At Eagle Valley Community Foundation we have our ear to the ground on current community issues and the challenges our neighbors face. The month of July continued our busy summer with a variety of events focused on community partnerships, connection, and inclusivity. We invite you to read and learn more about our current initiatives and how you can support health, wellness, and equity in our community!
Bravo! Vail & EVCF
Eagle Valley Community Foundation is so grateful for our friends at Bravo! Vail Music Festival for their generous support of our mission. From Food Drives to Music Box concerts and more, Bravo! Vail is using the arts to strengthen community, bring music to audiences outside the concert hall, and enhance understanding through innovative, interactive programs!
Donors, Volunteers, Customers, Staff Family and Friends are invited to join both Eagle Valley Community Foundation and Bravo Vail Valley Music Festival for a Music Box Community Concert on THIS Friday, July 28, 2023, at Freedom Ranch Park in Edwards. Join us for snacks and information about EVCF’s programs at 11 a.m. followed promptly by an 11:30 a.m. concert from The Sinta Quartet.
Known for injecting music and fun into the air for unsuspecting passersby by appearing in nontraditional venues such as grocery stores, bars, and other public places, the Sinta Quartet has also performed in formal venues including Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Hall, and the Beijing Center for the Performing Arts. With these Music Box performances, they combine the best of both worlds, offering a program of short works packed with energetic brio, running the gamut from the mid-20th century to Irish reels, with stops for minimalism, bluegrass — even a Hungarian barn dance — along the way.
Attendance is FREE but RSVP is requested to ensure an accurate count for food. Please RSVP today to Kaitlyn Collopy at kaitlyn@eaglevalleycf.org.
Philanthropy Insights: A Workshop and Panel Discussion 2023 Giving USA Report and What Inspires Major Donors To Give
Eagle Valley Community Foundation is very excited to be partnering with Social Impact Advisors and Byrne Pelofsky and Associates for a workshop, panel discussion, and networking event on Wednesday, July 26 from 2-4:30 PM at the Slifer House. Find the attached flier with more information.
Did you know Eagle Valley Community Foundation relies on funding from generous individuals in our community to sustain our programs The Community Market, MIRA, and Elevar? Over 50% of our funding comes from individuals!
This past month, Eagle Valley Community Foundation hosted two Side By Side Market To Table Fundraising Dinner. A huge thank you to our Board Members and friends who invited guests to come learn more about our mission and see The Community Market Gypsum. Thank you to Red Maple Catering, Blue River Grass, Event Rents, and Mountainside Production for being such amazing vendors to work with- each give generous discounts to nonprofits like us so more money can go back into our community and mission.
Interested in hosting a fundraiser for EVCF? Contact Annual Giving Manager, Kaitlyn Collopy, at kaitlyn@eaglevalleycf.org.
Bravo! Vail Food Drives
A standing ovation to our friends at Bravo! Vail Music Festival for hosting Eagle Valley Community Foundation's program The Community Market at 3 of this last month's performances for food drives. Bravo! Vail Patrons donated over 500 pounds of food to support our neighbors in need!
Missed out on the performances? Don't worry we'll be back- July 30 at Gypsum Town Hall!
Colorado Mountain College- Partners on EVERY level!
Bound by similar commitments to our community: health, wellness, education and development opportunities for all locals. Culturally relevant, collaborative efforts in a climate of change inspire both EVCF and CMC work.
Thank you CMC Vail Valley for visiting The Community Market Edwards to help with the sorting, organizing, and stocking of food on our shelves.
CMC and EVCF continue to partner to bring healthy food TO the CMC-Vail Valley location to facilitate access to nutritious food throughout the collegiate school day. Together, we continue to feed the minds and bodies of our students, faculty, staff and families— inspiring greatness by healthy fueling of the body, power building of the brain, and advanced educating and developing of future leaders.
Volunteer of the Month- Lisa Vasquez
Eagle County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy and recent retiree from the Gypsum Fire Department, Lisa Vasquez, has dedicated years of service to helping save lives in our community. Lisa not only saves lives with her work at the Sheriff’s office but also by regularly volunteering at The Community Market, helping to ensure neighbors in need have barrier-free access to nutritious food.
