$8.6 Million In Grants Awarded For Disease Prevention Programs
A total of 34 grants, funded from revenues from Colorado’s new tobacco tax and totaling $8,688,269, have been awarded to health care organizations and health departments across Colorado to establish new and expanded programs for the prevention and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular, and pulmonary disease.
The new programs will range from a statewide program designed to provide free colorectal screening for low-income Coloradoans who don’t have health insurance, programs designed to provide better, more prompt treatment of strokes, to a proposal for mobile disease screening services in rural counties in southeastern Colorado. The grants, which cover the period from Jan. 1-June 30, were awarded by a 16-member task force appointed to review applications for the funds which are being administered by the Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, and Pulmonary Disease Program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
For a complete list of grant awards and the recipients, call the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.  

HUD Extends Signup Period For Disaster Housing Assistance Program
The Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced it is extending the signup date for the Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program (KDHAP), a transitional rental assistance program that is currently helping thousands of displaced families. The extension means families now have until to March 11to register. The signup period was initially slated to end on Dec. 31, 2005. HUD-assisted families seeking rental assistance now have until March 11 to enroll.
Families must first register with FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA or applying online at www.fema.org before March 11to be considered eligible for the program. It is important that individuals and households promptly update their FEMA registration information with any change of address or new telephone numbers so they may receive assistance in a timely and direct manner.
KDHAP provides rental assistance to previously HUD-assisted families who were living in certain presidentially-declared disaster areas in Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama. The program is designed to offer uprooted families with up to 18 months of rent from the date of the declaration of the disaster. 
Displaced families will decide where they would like to move. Upon arriving in their new community, the evacuated family will meet with the local public housing authority that would help them to find a suitable place to live.
Families will be given a rental subsidy based on 100 percent of Fair Market Rent in that community. Eligible families include displaced public housing residents, Section 8 voucher holders, other HUD-assisted households, and pre-disaster homeless individuals who were directly affected by Hurricane Katrina.
For a more detailed technical summary of the Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program, visit HUD's web site.

Tri-County Health Department Promotes Free Nicotine Patches And Counseling For Smokers Who Want To Quit
Quitting smoking is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions and Tri-County Health Department is helping to promote a statewide effort that makes quitting easier than ever. Free nicotine patches are available to anyone who joins the Colorado QuitLine cessation program. The patch is considered to be one of the most effective cessation treatment options for addicted smokers and tobacco users, and the QuitLine offers great counseling and support.    
The Colorado QuitLine is a free telephone counseling service that connects people who want to quit smoking with trained counselors who can guide and support them through the quitting process. Statistics show that tobacco users are seven times more likely to successfully quit with the QuitLine than trying it on their own. The service is available to Colorado residents in English and Spanish, seven days a week. Participants receive free support and advice from an experienced counselor, a personalized quit plan, self-help materials, and a free four week supply of nicotine patches. Participants who stay with the program after four weeks are eligible to receive an additional four week supply, if needed. The patches have a retail value of $150. To be eligible, callers must be at least 18 years of age.
The patch is one of the most successful nicotine replacement therapies. It is applied directly to the skin once a day. The nicotine is absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream, maintaining an even level of nicotine without smoking. Over the quitting period, the strength of the patch is reduced until a person no longer needs to rely on the patch at all.
For more information call the toll-free Colorado QuitLine at 1-800-639-QUIT (7848) or 303-398-6461,or visit the Tri-County Health Department web site at www.tchd.org.

Ford Motor Company Fund Donates $25,000 To UWM On Behalf Of Al Jarreau To Support Teacher Education Students In Jarreau’s Hometown
The Ford Motor Company Fund recently presented $25,000 to the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) Foundation on behalf of musical stylist Al Jarreau during a ceremony at the UWM School of Education. Funds will be earmarked for the Thomas Cheeks Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships to students pursuing degrees in teacher education.
Jarreau designated the UWM Foundation as the recipient of the donation as part of his selection as the 2005 Ford Freedom Award Scholar. Earlier this year, Jarreau and songstress Ella Fitzgerald, the 2004 Ford Freedom Award recipient, were honored for their contributions to the arts and for using their talents to build bridges and promote unity throughout the world.
Now in its seventh year, the Ford Freedom Award program supports the educational programs, exhibits, and community outreach initiatives of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the world’s largest institution dedicated to preserving African American history and culture. The museum is located in Detroit.
For more information on programs made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund, visit www.ford.com.

