LOCAL FEATURE PAGE TITLE DONATE YOUR CAR! Need to get rid of your car, truck, or motorcycle? Consider donating it to Denver VOICE. Call (855) 500-7433, or go to: careasy.org/nonprofi t/denver-voice. Your donation helps Denver VOICE succeed in its mission to provide individuals experiencing homelessness or poverty the chance towards a more stable life. CREDIT: PARENT ROCKER ORGANIZATION to Hourigan, it was costing nearly $1,000 per semester to send her kids to school at the same time. Eligibility for a scholarship is based on parents’ financial status, and each prospective student must include a video and written submission about why they feel they deserve the scholarship. At the beginning of each season, 10 students are granted a scholarship, but there’s no limit to how many times one can apply for future seasons. “A lot of kids will continue to submit for scholarships for years,” Hourigan said. “It’s such a life-changing experience, and it shouldn’t just be reserved for the kids who can afford it. These kids are being raised in the Denver School of Rock. Each of my kids got involved at age 6, and it’s very rare a kid dips out.” According to Hourigan, she’s heard heart-wrenching stories, such as from teenagers who are living on their own and can’t afford the school tuition but want to be able to experience all it has to offer. “It’s a built-in family, and you get to play a part in bringing so much happiness and confidence into their life,” she said. At the height of the COVID pandemic, all of the lessons went online, and the program wasn’t deemed a necessity. Hourigan explained that the students were unable to perform live, which was just one of the challenges the school, educators, and the general community were dealing with. “It was so trying for us,” said Hourigan. “It was a hard time to fundraise. There were so many other things that people needed to think about; people were losing their jobs; they weren’t able to leave their homes.” Hourigan said she’s never worked for a nonprofit that has had such a profound effect on her. It might not be cancer research or suicide prevention, but according to Hourigan, “This is life-changing in such a beautiful and powerful way. It’s really touching to see what these kids can do.” Parent Rocker Organization is especially crucial for children and adolescents who have no other access to musical instruments. As Hourigan explained, “Art is one of the first things that gets cut in school a lot of the time. It just comes down to making it accessible for everyone, and music is such an important thing; not everyone is athletic.” For the program to succeed and allow more students an opportunity to participate, fundraising is essential. In the past, fundraisers for the school included small concerts at places like Hard Rock Cafe or free concerts in neighborhood parks. Occasionally, they have Chris Ryan, who is a local photographer, take photos during the shows to then sell on the Denver School of Rock website. All proceeds help fund scholarships. Most of the money raised for scholarships comes from private events. With the current season wrapping up, the next fundraiser, which will be the annual Rock in the Park concert in Denver’s City Park, will take place at the end of August. “That is our biggest fundraising event because it is a free show, and we are in full control,” said Hourigan.■ For more information about the organization and its upcoming classes or performances, visit DenverParentRocker.org. The Denver VOICE empowers homeless, impoverished, and transient individuals by creating job opportunities through our vendor program. We facilitate a dialogue addressing the roots of homelessness by telling stories of people whose lives are impacted by poverty and homelessness and to offer economic, educational, and empowerment opportunities for the impoverished community. VOLUNTEER WITH US! We are looking for volunteers to support our program coordination by helping with paper distribution and basic offi ce administration at the Denver VOICE offi ce (989 Santa Fe Dr.) from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. If you are interested and would like to know more, contact us at: program@denvervoice.org May 2023 DENVER VOICE 11
12 Publizr Home