Lisa jokingly shares that perhaps her volunteer engagement really started with school food drives, holiday food baskets, and ultimately the search for “ugly bananas”... Lisa initially began working with The Community Market while assisting with school district food drives. While at the Market, Lisa jumped in to help guide our first holiday food basket creations, a partnership with the Salvation Army. While engaged, Lisa noted the many piles of overly ripe “ugly bananas” available, which spurred on the creation of some exceptionally tasty banana bread for local water aerobic senior friends. From there, conversation with The Community Market staff arose about the imperative ongoing need for volunteer assistance. As TCM staff work tirelessly to continue to feed the growing number of neighbors in need, the need for volunteer help multiplies as well. Lisa recognized that need and jumped in full force, regularly volunteering to help our TCM staff unload, haul, sort and organize thousands of pounds of fresh food. Lisa’s zest for getting the work done efficiently and effectively is ever apparent as she swiftly maneuvers throughout the warehouse with confidence and ease.
Lisa, your dedication to the safety, health and well-being of our entire community inspires us all!
Welcome New Staff- Monica Martinez
Eagle Valley Community Foundation is excited to welcome back Monica Martinez as MIRA Community Outreach Lead. Previously, Monica works as an Associate at The Community Market. In her role Monica works to establish trusting relationships with community members and their families while providing general support and encouragement while providing referrals for services to community agencies.
ThinkFirst Injury Prevention
Vail Health has embraced the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation's award-winning, evidence-based program to help people learn to reduce their risk for injury.
Injury is the leading cause of death and disability among children, teens and young adults. The most frequent causes of these injuries are motor vehicle crashes, violence, falls, sports and recreation. What might surprise you is that most injuries are preventable. Simple actions, such as wearing a seat belt, reducing distractions while driving, wearing a helmet on a bicycle and taking other safety precautions can prevent many serious injuries from occurring.
MIRA is so grateful to partner with this Vail Health program to distribute helmets, ensuring recreational safety for community members in need.
Meet the Elevar Steering Committee
Elevar’s Steering Committee brings together diverse representatives of all stakeholders affected by our grantmaking to make funding decisions; the collective expertise and experiences of the group leads to more effective and equitable grantmaking decisions and increased impact. Thank you to these individuals who have been selected to lead Elevar as Steering Committee members.
Inés María Amuchástegui
Marcel Asprilla
Michelle Collins
Sofia Fecchino
Cecilia Galardo
Simone Lybarger
Aileen Pagán-Rohwer
Luz Parra
Cindy Ramos
Luz Rios
Deisy Vazquez
Arturo Zuniga
Advisory Board Member Highlight- Aileen Pagán-Rohwer
Aileen Pagán-Rohwer has served in a variety of roles throughout her career including educator, performer, administrator and community collaborator. Having spent over 35 years building relationships with performers, presenters and educators, Aileen brings a wealth of knowledge, dedication, and persistence to bringing performers and audiences together.
First and foremost as a teacher and administrator, she was the founding director and cello instructor with Cultural Art Strings, a program under Riverfolk Music and Arts Organization in rural Manchester, Michigan that did not have a strings program. As a performer, she has performed as a cellist with the Houston Symphony as a fellow, the Memphis Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony, and Akron Symphony and in various chamber music capacities throughout the United States. In administrative capacities, with organizations such as Chamber Music Ann Arbor, The University of Michigan, Riverfolk Music and Arts and most recently Great Lakes Performing Artist Associates (GLPAA) as executive director from 2015-2021. Her extensive non-profit skills include strategic planning, financial administration, grant writing, and community collaborator.
Aileen holds a bachelor of music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a master of music from Rice University Shepherd School of Music both in cello performance and under the guidance of Norman Fischer.
In her spare time, Aileen enjoys cooking, hiking, biking, gardening and spending time with her three sons, husband Robert, and new puppy Clover.
Community Partner Highlight: The Colorado Trust
Dedicated to ensuring all Coloradans have the opportunity to thrive. The Colorado Trust partners with organizations across the state that are working to make positive changes for people and communities. We provide funding and other resources to help every person in Colorado have the opportunity to lead a long and healthy life.
Eagle Valley Community Foundation and our programs were connected to The Colorado Trust through Eagle Local, Brandy Reitter who serves on their Board of Trustees. Besides serving as a Trustee for the Colorado Trust, Brandy is the Executive Director of the Colorado Broadband Office and a passionate advocate for equity in our mountain communities and beyond.
In a conversation with Eagle Valley Community Foundation Brandy shared her passion for our work, "We all have a responsibility to remove artificial barriers". She went on to share how important it is to keep our rural communities diverse stating, "We all thrive in environments when there is difference in opinions." Together with EVCF, Brandy shares a vision of a community where we channel our resources so that those are behind have a more equitable path to success. We are forever grateful to Brandy and The Colorado Trust for their belief in the work that we do.