Equal Opportunity Trailblazer Named Metro State Noel Professor
Dr. Robert Ethridge, Vice President of Equal Opportunity Programs and Disability Services at Emory University, has been named Metro State's Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Visiting Professor for 2006. 
Dr. Ethridge is an adjunct assistant professor in the Division of Educational Studies, and Lecturer in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory and President of the American Association for Affirmative Action, a national not-for-profit association of professionals working in the areas of affirmative action, equal opportunity, diversity, and other human resource programs.
He is also a recipient of the Civil and Human Rights Award  from the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies in recognition of his national efforts to raise the level of awareness and respect for affirmative action and his concern for, and protection of, basic civil and human rights.
For additional information, call the School of Letters, Arts, and Sciences for Dean Kenneth Keller at 303-556-3215, or Dr. Wilton Flemon at 303-556-2838.

Colorado Real Estate Update Debuted In January.
Colorado Real Estate Update, a 30-minute radio show geared to real estate professionals and consumers hit the air 9 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 22 on AM 760 KKZN.
The show is hosted by Tim Thomas and Lou Barnes of Boulder West Financial Services and features a panel of guests who are experts in their fields along with appearances by "The Real Estate Doctor," who will diagnose the "Deal of the Week."
The topics covered on the show will target realtors, mortgage professionals, appraisers, inspectors, underwriters, title companies and the consumers who come into contact with them.
Regular segments on the show will include Trends in Mortgage Rate  with Lou Barnes from Boulder West; Market Update with Michael Galansky from RE/MAX Unlimited; Regulatory Update with Mary Cates, President of the American Real Estate College South Campus; Nothing Down, first time homebuyer tips and emerging market trends with Nadine Baumgartner of Metro Brokers Unique Homes; and List to Sell, quick sale tips with Pat Forber of RE/MAX Alliance DTC.

Ritter Taps O’Brien To Run On ’06 Ticket As Lieutenant Governor
Bill Ritter, the leading Democratic candidate for governor, announced today that Barbara O’Brien will join him on the ticket as his running mate for lieutenant governor.
For the past 15 years, O’Brien has served as president of the Colorado Children’s Campaign, the state’s top child-advocacy nonprofit agency. O’Brien becomes the first lieutenant governor candidate in the 2006 race.
O’Brien will resign her position with the Children’s Campaign and join the Ritter team full-time in February. O’Brien will be responsible for establishing a coordinated strategy aimed at improving the health and education of Colorado’s kids. Colorado currently ranks 44th in the nation for 2-year-olds with full immunizations.
O’Brien also will help lead the way in crafting innovative strategies to create one of the best-educated workforces in the country. O’Brien served as head speechwriter and deputy policy director for former Gov. Richard Lamm from 1983-85. During her tenure at the Children’s Campaign, she was instrumental in creating the Colorado Child Health Plan, the Infant Immunization Act and the Tony Grampsas Youth Services Fund. She co-chaired the Amendment 35 (tobacco-tax increase) campaign committee and led the effort to get Amendment 23 (school funding) approved.

SBA Hurricane Loans Exceed $2.5 Billion: Record Pace For Disaster Loan Approvals Continues
The U.S. Small Business Administration continues to approve recovery and rebuilding loans for residents and businesses in the Gulf Coast region at a record pace over the first 10 days of January, surpassing $2.5 billion on Jan. 10.  
Loan approvals reached the $2 billion mark on Dec. 30 as the SBA continues to approve loans at a daily average of more than $52 million.  Approvals on Jan. 10 alone amounted to a daily record of more than $84.6 million on almost 1,200 loans.  Almost $1.4 billion of the loans are for Louisiana, and just over $1 billion are for Mississippi. 
Through Jan. 10, the SBA had approved 36,917 disaster recovery loans worth $2.564 billion.  Only one other disaster in the nation's history has exceeded the $2.5 billion mark for SBA loans--the Northridge Earthquake of 1994, at $4 billion in approved loans over a period of 12 months.  The Florida hurricanes of 2004 topped out at $1.86 billion after more than nine months. The agency continues to receive new loan applications, bringing the current total to over 350,000, over 100,000 more than were received after the Northridge Earthquake.
For more information about the SBA's Disaster Assistance loan programs, visit the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster_recov/hurricanes.

