The Community Outreach Center in Calhan is a valuable one-stop resource center for the town and surrounding rural areas. The center houses a coalition of several programs, agencies and individuals ñ all of them providing a variety of services to those in need.Patty Jolly, one of the founders of the 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, said the coalitionís mission is ìbuilding bridges and linking servicesî to rural communities. Jolly, Calvin Jolly, Janice Peterson and Deb Drew started the center in January 2010, after receiving the nonprofit status. In July 2012, the outreach center opened the physical location on the El Paso County fairgrounds. Jolly said the founders had visualized an addition to St. Paul Lutheran Church, which had offered them a 99-year lease. ìBut there were several agencies that were ready to bring their services out now, and when the county heard what we were doing, they offered us a temporary place,î Jolly said. ìIt’s for as long as we need it.ìWe are all third generation members of the community, and we’ve never had something like this before. We should make it happen. Folks out here deserve those services.î Jolly said more than 20 agencies meet the third Wednesday of each month to provide services to local communities. Besides Calhan, services are available to residents of Elbert, Ellicott, Falcon, Kiowa, Peyton, Ramah, Rush, Simla and Yoder. ìWe’d like to get one or two representatives from each town, because that’s how we get information out there,î Jolly said. ìWe need those voices. Sharing with our own personal networks, we can make a huge impact.î The monthly meetings are open to all residents. ìThat’s when the most information is shared, when the most networking happens,î Jolly said. ìIt’s pretty amazing and pretty refreshing; and, at the same time sad because how do we get it out there quickly to people?îSome agencies with regularly scheduled events at the center include the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the El Paso County Department of Human Services, the Center on Fathering, the Pikes Peak Workforce Center, The Independence Center and TESSA. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society offers information about the disease, as well as resource referrals. The EPCDHS provides information on its programs and accepts applications at the center. The Center on Fathering offers support groups, education, workshops and resources for fathers. The Pikes Peak Workforce Center provides career planning and job search guidance. The Independence Center provides support for people with disabilities; and also offers the Older Individuals with Blindness program. TESSA provides resources and help to victims of abuse. Several other agencies provide resources, but they arenít always scheduled to be at the center on the third Wednesday of each month. ìThere are several things that happen outside of Calhan that people can take advantage of,î Jolly said.The Calhan Community Outreach Center and Community Outreach Coalition is hosting its third annual Health and Education Fair Sept. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Members of the coalition will be in attendance so people can ask questions about the programs available. The event is in conjunction with Calhan High Schoolís Homecoming, and the alumni and Bulldog Booster Club are serving a fundraising luncheon at the health fair. For more information, visit http://coccenter.org or call 719-347-2662.
