In Arvada, the city is welcoming a new Colorado nonprofit into the community.
CrossPurpose, a faith-based nonprofit fighting poverty through career development, officially opened its doors in the city on Wednesday. It is their third location after seeing much success in both their Denver and Englewood locations.
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“I didn’t think I was going to learn as much as I did here or grow as much as a person,” DaJaNae Segodia said.
Today Segodia has transformed that knowledge into a career as an administrator. She’s also leaving behind a past filled with uncertainty.
“You get stuck in the work life. Work to live, work, live, you’re just paying your bills,” she said.
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None of it, she says, would be possible without CrossPurpose.
“We really focus on the individual person and say ‘What is a 3 to 10 year journey to actually get you out of poverty and to create wealth?'” CEO Jason Janz said.
Now they will be able to serve those living in Arvada.
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“It is our largest space and maybe our most beautiful space,” Janz said.
The location in the northwestern part of the Denver area includes multiple classrooms for training and the walls inside contain art and stories of their graduates. CrossPurpose also provides free mental health care.
Their organization is adding to The Bridge campus. Once an old strip mall, it has been revitalized and now includes a variety of support services in one location.
That’s something Janz says is needed outside of downtown Denver.
“A lot of the people in poverty have left Denver and scattered into first ring burbs, so the suburbs are dealing with levels of poverty they haven’t before,” he added.
For Segodia, who graduated from the program in July, an expansion means more opportunity for people like her who are looking for more than paycheck-to-paycheck living.
“I’m really excited to see what happens,” she said.
CrossPurpose is planning to open a fourth location in Aurora next year.