Organizations tasked with distributing donated funds to residents affected by the Waldo Canyon Fire came together this morning to talk about how they are doing just that. For the Pikes Peak United Way and the Pikes Peak Community Foundation, funds don’t go straight to individuals. Rather, they go to area nonprofit organizations directly assisting with fire relief efforts. Pikes Peak United Way Board Chair Terrance McWilliams says it’s about ensuring the funds get to the right hands.
"There’s a vetting process. How do we vet that you are indeed a victim of the fire? And we just don’t have the resources nor the manpower to do that vetting. But the nonprofits, the various nonprofits that are providing the support, have that capability".
An example of one of those organizations is Catholic Charities, though they have not applied for funds from the United Way. Catholic Charities will begin transitioning into long-term recovery efforts in the coming weeks, while donations specific to the Waldo Canyon emergency fund at the United Way will end at the end of August.
(Full press conference here.)
The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has a new director. Denver lawyer and former Assistant Attorney General Matthew Lepore was named as the new head of the state agency yesterday. The organization is tasked with regulating the oil and gas industry. According to a press release, Lepore was a legal advisor to the Commission as the agency overhauled state regulations in 2009.
