Compiled by Tara Miller

The Docket Committee and the Denver Bar Association believe it is important to do community service and to volunteer. What better time than during the holiday season to get involved in a number of charitable groups that are in need of assistance. Think about what you can do to help during the holidays. Below is a guide to make it easy to find an organization that needs help this winter and all year long.

Colorado Legal Services is an organization that helps low-income individuals get assistance with civil legal issues. Monetary donations are extremely important to keep this nonprofit afloat. Volunteers for legal clinics and other programs also are in high demand. Gently used office equipment (no computers) are needed, as long as transportation of items can be organized by the donor. If you would like to volunteer or donate, or for more information, call (303) 866-9306.

Colorado CASA is the statewide coordinating agency for Court Appointed Special Advocates in Colorado. Nationwide, the CASA program, created in 1977, has more than 900 member agencies that train volunteers to speak up for abused, neglected or abandoned children in the courts. CASA volunteers are appointed to gather information in child abuse and neglect cases, and speak to the court on behalf of the needs of the children. CASA, serving more than 206,000 children in the United States each year, was instituted in Colorado in 1985. Currently, there are 14 CASA programs in Colorado. This program is in desperate need of cash donations and volunteers to keep the organization afloat and help children who can’t help themselves. If you are interested in donating or volunteering, call Colorado CASA at (303) 623-5380.

Metro Volunteer Lawyers works with volunteer lawyers who perform free and low-cost legal services for poor and near-poor persons who live and work in the following metropolitan Denver-area counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Gilpin and Jefferson. MVL is in need of more volunteer attorneys to give legal services to clients, bilingual volunteer attorneys and pro bono certified court interpreters. In addition, cash donations always are helpful, and gifts to reward volunteer lawyers for their hard work are something MVL needs all year around. For more information, contact MVL at (303) 830-8210.

• Snow Carnival — The CAN Committee is looking for silent auction items for its Snow Carnival on Feb. 7. Items will be auctioned at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and proceeds will benefit Children’s Outreach Project. Contact Heather Clark at hclark@cobar.org or (303) 824-5350 for more information.
  
  
• Warm Welcome Center — The CAN Committee is looking for donations of stuffed animals and children’s books for the Warm Welcome Court Childcare Center. The childcare center is a facility created to provide drop-in, high-quality childcare in a safe and secure setting, while the child’s parent or guardian conducts business with the Denver courts. The facility is designed to provide a friendly environment for children between the ages of six weeks and 12 years. Drop off your donation at the DBA offices and you will receive a $5 certificate, good toward a DBA Tuesdays at the Bar CLE Program. The receptionists will give you the TAB certificate when you drop off your donation. Contact Heather Clark at hclark@cobar.org or (303) 824-5350 for more information.

The Wheels of Justice is looking for motivated cyclists to join its leadership council. The Wheels of Justice is a cycling team that participates in the Children’s Hospital Courage Classic Bicycle Tour. Contact Heather Purcell for more information, hpurcell@levinepurcell.com, or visit http://www.wheelsofjusticecycling.org.

• Be Santa Claus to an Adult — Make this holiday season special by purchasing gifts for isolated or homebound clients who might otherwise be forgotten. Clients in this program are elderly or disabled. Donors are matched with a client and given suggestions for gifts. Donors may choose an adult to whom they personally can deliver the gifts, or the agency can deliver the gifts to the client.
  
  
• Santa’s Toy Bag — Many families walk through the doors of the DHS offices just before Christmas in a state of crisis. Most of these families have no income at all and are going through incredible hardships. There are families that are not receiving help from any other program or agency. Santa’s Toy Bag, which assists 400 to 500 such families annually, ensures that each qualifying family receives one large and one small gift for each child and one family game. These are the only gifts these families receive for the holidays. New unwrapped toys and games or monetary donations are needed. There are two additional Santa’s Toy Bags this year, one for grandparents raising grandchildren, and one for adoptive and foster homes.
  
  
• Holidays for the Teens — Provide gifts to kids ages 10 through 17 who are living at the DHS Family Crisis Center. These adolescents are apart from their families during the holiday season. The Family Crisis Center is a shelter and residential treatment facility providing therapeutic, educational, recreational, social and cultural programs. Many of the teens come from abusive, neglectful and low-income households. They often are denied the opportunities that most children take for granted.
  
  
• Santa’s Corner — Children in foster care have scheduled visits with their parents right before the holidays. Often, the parents fail to come in, or their income is so low that they have no gifts for their child. This program provides a gift to each child who has a visit in the weeks before Christmas. Approximately 200 children are served by this program. Santa gives each child a wrapped gift with his/her name on it. Donations of toys are needed.
  
  
• Christmas Caring — DHS provides small gifts to clients that come to the offices during the holidays. The clients served are extremely low-income and often are going through the most difficult times in their lives. This year, DHS will provide children with small Christmas stockings measuring about five inches by 10 inches. You can donate small gifts or stocking-stuffers, or stockings.

Donors may participate in any of these holiday programs by calling (720) 944-2485. Individual or group donors are needed to match with clients in the "Be Santa to an Adult" and "Holidays for the Teens" programs. Toy drives are most in need of board games, items for teenagers, dolls and sporting goods. Also needed are grocery store certificates for seniors and the disabled. Cash donations are extremely important for these groups, and donations should be in the form of checks made payable to the Sara Brown Fund and mailed to: Chrisanne Wilhelmi, Denver Human Services, 1200 Federal Blvd., Denver, CO 80204. Donations may be dropped off at the first floor security desk. For further information, contact Chrisanne Wilhelmi at (720) 944-2485.

SafeHouse Denver is seeking donations of gift cards to help clients buy necessities and gifts for the holiday season. Gift cards are especially needed for discount retailers and grocery stores, as well as for entertainment (for example, movie passes, pizza, etc.). SafeHouse Denver provides shelter, counseling and advocacy services for victims of domestic violence and their children. Gift cards can be delivered to SafeHouse Denver’s offices at 1649 Downing St., Denver, CO 80218. For more information, call (303) 318-9959, or visit http://www.safehouse-denver.org.

Family Tree’s mission is to help people overcome child abuse, domestic violence and homelessness to become safe, strong and self-reliant. The agency’s programs include a domestic violence shelter for women and their children, a shelter for homeless women and their children, a residential treatment center for runaway and at-risk youth, a counseling and education center for families in domestic violence situations, and a transitional and permanent housing program for homeless individuals and families.

Needs include:

• New Swamp Cooler (Karlis)
• New carpeting
• Flat-screen 19-inch monitor
• Curtains for living room and nursery
• Blinds for nursery and front porch
• Gift Cards (food, gas, Target, Walmart, etc.)
• "Working" computers Pentium IV or higher please
• Advanced Access programmer training
• One server class computer to run Terminal server
• Long-distance calling cards
• Baby cribs
• Bedding (sheets, blankets, pillowcases)
• Personal hygiene products (soap, shampoo, deodorant)
• Household cleaning supplies
• Cab vouchers and/or RTD monthly passes

For more information, contact Family Tree at (303) 422-2133.