BENT DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION: Press Release

Plans to bring up to at least 140 teenagers and adults to Southeastern Colorado to improve the homes of elderly, disabled, and low-income residents in the City of Las Animas

The City of Las Animas has launched their 2022 Paint and Connect program led by Councilwoman Cassandra Siefkas. As one of the most successful programs completed by the city, this year’s program plans to triple its impact by enlisting volunteers from across the state.

As many as 20 or more residents will benefit from the work of a projected 140 volunteers at the Las Animas Workcamp, coming to the area on July 3rd – 9th of 2022. The Workcamp will provide free home repairs through Group Mission Trips, sponsored locally by the City of Las Animas.

Group Mission Trips is a non-profit, interdenominational Christian volunteer home-repair organization headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado. This summer, over 10,000 young people and adults will participate in 25 Workcamps in communities across the United States. At each Workcamp, teenagers and adults-members of church youth groups, volunteer a week of their time to repair homes throughout the community. “These really are remarkable young people,” said Tim Gilmour, President of Group Mission Trips. “Each one is actually paying for the privilege of working in your community. Workcamp registration fees are used to cover costs for food, insurance, and building materials.” The Workcamp participants will be housed at Las Animas High School with the campers sleeping on classroom floors, eating in the cafeteria, and enjoying evening programs in the gym. This service to the community would be impossible without the wonderful cooperation of the Las Animas school district. Group Mission Trips will reimburse all costs to the lodging facility.

With humble beginnings going back to the early 1990s, Group Mission Trips has been partnering with and helping communities across the United States and the world. As the non profit mission ministry of Group Cares, Group Mission Trips works hard to bring meaningful service to the communities we serve. Since the beginning, thousands upon thousands of mission trip participants have volunteered millions of hours serving people in need. All these years later, one constant remains true: Group Mission Trips strongly believes in providing opportunities for teenagers to encounter Jesus through serving others either in their own backyard or halfway across the globe. Group Mission Trips has hosted over 480,000 participants who have provided more than 14 million hours of volunteer service directly to people in need.

The City of Las Animas recognizes that homeowners on fixed incomes struggle to keep up with home repairs. Paint and Connect aims to connect those homeowners with the help they need. “Paint and Connect is the embodiment of what small towns do well: come together, help their neighbors, and do a good job about it…it just takes someone to step up and organize it,” said Siefkas.

Repairs offered through the Workcamp include interior and exterior painting, weatherization, porch and wheelchair ramp construction, and other work. Residents interested in applying to receive assistance may fill out and submit an application at Las Animas City Hall (532 Carson Ave) or contact Councilwoman Cassandra Siefkas at the City of Las Animas, 719-456-0422 if they have any questions.

Applications are due by March 1st, and the program is for homeowners only.

PRESS CONTACT:
Amanda Leck
Executive Director, Bent County Development Foundation
On behalf of the City of Las Animas
332 Ambassador Thompson Blvd.
Las Animas, CO 81054 719-456-0452 (office) 719-980-1897 (Cell/ Text)
director@bentcounty.org