center helps Latino and other working families become economically self-sufficient through career development, after-school programs, and community service.

Women’s Bean Project changes the lives of chronically unemployed and impoverished women by providing stepping stones to self-sufficiency through transitional employment, which allows them to earn the job readiness, interpersonal and life skills to create a new future.

Our Los Angeles teams partnered with A Place Called Home.

A Place Called Home offers a safe haven where underserved youth are empowered to take ownership of the direction of their lives through programs in education, arts and well-being, and are inspired to make a difference in their communities.

In Jackson Hole, our team helped build a house with Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat for Humanity is an international organization that commits itself to building affordable housing in partnership with people in need.

Our Northern Colorado team supported Partners Mentoring Youth.

Partners Mentoring Youth matches adult mentors with youth to give the young person a positive role model and friend. Combined with supportive groups, life skill training, and community service opportunities, the organization helps youth in the community find a path to a more successful future.

We are proud to have had the opportunity to partner with these impressive organizations and look forward to our next FW Connects Day in 2016.