I think it was about 2004, when I asked a friend if he wanted to go out one Friday night, and he told me he had to get up early the next morning, to make breakfast burritos and bring them to the homeless.  That was a new, unexpected idea, so I went along.

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What I saw was that a group he belonged to supports an enormous resource center, which today is called Serve 6.8.  This center stocks clothes and kids' toys, and hands them out to the under resourced in Northern Colorado.  Today, my wife is in the rotation to make several dozen cookies and bring them there, so visitors get a free home made cookie when they walk through the door.

So in addition to a volunteer making breakfast burritos to hand out to the homeless, this group partners with Serve 6.8, so that on the first Saturday of every month, they show up in the parking lot of Rodizio Grill, as Jefferson Park is now fenced off, but homeless people know to come there on that day, because it has gone on for so many years.  Tables are set up, and dozens of totes are brought out of this big van.  They contain shirts, pants, jackets, socks, underwear, gloves, shoes, first aid kits, as well as granola or oatmeal-based breakfast packets, and books.  Also, information is typically available on site as to where you can go to get help and elevate your life from the point it's currently at.  Perhaps just as importantly, a huge container of hot coffee is available, as well as water.

I was single in 2004, but today, my wife and three little girls come along to this monthly happening, which is called Raven's Cafe.  We are on the rotation in May and December, so twice a year we stay up on Friday night and make anywhere from 40 to 100 burritos to bring out the next morning.  We feel it's super important for all of us to realize how much worse we could have it, and how hopefully we can brighten someone's day and possibly lead them to a better path.

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