Heroes in all shapes, sizes and species By Lynne Marsala Basche; photo courtesy of Friends of Douglas County K-9 In 2011, David Swieckowski, Angela Sanders, Terry Barnhart and Kim Vanderholm learned that two of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) working dogs needed to be retired but that the DCSO did not have the funds…

By Lynne Marsala Basche You may be struggling. Someone you know could be suffering. In fact, one in five adults and adolescents will be diagnosed with a mental health issue in their lifetime. In 2014, after seeing a spike of various mental health issues in Douglas County, officials recognized the need to increase community mental…

By Lynne Marsala Basche; photo courtesy of NASA Traditionally, the Angels Among Us segment features a different local nonprofit each month. With the many recent natural disasters, such as Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, as well as the wildfires in California, Montana and Oregon and the earthquakes in Mexico, The Connection is featuring national nonprofit…

Focus on student success By Lynne Marsala Basche Arapahoe Community College (ACC) opened its doors in the mid-1960s, and by the early 1970s, a foundation was formed to host events and bring attention to the college. This foundation, the Arapahoe Community College Foundation (ACCF), transitioned to a fundraising organization when it became apparent that certain…

Providing homes to rescued cocker breeds  By Lynne Marsala Basche; photos courtesy of RMCR In 2009, Douglas County resident Kathryn Glass founded RMCR after volunteering for other rescue organizations and developing a network of contacts and shelters. RMCR became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and remains the only state-licensed cocker spaniel rescue facility in Colorado. Glass recognized…