Roadrunners Give Back

As Auraria Community Mental Health Center Board of Directors volunteers, Human Services faculty members Mark Stephenson and Brian Bagwell are making substantial changes to delivering care during a pandemic.

Psychological Sciences faculty member Randi Smith researches basic-needs security to help ensure that all community members can find food to eat and a place to live.

The Gender Institute for Teaching and Advocacy works directly with students experiencing food and housing insecurities, connecting them with community resources and GITA’s support services.

Mechanical Engineering Technology Professor Aaron Brown is working with Engineers Without Borders and the Mayor’s Office to design group locations for those experiencing houselessness to ensure that families can stay together

Nursing Program specialist Karen Becker is a puppy-raiser with Freedom Service Dogs, training future service animals for clients in need.

MSU Denver staff, faculty and students give nearly $2.4 million annually in charitable donations and volunteer for nearly 372,000 hours, valued at $4.1 million. In fiscal 2019, the combined impact of charitable giving and volunteerism totaled $6.5 million.

Hunger-relief organization Food for Thought partners with MSU Denver’s School of Hospitality and often the engaged Roadrunner Athletics volunteer base to deliver food to 53 area schools, ensuring that more than 10,000 students annually have enough to eat. Recent COVID-19 relief efforts have volunteers packing more than 4,000 bags weekly to combat food insecurity.

The 2018 Roadrunners Give Back Day-of-service event fielded approximately 250 volunteers across 16 community locations, while the weather-rescheduled 2019 version placed participants at sites including Florence Crittenton Services, the Food Bank of the Rockies, Denver Health and Servicios De La Raza.