Gain an understanding of our participants and their backgrounds. Help participants identify their opportunities, challenges, and goals. Build our brotherhood & leadership. Develop positive warriors who understand how to balance aggression with respect, integrity, and ethics. Our Current Participants
Our young men live in the East Colfax Avenue area near the Aurora/Denver border. Over 90% of o
ur participants are former refugees from Bhutan/Nepal, Burma/Thailand, and countries of East, Central and West Africa. Many languages are spoken here. Participation averages 20 – 40 young men each night. Many are high school aged and mostly attend either Aurora Central HS or the New America School in the Aurora Public Schools, or George Washington HS or South HS in the Denver Public Schools. Others have either completed or dropped out of high school. Activities
Food: with the assistance of some of our young men we prepare and serve food each night thanks to our partnership with “We Don’t Waste” (www.wedontwaste.org) and Food Bank of the Rockies (www.foodbankrockies.org). Rice is a major player here. Sigma Chi Music Studio: a computer based music recording studio and vocal booth funded by 3 Sigma Chi donors, and designed and assembled by Chris Guillot (www.cherrysoundstudios.com). Active/Aggressive Room: nightly our young men release aggressive energy and workout on our 2 large heavy punching bags and other boxing and workout equipment. We will grow the intentional instruction of self-defense and physical conditioning as we find the appropriate partners. Computer Lab: our 3 donated desktop computers and 1 donated Google Chromebook are used primarily for social media like Facebook and YouTube, and homework and job searches & applications. Library: a quieter room, the library has 4 bookcases of fiction and nonfiction books, a popular chess board, and chairs & a couch that invites dialogue. Meditative / Prayerful Room: our quietest room, which features yoga mats, Zuffa meditative cushions, waterfall, music, and bookcases honoring the religious backgrounds of our young men (Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, as well as unaffiliated). Ping Pong: our one ping pong table is busy 5 hrs./night. English Reading Comprehension: With the volunteer leadership of Kate Goodspeed, instructor at Emily Griffith Technical College, we tutor on Thursday nights. Jobs Assistance: consistent help from the Adams County Workforce staff on Thursdays. Soccer: we will deliver 1-4 soccer tournaments per year focused on refugee youth. Brotherhood Circle: we are developing our circle in coordination with the Denver Unity Council’s “Healing Circles” concepts
General Information
Open Mondays – Thursdays, 4/5 pm – 9/10 pm. Located in the 3,000 s.f. refurbished basement of the Disabled American Veterans’ building, 1 ½ blocks west of Yosemite St. (Aurora / Denver border) on E. Colfax Ave. Our entrance and parking is in the rear of the DAV building. Opened for business on April 1, 2013. Where We Are Headed
Our “drop-in” environment allows participants to freely enter and leave as they wish, and choose to move from one activity area to the other as they wish. Over time we build our relationships and our brotherhood. More on this in the future. As we mature we will also increase our interaction and relationship with military veterans, such as our partners/neighbors on the main floor of our building. For example, we are seeking a “Mission Continues” fellow (www.missioncontinues.com) who will fill a part-time staff position entitled “Self-defense & Physical Conditioning Coordinator”. We are still seeking candidates. Inclusiveness & Diversity Statement
The Street Fraternity is a brotherhood of men who welcome and are committed to a diversity of experiences, ages, ethnicities, histories, national origins, citizenship statuses, opinions, marital statuses, sexual orientations, disabilities, arrest records, religions, political affiliations, and other protected classes as required by law. All participants, employees, and volunteers will actively support this Inclusiveness & Diversity Statement. We have chosen to include only males as participants in order to focus our learning, resources and achievements on the unique needs and attributes of young men. We welcome women’s involvement as parents, on our Advisory Team and Board, and within our partner agencies. Contact Info:
Street Fraternity
8714 E. Denver, CO 80220
(Located 1 ½ blocks west of Yosemite Street, the Aurora/Denver border; our entrance & parking is in rear of Disabled American Vet’s building)
Office: 720-389-6381
