Pikes Peak Justice & Peace Commission
2015 Annual Report
Administration
Board of Directors
Board of Directors: Roger Butts (Chairman), Victoria Stone (Vice-Chair), Melissa Marts (Treasurer), Pat Hansen (Secretary) Jeremy Nelson, Jimi Hummer, Bridget Babcock, Samantha Barlow, Debra Fortenberry, Laurie Works. Bridget Babcock and Jimi Hummer resigned from the board in May to join the Peace Corps in Africa. Roger Butts resigned from the board in September due to time constraints. Victoria Stone became chair. A board-staff retreat was held on Jan. 10 to work on our strategic plan focusing on Peace Camp, Urban Experience, Sunrise Garden and applying for the Indy Give! campaign.
Staff
Scott Olson is the Executive Director. Steve Saint is the Associate Director of Media and Communications. Laura Gordon is the part-time accountant.
Office
PPJPC has an office in Grace and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 601 N. Tejon St. in Colorado Springs. The benefits are low rent ($250/month), large office space and free use of meeting rooms. The disadvantage is that outside doors are kept locked so visitors must be let in and public visibility is low. We allow J&P members to use meetings rooms by appointment for gatherings.
Finances
PPJPC revenue was $68,283 with expenses of $65,439 for a net income of $2,845. Our 2016 budget is for revenue of $57,624 with expenses of $53,810 for a net income of $3,814. The decrease in year-to-year projection is due to PPJPC discontinuing fiscal sponsorship of Casa de Paz, which is seeking to become its own nonprofit organization. Including Casa de Paz revenue and expenses falsely inflated PPJPC revenue and expenses.
Fundraising
Grants
We received the following grants: Sisters of St. Francis for $1,000 (general operating expenses), ENT Federal Credit Union for $1,000 (Peace Breakfast) and Catholic Charities for $1,500 (Sunrise Garden). PPJPC LOI to Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program for $10,000 grant was denied. PPJPC Grant request to Resist for $1,700 was denied. First Congregational United Church donated $1,500 and High Plains Unitarian-Universalist Church members donated $450.
Business Donations
PPJPC received donations for specific events from Poor Richards, Sacred Grounds Coffee, C.W. Botanicals, Blue Star Recyclers, Manitou Chiropractic, Ranch Foods Direct and Bristol Brewing Co.
Public Outreach Projects and Events
PPJPC was one of 88 non-profits accepted to be in the Indy Give! campaign. We raised $10,384. We participated in the Give! Day at the Citadel Mall, Karma Hour and held a Dance for Peace with KCMJ, Rocky Mountain Highway and Seeds Community Cafe. PPJPC received $1,500 from the All People’s Breakfast for our Peace Scholarship. PPJPC raised $800 during Mother’s Day Brunch in May and $350 during World Environment Day in June. We raised $8,000 from new and existing members at our annual September Peace Breakfast. PPJPC was accepted to be in Colorado Gives Day on Dec. 8 and received $164 in donations. We received $1,195 from Community Shares donations. PPJPC received $2,019 from Urban Experience. In August, we co-hosted the movie, “Message From Hiroshima.” In October, we co-hosted the Latino Political Engagement forum. In November, PPJPC co-hosted the “People’s EIS” play with Citizens for Peace In Space.
Media
Justice and Peace Hour
In February, Scott Olson started the “Justice and Peace Hour” radio show, broadcasting live every Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. on KCMJ radio. The focus is on justice, peace and sustainability topics and interviewing local area nonprofits. Forty-four shows were produced. They are cataloged and available to listen to at kcmj.org on demand.
PPJPC World Affairs
In September, Scott Olson started the PPJPC World Affairs Discussion group which met monthly at Broadmoor Community Church. Topics discussed: P5+1 Iran Nuclear Agreement, Origins of ISIS and the Israel/Palestine situation.
Active for Justice
Active for Justice was published quarterly. The January-February-March edition cover story was on “Dolphins: Humans Need to End War.” The April-May-June edition cover story was about plans for Sunrise Garden. The July-August-September edition cover focused on PPJPC Middle East Peace Project delegate trip to Palestine. The October-November-December edition cover talked about averting a projected food system collapse in 2040.
eWeekly
The eWeekly is sent to 2,000 people every Monday.
