December 2, 2008

Dear Friend and Supporter of COMITIS,

As always we all hope that this Letter finds you well!  Our Board of Directors, Volunteers and Staff are so grateful for your concern, support and help over the years.  After an amazing year of working hard to carry out our Mission with the many that turn to us for help, we really need your help as the year starts to draw to an end.  Please consider COMITIS with your financial giving today, or your Holiday Giving.

It certainly is a dramatic time for all of us!  A very vibrant Election has drawn to a close at all levels.  And of course, some of the most frightening economic events any of us have ever seen in our life time have been taking place!  We have to have the hope and faith that the difficult things will improve, that we and others will be okay, and we can all work these things out.  That’s what we have to do everyday at COMITIS, have the hope and faith that the thousands using all of our Services will value the opportunity they get, and go to work learning how to help themselves better!  Self – Help, our hallmark.

With all of that said, it seems like a foolish time to be requesting that you make a very needed Cash Gift to our Colorado incorporated, tax exempt, human service agency.  But as we all reflect, we know it’s really the time we have to give, donations are down 35% nationally, we are Housing more people this year than we have annually over the last 10 years – projecting around 450 of all ages.  Babies to Seniors, Runaway and Troubled Youth, Families in need, all using are new wonderful facility and it’s many Beds – and all of our other outstanding Services!

Back early in the Summer I was working the 1st floor where all of our key systems operate from.  I saw a man, a woman, a boy and a little girl walking up to our door.  In my 38 years here, I have occasionally seen that look in parents’ eyes, total fear and trepidation.  That Family was the new Homeless.  They were the one’s that had lost the jobs early on, and had lost their precious home later.  They knew nothing about the many helping services through us, or in the City, they only knew that their Pastor had told them that COMITIS would help them.   And we did, and I am so proud of everyone that is involved with us and that helps us, because of it!  Those little Children were 8 and 3 years old, they and their Parents needed a setting that was safe, secure, calm and provided them a method to start Helping Themselves.  They got that from us through our work and their work.  School got back on track, Day Care became available, Medical issues were dealt with, Supplies and Needs were taken care of, Resumes and Job Searches started and we all simply went straight ahead.  Some 70 days later that Family successfully moved out of COMITIS into a nice Apartment that we helped furnish – and we still visit with them today through After Care.

We will serve over 20,000 people this year and expense about $800,000.  Please consider helping us.  Please send us your very needed Gift today.  Our mailing address is P.O. Box 919, 2178 Victor St., Aur., CO  80040.  Credit Card gifts are handled by phone through our business office.  More information is readily available through our developing Web Site, www.comitis.org.  Please call me with any questions or to become involved and help!  Thanks for your time for COMITIS today.  Please make your Gift now.  We truly need you, and your Help!

                                                                                               
Struggle and Peace,

Richard E. Barnhill

24-hour crisis line: 303-343-9890