Generous Donation To Fund Children’s Garden At Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Botanic Gardens announced today the Daniel and Janet Mordecai Foundation has pledged a donation of $1.3 million to provide the lead gift to support a new children’s garden. In honor of this contribution, the garden will be named the Mordecai Family Children’s Garden.
Janet Mordecai founded the Daniel and Janet Mordecai Foundation after Dan’s untimely death from pancreatic cancer. It was their joint wish that the Foundation be established to enhance quality of life for all. The Foundation supports programs in the areas of health, culture and the performing arts, community outreach, and education.
Much of 2006 will be spent planning the garden. The Gardens will establish community focus groups, consult with children’s garden experts, visit some of the best children’s gardens in the U.S., and develop a site plan and garden design. Additionally, horticulture graduate students from Colorado State University and landscape architect students from the University of Colorado will participate in the garden’s design, adding to the great community impact.
There are three main goals of the new children’s garden. First, the garden will provide a rich environment for exploration and discovery for families and school groups, helping to spark interest in science. Second, the garden will have dynamic and interactive programs and displays to educate young minds about conservation and caring for natural resources. Third, the garden will cultivate an ethic of environmental responsibility in young people.
The Daniel and Janet Mordecai Foundation will present their donation at a champagne reception on Monday, Jan. 16 at Denver Botanic Gardens from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Two children will accept the donation, signifying the impact this gift will have on their lives.
While accepting this generous donation for the children’s garden, Denver Botanic Gardens will continue to raise additional funds for this project.
Denver Botanic Gardens is located at 1005 York Street in Denver, Colorado. For more information, visit www.botanicgardens.org or call 720-865-3500.

HUD Presents More Than A $1.2 Million To Denver Housing Authority
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded three grants totaling $1,213,000 to fund Denver Housing Authority’s (DHA) programs to improve the economic self-sufficiency and provide homeownership counseling for public housing residents. HUD Regional Director John Carson presented the three checks for the Resident Opportunities Self Sufficiency (ROSS) Program. The first grant funds the self-sufficiency program coordinators. The second grant provides support services to help public housing residents become economically self-sufficient and provide the elderly and people with disabilities supportive services to allow independent living. Supportive services include education and job training. The third grant will provide funding for DHA’s Homeownership Counseling program for public housing residents.
Funding allows Denver Housing Authority to hire a program coordinator who links public housing residents with training opportunities, job placement organizations, and local employers. Residents sign a contract to participate, which outlines their responsibilities toward completion of training and employment objectives up to a five-year period. For each participating family that is a recipient of welfare assistance, the DHA must establish an interim goal that the family becomes independent from welfare assistance and remains independent from welfare assistance at least one year prior to the expiration of the contract. During the period of participation, residents may earn an escrow credit based on increased earned income, which they may use in a variety of ways, including continuing their education or down payment toward purchasing a home.
More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov/Colo and espanol.hud.gov.

The Eulipions Fund Awards $75,000 To African American Performing Arts Groups
The Eulipions Fund, administered by Eulipions, Inc. and The Denver Foundation, recently awarded more than $75,000 to eight nonprofit organizations that support the performing arts in local African American communities.
Eulipions, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that fosters, promotes, and preserves the artistic expression with an emphasis on Colorado African American heritage and lifestyles, by providing grants to generate, assist, increase, and encourage the performing arts. In November 2000, Eulipions, Inc. sold the historic El Jebel Shrine Temple, their home since 1995, and used funds to establish an endowment at The Denver Foundation. Grants are as follows:

• Black United Fund of Colorado for Nzingha Cultural Arts for Peace -  For more information, call 303.331.2414.
• Boulder Community Broadcast Association / KGNU-FM for No Credits Prods., L.L.C. For more information, call 720-748-1388 or visit www.nocredits.com.
• Cleo Parker Robinson Dance.  For more information, call 303-295-1759 or visit www.cleoparkerdance.org.    
• Denver Black Arts Festival. For more information call 303-296-6287.
• -Epworth United Methodist Church. For more information call 303-296-6287.
• Grand Design. For more information, call 303-632-0927 or visit www.grandbydesign.com
• Pan African Arts Society -  For more information, visit www.panafricanarts.org.
• Shadow Theatre Company.  For more information, call 303-321-3858 or visit shadowtheatre.com.

            To receive a grant from The Eulipions Fund, a group or organization must (1) generate, assist, increase, or encourage performing arts in local African American communities and (2) address an area of the arts that is currently underrepresented. The next grant application deadline will be in the fall of 2006. A copy of the Grant Guidelines will be available online next fall at www.denverfoundation.org or call Karen Bellina at The Denver Foundation, 303-300-1790 ext.141, to be added to the mailing list.