DOUGLAS COUNTY HOMELESS INITIATIVE  
THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025  
MINUTES  
BOCC Hearing Room,  
Conference Rooms A & B  
Thursday, June 12, 2025  
9:00 AM  
In - Person Attendees: Commissioner Abe Laydon, Adam Moorman, Allison Cutting, Alyssa DeJesus,  
Andrea Barnum, Arin DeGroff, Caroline Frizell, Chris Eubanks, Dan Marlow, Donté Young, Ellie  
Reynolds, Erin White, Greg Matthews, Jamie Fisher, Jason Gray, Jay Carpenter, Jeff Garcia, Jennifer  
Eby, Kevin Torrens, Kirsten Swanson, , Luke Ward, Maria Ciano, Melody D’Haillecourt, Mike Hill,  
Mike McIntosh, Mike Polhemus, Nick Adamson, Rand Clark, Ruby Richards, Sasha Larson, Scott  
Nelson  
Online Participants: 25 (list is available upon request)  
1.  
2.  
Welcome & Introductions: Commissioner Laydon  
Communications Update:  
Caroline Frizell, Director of Communications: Douglas Has HEART campaign has raised  
$16,623 in donations since the campaign’s inception. Social media data shows that from  
January-June 2025, a total of 33,225 impressions for five Nextdoor Posts and 11,825  
impressions for 16 posts to Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Email marketing data  
shows an average 47% open rate from six meeting emails to 1,140 subscribers and a 42%  
open rate for February check donation to 11,379 subscribers. The 2025 communication  
goals include increasing the number of businesses engaged with the initiative through  
fundraising partnerships and continued partnership with the Economic Development  
Chamber (EDC), to raise $5,000 by the end of 2025, and to raise $10,000 in February 2026,  
with new campaign. Updates to the website will include success stories, donation statistics,  
and make postcards and posters available to businesses.  
3.  
4.  
Legal Update: Jeff Garcia, County Attorney:  
On June 9, 2025, a Retail Theft Summit was held in collaboration with multiple  
organizations across the County including the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO),  
the 23rd District Attorney’ Office, the Douglas County Attorney’s Office, the Douglas  
County Economic and Development Chambers (DCEDC), Douglas County businesses, and  
multiple jurisdictions. The summit discussed retail theft enforcement, increases in  
penalties, and increasing business cooperation to prosecute and report these crimes.  
Community Service Provider Update: Manna Resource Center:  
Erin White, Executive Director, Manna Resource Center (MRC): MRC’s mission is to  
extend the love of Jesus by walking alongside our neighbors to foster transformation and  
empowerment through holistic programs, community, and collaborative partnerships.  
Programs offered include resource navigation, professional coaching, wellness, community,  
identity development, parenting skills, and personal finance education. In the last 12  
months, MRC has graduated 30 participants from their program. From those 30  
graduates, 297 participant goals were accomplished, 1402 outcomes achieved, a 23%  
increase in their Colorado Family Support Assessments 2.0 (CFSA), and a 248% increase  
in their combined incomes to $1,450,000 annually.  
5.  
6.  
Executive Committee Member Updates:  
Maria Ciano, Executive Director, Douglas County Housing Partnership (DCHP):  
Proposition 123 program has received a Metro Vision award through Denver Regional  
Council Of Governments (DRCOG). Unity on Park open house is on June 18, 2025.  
Housing Navigator Erin DeGroff has filled the new position.  
HEART Update:  
Donté Young, HEART Navigator: May HEART activity summary includes 21 new clients  
enrolled in the HEART program, 146 total referrals, 25 clients exited the program with  
8% going to permanent housing, and 19 business engagements. HEART activities that  
were completed for the month of May included a presentation to the Douglas County  
Housing Partnership, attended the Transformational Homeless Response (THR) Learning  
Initiative for Fighting Homelessness Together (LIFT) Academy, and met with IT for text  
capabilities for HEART hotline. In May of 2024, there were 29 new enrollments to the  
HEART program, in April of 2025, there were 14 enrollments and in May of 2025, there  
were 21 enrollments. In May of 2025, there were 45 households that received one or more  
services in the HEART program.  
HEART completed a total of 109 calls for service for the month of May 2025. The  
services provided by location included Highlands Ranch 34%, Castle Rock 19%, Parker  
21%, Lone Tree 12%, Castle Pines 10%, and Englewood 4%. Exit outcomes for the 25  
clients included 8% exited to permanent housing, 24% exited to temporary housing, 40%  
exited to emergency shelter, 8% were no contact, and 20% wanted to remain homeless but  
out of County.  
7.  
8.  
Public Comment: No comment  
Closing Comments: Commissioner Laydon  
**The Next Regular Meeting Will be Held on Thursday, July 10, 2025 @ 9:00 a.m**  
The Douglas County Homeless Initiative provides a collaborative meeting space for a diverse group of  
community partners to discuss issues related to homelessness. These meetings are not a forum for discussion of  
specific land use applications or development projects in individual jurisdictions. Please contact the relevant  
jurisdiction to inquire about how to participate in the public input process for specific projects.