Community Assistance Services

  • Rental and Mortgage Assistance: Direct financial assistance is available for clients who need help with rent or mortgage payments.
  • Utility Assistance: Direct financial assistance is available for clients who need help paying for gas and electric or water bills.
  • Transportation Assistance: We provide transportation assistance in the form of RTD bus tokens, gas vouchers, and refurbished bicycles.
  • Prescription Assistance: We provide assistance with the cost of essential prescriptions when clients have no other way to pay.
  • Essential Items Assistance: Our thrift store provides East Boulder County residents with affordable clothing, furniture, and household items. Qualifying clients may receive vouchers to obtain these essential items at no cost.
  • School Supplies Assistance: Through the Crayons to Calculators partnership we work with five Boulder County non-profit agencies to provide school supplies for all students in East Boulder County who are in need.
  • Health and Social Services: We provide or host a number of free services at our center. Please see the list of services below.
  • Child Development Education: We have partnered with Bright Beginnings through The Parenting Place to distribute materials on early childhood development to our clients. We spend time with each client to discuss child development and the materials provided. We also provide Love and Logic Parenting Classes. See below for details.
  • Public Benefits Assistance: We provide clients with assistance in applying for various benefits such as CHP+ (Child Health Plan Plus), Medicaid/Medicare, CCAP (Child Care Assistance Payments), WIC, LEAP, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), Unemployment, and Food Stamps. Clients are able to process CHP+ and Medicaid applications through our office.
  • Support Services: Through Support Services, formerly called Case Management, we work one on one with families as they improve their housing situations, find employment, obtain quality child care, manage their budgets efficiently, and connect with public benefits.
  • Getting Ahead Workshops: We facilitate Getting Ahead workshops which allow clients to investigate their current situation, and create a plan for becoming more economically stable by building their resources and tapping into the support of their community. Getting Ahead encourages self responsibility as a solution to economic instability. This workshop is part of the Bridges Out of Poverty county-wide initiative.
  • Referral Services: We refer clients on an as-needed basis to other agencies for further assistance.

Additional Free Services Provided by or Hosted at Sister Carmen Community Center:

  • Legal Counseling:
    An attorney from Faegre & Benson LLP visits the center monthly to provide free legal advice. This service is available on the 4th Wednesday of each month. Please come between 2:00pm and 4:00pm.
    Our next Legal Day is:
    July 28, 2010
  • HIV Tests:
    Boulder County Aids Project (BCAP) provides free HIV tests and prevention education every 2nd Thursday of the month from 10am-11:30am at Sister Carmen. Tests are anonymous and confidential, and results are available within 10 minutes.
    Our next HIV Testing day is:
    Aug 12, 2010
  • Blood Pressure and Diabetes Screening:
    On the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month from 1:30pm to 5:30pm, a team of two nurses, a physician, and a physical therapist from Saint Benedict Health and Healing Ministry visit the Sister Carmen Center to offer services. Services provided include blood pressure screening, health care education, diabetes screening, and wound care.
    Our next screening days are:
    July 15, 2010
    Aug 5, 2010
  • Mammograms:
    Saint Benedict Heath and Healing Ministry partners annually with Exempla Saint Joseph’s Hospital to bring a mobile mammography unit to the Sister Carmen Center. Mammograms are available for free, though appointments should be made in advance.
    Our next Mammogram Days are scheduled for:
    July 8, 2010
    TBA – probably October
  • Dental Screening:
    Four times per year free dental screening is available at Sister Carmen. Dental Aid, a local organization that provides accessible and affordable oral health care for low-income and uninsured residents of Boulder and Broomfield counties, provides these walk-in screenings. At the screenings, Registered Dental Hygienists can assess dental problems, provide oral health information and information about low cost dental care. Please come between 1:30pm and 3:30pm on scheduled dates.
    Next Dental Screening date:
    Sept 16, 2010
  • Nutrition & Cooking Classes:
    Learn healthy recipes and ways to prevent diabetes, heart disease, and how to lose weight. We offer Cooking & Nutrition classes on Tuesdays from 11am to 1:30pm. Classes are once a week for four weeks. Successful completion of all 4 classes earns a $10 King Soopers gift card, and we will be raffling off four small kitchen appliances. Please call us to sign up!
    Next series:
    August 24 – September 28, 2010
  • Love & Logic Parenting Classes:
    We have begun providing free Love & Logic parenting classes this year. Classes are 10am-12pm on Tuesdays (in English) or Thursdays (in Spanish). Please let us know if you would like to register. Childcare is available and parenting handbooks will be provided for free.
    Next series:
    TBA
  • Job Search and Career Coaching Services:
    We offer free group and/or one-on-one Job Search and Career Exploration sessions to help clients clarify skills and interests, identify career paths and job opportunities and successfully secure employment. Professional assistance and coaching for the entire job search process including networking, writing resumes, and interview preparation is available. A Nationally Certified Career Counselor is available one afternoon per week for appointments and job search group sessions. Days and times or appointments change, so please inquire if you are interested.
  • LEAP Application Assistance Workshop
    English and Spanish speaking representative from the LEAP office come to SCCC to help with applications for heat assistance. Since the current LEAP season is over we will continue with these workshops in November 2010.

    Items to bring with you:
    -Xcel bill – the latest full bill
    -Disconnect notice if you have one.
    -Income verification from the last month
    -ID if you have one.

    How to get help:

    The Sister Carmen Community Center provides non-discriminatory emergency assistance to our clients. To receive assistance you must be a resident of:

  • Lafayette
  • Louisville
  • Superior
  • Erie (in Boulder County)

You must present a:

  • Valid photo ID
  • Current piece of mail that verifies that you reside in one of the above cities. This should be either a utility or phone bill.

Other Resources:

Individual Development Accounts (IDA) are matched savings accounts designed to help low-income working families and individuals in Boulder and Broomfield Counties accumulate money to purchase an asset of great value, such as a home, a post-secondary education or starting a small business. Please Click Here for more information.