FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


Q: Are you a government agency?
A: No, we are a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit corporation. When Park County Crisis Center, Inc. was originally started back in 1985, it was under the county and the Sheriff’s Office. Within a year it was decided that it would be better off as a nonprofit. This makes donations tax deductible as well as opening up other grant and funding possibilities. In 2006 when we moved into our beautiful new shelter, we changed the name to Mountain Peace Shelter to focus on the goal of peace vs. crisis. 

Q: Do you only serve Park County residents?
A: No. Because we are a nonprofit agency we can be flexible with whom we serve. Our goal is to meet the needs of our entire mountain community. Because of the natural geographic community of the 285 Corridor and Evergreen, as well as the lack of shelter and emergency resources for surrounding communities, we serve these areas in addition to all of Park County. Because metro Denver shelters fill up, we sometimes even get referrals from further afar!

Q: What are your services?
A: We have a 24/7 crisis hotline, an emergency women and children’s shelter (which includes many supportive services), hotel vouchers for men, families, and people far away from our shelter location, and a SafePets Program which we partner with volunteer foster homes and local boarding facilities to keep pets of our shelter families safe. In partnership with Park County Department of Human Services, we are now starting a transitional living/case management program to better support the shelter residents and develop resources to help residents transition from the shelter to a place of their own with supportive services. We will be exploring/developing affordable housing options to truly help families and individuals become self-reliant. 

Q: Where is the shelter located?
A: For safety reasons, we do not disclose the location of the shelter. However, this is a “small town” and many people do know the location—often times, keeping a neighborly eye on it and making sure everything is okay. We are located in our mountain community.

Q: How many staff do you have?
A: We have three full time positions, the Executive Director, our Night Shelter Advocate and our Transitional Living Coordinator. We have two part time positions:  our accountant and our Volunteer Coordinator. We do closely work with Park County Victim Advocates and share crisis coverage (thank you!). Thus, volunteers play an important role in keeping the shelter and hotline going as well as in fundraising.

Q: Are there really homeless people in our community?
A: Yes, there are! If you realize that one in three women will be a victim of domestic violence at some point in their lifetime (accounting for 70% of our shelter residents), as well as the poor economy and zooming housing prices, anyone could be two paychecks away from being homeless. Also, with our society where people move away from friends and family and with limited social supports, it increases the chances that someone may need shelter placement. In 2007, we housed 42 women and children and one man for 2,048 nights of shelter. We also sheltered 29 pets.

Q: Do you help men or just women and children?
A: Yes! Often times men call on our crisis hotline for support, referrals and resources. Men who are victims of crime or who are homeless can be provided with hotel vouchers for emergency housing. Due to social stigma, it is very difficult for men to admit that they are victims of abuse and to seek out help and safety. With limited resources, Mountain Peace Shelter does its best to serve anyone who is in crisis and in need of safety and support.

Q: Do you accept donations of furniture, appliances, clothes, toys, etc.?
A: On a case by case basis. Sometimes a family is moving out of the shelter and needs to start from scratch in furnishing a home and at that point we will need many items! In our current shelter we have limited space to store items.  Gift certificates (Safeway, Target, Walmart, Conoco gas cards, phone cards, etc.) are always welcome for our families and the shelter. The main donations we need right now are: money, used vehicles, and used cell phones.

Q: How are you different from Mountain Resource Center?
A: Mountain Peace Shelter is an emergency shelter, 24/7 crisis hotline, and SafePets foster care program. We receive referrals from MRC if they have a family or individual needing our services. We also refer to MRC if we have a shelter resident who needs additional financial assistance or could benefit from some of their many programs that support our community. We collaborate to ensure that there is no duplication of services and to best support the folks in crisis.

Q: I would like to donate to you through our employee giving program. Are you a member of United Way (Caring Connection, etc.)?
A: No, we are not currently members, but many times you can still choose the Park County Crisis Center, In. (our 501 c 3 name) as your designated charity and keep your money in our mountain community to serve our neighbors in need just by giving our FEIN # 74-2472469 and putting us under “other”. Call us and we will be happy to provide any needed information to you and your work!

Q: How can I help?
A: We have a growing volunteer program and need volunteers in all areas, from office support to crisis intervention, to fundraising, to whatever your special skills are! As stated before, financial donations are critical right now to keep the only shelter in our mountain community. Every bit helps, so please give today. Please see our Staff & Volunteers page for more ideas!