On Sept. 27, from 5 to 8pm, Stepping Stones of the Roaring Fork Valley will celebrate a full decade of serving and empowering local youth. In 2014, the organization opened its doors at 1010 Garfield Avenue to address essential needs in Carbondale and surrounding communities. This started with dinners, showers, laundry facilities and a safe, comfortable space for 14- to 21-year-olds in need of community or stability.
The program has grown significantly since it started, expanding to provide support for preteens and emerging adults and establishing specific funds for sports, arts opportunities, counseling and emergency financial assistance. Executive Director Kyle Crawley and Development and Communications Director Emily Cool Greener spoke with The Sopris Sun to reflect on the past decade.
Crawley and Cool Greener are quick to highlight the importance of establishing safe spaces with a sense of belonging for young people. “Our staff is really accomplished at connecting with and affirming youth and cultivating a sense of belonging,” explained Cool Greener. All of Stepping Stones’ fundraising and logistical planning is in service of supporting places of connectivity and comfort. Crawley added, “I think that’s our biggest accomplishment as an organization.”
He continued, “Youth in our community trust us and come to us in times of need” and that shows in Stepping Stones’ service numbers. “We’ve served over 1,000 youth over 10 years.”
The access to additional adult support is significant for many of the participants. Cool Greener added, “We [as staff] talk about the protective factors of having these relationships.” The feeling of trust creates opportunities for youth to grow and explore.
Early on, it became clear that local youth would be better supported by earlier access to programming and resources. Per Cool Greener, the organization focuses a lot of strategy on finding ways to prevent or mitigate instability for kids in need. In 2017, Stepping Stones expanded age ranges down to accept 10- to 13-year-olds.
It was a natural next step to extend the upper age limit. Crawley explained, “A lot of kids age out of other support systems at age 18.” When the first wave of participants started encountering this challenge, Stepping Stones quickly responded by extending support services to those alums. In 2019, the organization officially added “emerging adult” support for 18- to 24-year-olds based on continued communication with and input from alums.
This kind of listening has guided much of the organization’s growth and expansion. “A lot of our successes have come from creativity and attentive response to input,” said Crawley. “For example, during COVID, many families in our program experienced immediate and indefinite layoffs from their jobs. This led us to create a rapid response fundraising initiative, which accumulated $125,000 in six months. We were able to distribute it to help families make mortgage and rent payments, afford groceries and medical bills and get through that uncertain time. The success and demonstrated value led to a standing $25,000 annual fund families can apply to for assistance.”
Since 2023, the organization has been steadily building counseling capacity. Stepping Stones’s counseling program offers 12 to 15 free counseling sessions every week between two counselors, one of whom is bilingual and bicultural. Some of the program participants who rely on this opportunity have been able to access 30+ sessions of counseling. Cool Greener and Crawley emphasized that their on-site counseling is a critical resource for teens who don’t feel safe accessing help elsewhere. To supplement onsite capacity, Cool Greener said. “We help fund external therapy for youth who want or need it.” About $50,000 annually goes into providing these counseling and therapy resources.
In 2020-2021, to accommodate need, Stepping Stones expanded their original space to an almost 8,000-square-foot campus. Input from program participants and parents went into the design and function of the space. “Based on feedback from families, we included a wellness center,” Crawley said. “We offer three free fitness classes every week open to the parents of kids in our programs.”
Stepping Stones aims to raise $40,000 at the 10-year anniversary celebration on Sept. 27. All money raised will go directly to the programs and resources for the youth in the programs. Donors can direct the money they give to specific scholarship funds and mental health funds, if they choose. For those who attend the celebration but are not able to give more money than the $25 ticket, Stepping Stones also welcomes in-kind donations at the drop-in centers. “Food for meals and sports gear make a huge difference,” said Cool Greener. Equipment like soccer cleats or football gear can allow kids to participate in team sports they otherwise might not be able to join.
Looking forward, Stepping Stones is excited to expand its services in the Valley. “We are running pilot programs in Yampah and Glenwood Springs high schools this year,” shared Cool Greener. Crawley added, “Next school year, we will have part-time drop-in locations available in Glenwood Springs. Glenwood Springs is our main priority in the next couple years.”
Community members are invited to join the Sept. 27 celebration to play games, enjoy food from Taquería El Yaqui and listen to music performed by local youth.