December 31, 2020

Hello Delegates and neighbors—

Twenty-twenty challenged us. We have had a pandemic crisis that has affected us in so many ways. Some of us have had COVID-19 and some of us have lost friends or loved ones due to the illness. We’ve been unable to travel and work as we normally do. Many have lost their jobs, their insurance and their homes, or are looking at eviction or foreclosure in the upcoming year. We have seen the largest increase of unemployment claims ever noted and with the growing gig economy, many people were already on the edge of homelessness due to the instability of the work. Businesses are closing all around us and the city, state, and country continue to grapple with the effect and impact of all of the above.

In addition to the pandemic, there has been a realization that our neighborhoods, city, state and country still have a long way to go in working on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The death of George Floyd brought many of these issues to the forefront. There are so many other Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) whose names we cannot forget. All of this has been a long time coming and has led many governments, individuals and organizations, including INC, to look closely at their practices, goals and actions.

Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation began 2020 with in-person meetings. It took us awhile, but like most work in this country, we transitioned to online meetings via Zoom. We continue working to educate RNOs and residents on issues that impact their community and the city. And in doing so, we support neighborhoods and neighborhood projects that support their residents. We want to work with residents and RNOs on the many issues that have developed during this challenging year. We will continue to meet via Zoom through at least March 2021, but most likely longer — depending on the pandemic and restrictions.

INC has made several charitable donations in the past year to organizations in the city that we hope will provide the most immediate and effective support to Denver residents (please look to our website for the list). INC made these contributions knowing that many folks have been struggling this year and many organizations that provide services have also been struggling to keep up with growing demand.

One organization to which INC contributed is the Denver Southwest Improvement Council (SWIC). When we meet in person, we have had at least one annual meeting at the SWIC building for each of the past few years. SWIC provides a variety of services for the diverse communities of Southwest Denver — a food bank, senior box lunches (hot lunches pre-COVID), rental and homebuyer education. Please refer to their website for more information https://www.swic-denver.org/what-we-do.html

Aside from the overview, this letter is to inform delegates of another pressing issue presented by the city to SWIC detailed in the attached letter. Through INC’s efforts, we appreciate organizations that work to support community and we know that when we work together, we provide better outcomes for residents. Please review the attached letter and know that INC is working to keep RNOs and neighbors informed and we will continue to discuss this pressing issue.

Please stay safe, wear a mask and we hope to meet again in person later in 2021. To all of you, thank you for your work in 2020. I wish all of you a brighter and healthier new year.

Loretta Koehler
INC President