Inter-Faith Community Services rolls out the red carpet Feb. 21,
inviting people to nibble food from local restaurants and sip wines
from local shops at the event designed to raise money to help
prevent homelessness.
The event, which also includes a live and a silent auction, will
be from 6-10:30 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Embassy Suites DTC at 10250 E.
Costilla Ave. in Centennial.
Food for the event will be provided by a number of area
restaurants. Items on the auction block include a diamond from
William Crow Jewelers, a trip to New York City, and sports items
including a hockey stick signed by Avalanche star Joe Sakic.
Tickets are $50 per person. For information call 303-789-0501 or
visit the organization’s Web site at www.ifcs.org.
Inter-Faith has conducted fundraisers annually and this is the
second year it has been named “Nibbles and Sips,” said Maria
Pearson, community relations coordinator. She said about 300 people
attended last year’s event and she hopes that number increases this
year because the number of people seeking to be part of the
homeless prevention program increases every month.
She said Inter-Faith spent about $225,000 last year for the
program, helping individuals pay bills such as rent, mortgages or
utilities. The money went to help the more than 1,200 people who
made up the 360 families assisted.
Like all Inter-Faith programs, the homeless prevention focus is
providing a helping hand and not a handout.
Pearson said most of those seeking help are the working poor who
have come across unexpected expenses such as doctor bills which put
them behind financially.
When families are interviewed, the case manager works with them
to see how they got where they are and how they can get back on
their feet. Most of the families seek help for just one month but
Inter-Faith keeps in touch and routinely contacts the family in
four weeks to see how they are doing.
Pearson said the first of the month, Inter-Faith is flooded with
calls from families seeking assistance.
Last month, Inter-Faith interviewed 75 families applying to be
part of the homeless prevention program.
“We were able to help 40 families with the money available,”
Pearson said. “We wish we could do more because, if we had the
funds, there is probably 10 times that number of families that
could use our help.”
