May 28, 2026 — Ange-Elle Jean & Paula Venegas: Pikes Peak United Way

Bulletin for May 28, 2026

Featured Speakers: Ange-Elle Jean & Paula Venegas

Pikes Peak United Way — Pikes Peak United Way & the Power of Community Investment

OPENING

The prayer was led by our speaker Ange-Elle Jean — whose name means "Angel of God." Barbara and Paula Venegas led the Pledge of Allegiance together.

"If one dishonors God or his country, he dishonors himself."

— Raymond M. Clausen Jr., United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor

A suggestion was made to complement the club's tradition of honoring military service with personal stories from members about their own formative experiences.

NEW SLATE OF OFFICERS

The officers for the upcoming year were announced:

• President: Barbara

• Vice President: Benny

• Treasurer: Bob

• Secretary: Eric

• Sergeant of Arms: Dana

• Chairman of the Board: Kevin

• Board Members: Dick, John, Randy, and Jeff

UPCOMING CLUB EVENTS

• 80th Anniversary Celebration: Tuesday, June 30 at 6:00 PM in the Safari Flight area at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The zoo will be closed to the public. The venue is home to the International Center for the Conservation and Care of Giraffe. Recommended reading: West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge.

• Sleep in Heavenly Peace Bed Build: Saturday, June 27 at 10:00 AM at 1089 Ford Street. The build will last approximately three hours, followed by an optional lunch at a nearby greasy tavern. (Thanks, Mike.)

• Pikes Peak Rodeo: Marty will coordinate tickets. The rodeo replaces the regular club meeting on Thursday, July 16th.

• Water Conservation Symposium: July 29th at 9:00 AM in Rocky Ford, with lunch provided. No club meeting the following day. Members will likely carpool.

KEYNOTE: ANGE-ELLE JEAN & PAULA VENEGAS — PIKES PEAK UNITED WAY

About the Speakers

Ange-Elle Jean is the Chief Impact Officer at Pikes Peak United Way. Paula Venegas oversees the 211 and disaster response team. Together they gave the club a wide-ranging look at how PPUW has evolved from a fundraising organization into a direct problem-solving force in the community.

About Pikes Peak United Way

Founded in 1922, PPUW serves El Paso and Teller Counties. Its three mission pillars are youth success, family stability, and community resilience. Starting July 1, PPUW will lead the Pikes Peak Continuum of Care — focused on helping people exit homelessness and preventing the loss of $3.8 million in regional funding.

Key Programs

Family Success Center (FSC): Located at 1520 Verde Drive, the FSC co-locates approximately 20 different agencies under one roof to reduce barriers to access. Services include GED and ESL classes, on-site childcare, a community closet, a commercial kitchen, and the Care and Share Sunnyside Market. Tours are available — contact PPUW by email to schedule.

211 Colorado Helpline: A multilingual, non-emergency helpline handling about 50,000 contacts per year across 12 counties. Connects people to health and human services and administers utility assistance funds.

VITA Free Tax Assistance: Free tax filing for households earning $69,000 or less. Returns approximately $3.4 million annually to El Paso County. Can handle back taxes for up to five years. Volunteers — especially retired CPAs — are needed (training provided).

Family Navigation Program: A two-generation approach providing financial assistance and resource coordination to prevent families from becoming unhoused. Reports a 97% success rate.

BankWorks (via Goodwill): An eight-week training program for banking roles with high placement rates. Interest was expressed in hiring graduates.

Community Investment: PPUW partners with approximately 22 agencies, including Care and Share and Catholic Charities.

Volunteer Opportunities

• Retired CPAs: VITA tax assistance program (training provided)

• Retired teachers: "We Care" program

• General volunteers: Help with community investment grant decisions

• The Continuum of Care holds biannual meetings at the FSC — next one June 4 at 10:00 AM

Funding

Traditional workplace campaigns are declining, requiring a shift toward younger, cause-specific donors. PPUW diversifies revenue through partnerships and must pay competitive wages to retain quality staff.

CONCLUSION

As Will Smith put it: "If you're not making someone else's life better, then you're wasting your time. Your life will become better by making other lives better." Ange-Elle and Paula showed us exactly how Pikes Peak United Way puts that into practice — every day, across our community.

The speakers and Benny took home the prizes — but everyone came away a winner.

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The Pikes Peak Club · pikespeakclub.com