Community

The pandemic forced Colorado industries to shut down storefronts and put up with supply chain issues and inflation. Despite the financial squeeze, the state’s new business filings have skyrocketed during the last three years, nearing a 10-year peak last quarter. And the economic development is happening in urban and rural communities alike.

Today on Colorado Edition, we hear about Marshall Fire survivors who are struggling with a challenging housing market and a strong desire to stay put. We also talk with journalist Lisa Napoli about four women who were foundational to the early days of NPR.

A Colorado Springs-based nonprofit that turns guns into garden tools has disabled more than 1,000 firearms across the country since its inception in 2013.

Almost one year after 10 people were killed at a grocery store in Boulder, the building has been redesigned and has reopened for shoppers. Despite what happened there, the return of King Soopers is a positive moment for a community that’s been dealing with disaster after disaster.

The process of recovering from the Marshall Fire looks different for each person affected. For those who were insured, working with their provider to file claims and compile detailed inventories of belongings has become part of day-to-day life. But not all insured residents have enough coverage to make up for the costs of losing a home.

Charitable giving in the United States hit a record high in 2020. The biggest uptick came from foundations, whose philanthropic giving increased by 17%. But according to a national report, these organizations are woefully underfunding one specific group: women and girls of color. One Colorado foundation is working to change this.

Stephen Boatright, his wife Heidi, their three children, dog, cat and hamsters all evacuated from their home in the Sagamore subdivision of Superior last Thursday. Shortly after, they learned their home had burned down in the Marshall Fire.

President Joe Biden set out Friday to comfort Colorado residents grappling with rebuilding homes and businesses that were destroyed last week by a rare wind-whipped, winter fire that burned through a pair of heavily populated suburbs between Denver and Boulder.

Thousands of people who have been displaced by the Marshall Fire are now faced with the daunting task of finding a place to live. Seeing a need, two realtors in the Denver metro region started a Facebook group to connect survivors who need a place to stay with people who have one.

Communities affected by the fires in Boulder County still need assistance. Find what resources are available today, and ways you can help those impacted.