Social media
Steve Saint manages our website, Facebook page and eWeekly. 546 people have “Joined” the Facebook J&P Group Page and 494 like our Facebook fan page. Board member Laurie Works manages the our Twitter account.
Membership
At the end of 2015, the PPJPC had 480 members of which 63 were new: 13 joined during the year, 20 joined during our International Day of Peace Breakfast in September and 30 joined during the Give! Campaign November/December.
Peace & Nonviolence
All People’s Breakfast
400 people attended the All People’s Breakfast at Colorado College on Jan. 19. Reverend Benjamin Reynolds, director of the LGBTQ Religious Study Center at Chicago Theological Seminary, was the keynote speaker. The topic was “Courageous Conversations to Courageous Actions: Beyond Tolerance.” Afterwards, Food For Thought hosted table dialogue.
Mother’s Day for Peace Brunch
Mother’s Day was originally meant to be a day celebrating peace. PPJPC hosted a Mother’s Day brunch with Seeds Community Café to celebrate peace.
Middle East Peace Project
The Middle East Peace Project sent PPJPC member Christy Le Lait to Palestine in May with Christian Peacemaker Teams.
Peace Camp
Peace Camp was held July 25-29 at Broadmoor Community Church. Seventy-seven children grades 1-8 attended. The children learned about peace with self, community, world and nonviolent resolution skills to ending conflict.
Peace Breakfast
PPJPC celebrated the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21 at St. Paul Catholic Church. The Colorado Springs Children’s Chorale and Australian TAP singers performed before 250 people. Victoria Stone gave the keynote speech.
Social & Economic Justice
Sunrise Garden
In partnership with the city of Colorado Springs, the PPJPC began managing the Hillside Community Center Community Garden. Organic food was grown for the local community and Seeds Community Café. Pikes Peak Urban Gardens offered to let us take over similar management of the Dorchester Park Community Garden but we declined. We do not have the financial resources to pay someone to manage this garden and the homeless do not have access to the city bathroom facilities located at Dorchester Park. Homeless people broke through the fence surrounding the garden to drink and shower using the garden water. PPJPC would reconsider management of the Dorchester Park garden if the city of Colorado Springs reopened the public bathrooms and provided other support.
Homeless Advocacy
PPJPC members regularly attend meetings of the Continuum of Care and the Community Homeless Assistance Providers (CHAP). In partnership with The Independence Center, we helped for a new housing coalition, People’s Access to Homes (PATH). We spoke in opposition to the city’s proposed sit/lie ordinance.
Urban Experience
PPJPC conducted eight Urban Experiences for the following groups: First Congregation Church, Broadmoor Community Church, Unity Church, St Patrick’s Church, D-11 teachers, UCCS students and The Colorado Springs School. A total of 92 people participated.
Sustainable Living
Green Cities Coalition
The PPJPC continues to be a Champion Sponsor of Green Cities Coalition and promotes GCC events in our eWeekly. The GCC was started by the PPJPC and was spun off in 2012.
World Environment Day
To celebrate the U.N.’s World Environment Day, the PPJPC hosted a dinner with Seeds Community Café.
People’s Exchange Pikes Peak
Our existing Justice Exchange Network was re-branded People’s Exchange Pikes Peak. We invited members of the Green Cities Coalition and Pikes Peak Permaculture to join as traders as well. Services can be exchanged between members of the three groups using a virtual currency called a “Loco” or Hours in a time bank.
Colorado Springs Biofuel Cooperative
While work on our own biodiesel processor stalled, a new PPJPC member has offered to let us make fuel with his existing processor. Another area resident has offered 750 gallons of used restaurant oil if we’ll continue the work.
Y-Core
Peace Scholarship
Our 2015 Peace Scholarship fund awarded $1,000 to high school senior Harrison Heibert. Because we received only one application for the scholarship, the PPJPC determined that money raised from the All People’s Breakfast in 2016 would go to Peace Camp.
College Interns
We had two interns from Colorado College and two from UCCS help with various projects.
