On the Ground: A Nonprofit Spotlight

When kids do not have a mentor in their lives, studies show it leads to poor development and difficulty overcoming challenges. The Buddy Program is pairing students with older peers and community members to try to provide students with the mentors they need.

Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club has gone through some leadership changes in recent months. For new executive director, August Teague, this is a chance to get back to the basics of the organization and increase access to the mountain.

Founded in 2005, the Aspen Indigenous Foundation promotes Indigenous culture and tradition in the Roaring Fork Valley, which is ancestral Ute land. Founder and Executive Director Deanne Vitrac-Kessler spoke with Aspen Public Radio’s Regan Mertz about the organization ahead of the seventh annual Shining Mountains Film Festival, which showcases indigenous films and storytellers.

Harvest for Hunter began in the town of Snowmass Village during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since expanded to Aspen and Basalt. The organization expects more clients this winter as seasonal employees arrive in the Roaring Fork Valley.

Following an increase in outdoor recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic, Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers ramped up their services. Funding and personnel cuts to federal agencies have exacerbated that pressure. Executive Director Becca Schild spoke with Arts & Culture Reporter Regan Mertz about what staff and volunteers are doing to ensure the backcountry is safe.

Inflation and the end of COVID-19 federal support triggered an increase in the number of people the Food Bank of the Rockies served in 2023. Sue Ellen Rodwick, director of Food Bank of the Rockies’ Western Slope Distribution Center, spoke with Arts & Culture Reporter Regan Mertz to discuss services on the Western Slope, which has more food insecurity than the rest of the state.

The center was founded four years ago and works to maintain Aspen’s artistic history, dedicated to the legacy of Herbert Bayer. Reporter Regan Mertz spoke with Executive Director Lissa Ballinger to talk about what the center brings to the Roaring Fork Valley’s cultural scene.

Cook Inclusive was founded in Oct. 2021 and provides therapeutic recreation and employment services to the Roaring Fork Valley’s disability, Deaf+, queer and neurodivergent communities. Reporter Regan Mertz sat down with Executive Director Ashley Stahl to talk about challenges facing the LGBTQIA+ community.

The Roaring Fork Valley Wildfire Collaborative was founded by local fire and forestry leaders, who recognized the importance of collaborating to protect our high-risk valley from wildfire. A little over a year after it launched as a nonprofit, it has implemented large-scale forest projects and led public education campaigns.

In these times when water rights can be very politicized, reporter Regan Mertz sat down with Kate Collins, Executive Director of the Middle Colorado Watershed Council. The council works to evaluate, protect and enhance the health of the middle Colorado River watershed.