The official Registered Neighborhood Organization of Denver's Chaffee Park Neighborhood
Regis University’s roots in Northwest Denver run deep. For nearly 130 years, they’ve proudly been part of the community. Today, they continue to value and invest in our relationship with their neighbors. They are contributors, collaborators and catalysts working for the common good and building a stronger community for the future. Their partnership has provided incredible resources for our organization and our neighborhood.
Within Regis University's Community Collaboration realm is the Cultivate Health program. Cultivate Health is a unique partnership with adjacent neighborhood residents and nonprofit partners to promote health in the environments in which they live, work and learn. They strive to support the health and wellness of more than 14,500 residents living in the multi-generational, mixed-income community adjacent to Regis by creating infrastructure, programming and increasing access to healthy food.
In 2014 Regis University was awarded a major grant by the Colorado Health Foundation to further fuel an effort aimed at promoting health and improving community connections in Northwest Denver, an area undergoing transformation driven by by the leadership of area residents. The nearly $1 million grant is supporting Cultivate Health in its efforts to collectively impact health by building places, social connectivity, physical activities, improved food access and health care to promote health for all in the neighborhoods.
We in Chaffee Park have benefited greatly from Cultivate Health from free fitness and wellness programs, regular health focused events, the fitness equipment in Zuni Park, the brand new Wellness Loop that connects Chaffee Park with Regis.
Groundwork Denver partners with lower-income communities to improve the physical environment. They plant trees, improve parks, clean up rivers, insulate houses, grow food, and coordinate hundreds of volunteers to help. Their work supports the development of local environmental leaders with the goal of equal access to a healthy environment for everyone.
One way in which they work towards their mission is through our Urban Farms program, which focuses on improving the connections between farm, table, food, and health. They do so by re-purposing otherwise unused space and taking advantage of modernized forms of produce growing through technology and hydroponics. Their gardens, farm stands, and agriculture classes work to provide greater access to better food, giving community members who are often overlooked more control over the food that they eat. Groundwork Denver manages several urban gardens across the Denver-metro area, including Sister gardens at Aria which is located in the Chaffee Park neighborhood.