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'Thank God there was a door' A safe harbor for stormy lives Animals love human volunteers Bean Project changes lives City Red Cross chapter helps victims of 300 blazes yearly Cops continue crusade for needy kids Dental clinic for kids delivers smiles Denver Partners find joy in mentoring Determination helps single mom Feast gives poor a meal fit for king Green thumbs, warm hearts help harvest hope for needy Homeless critters need Christmas, too Kids Cafes serve up sustenance Little white ball leads teen to turnaround Mentors help teens excel in school, life Musician strikes chord with mentors Once-homeless teen opens door Project Angel Heart's meals a blessing to Denver's sick Rape awareness program also emphasizes prevention Reach out by reading aloud to kids Recipient: Samaritan House help 'a miracle' Salvation Army long has helped the needy, especially at yule School's goal is personal growth Specialist helps keep Indians in class Students communicate, learn through dance moves Sungate helps abused kids survive confusion and pain
'Thank God there was a door'
A safe harbor for stormy lives
Animals love human volunteers
Bean Project changes lives
City Red Cross chapter helps victims of 300 blazes yearly
Cops continue crusade for needy kids
Dental clinic for kids delivers smiles
Denver Partners find joy in mentoring
Determination helps single mom
Feast gives poor a meal fit for king
Green thumbs, warm hearts help harvest hope for needy
Homeless critters need Christmas, too
Kids Cafes serve up sustenance
Little white ball leads teen to turnaround
Mentors help teens excel in school, life
Musician strikes chord with mentors
Once-homeless teen opens door
Project Angel Heart's meals a blessing to Denver's sick
Rape awareness program also emphasizes prevention
Reach out by reading aloud to kids
Recipient: Samaritan House help 'a miracle'
Salvation Army long has helped the needy, especially at yule
School's goal is personal growth
Specialist helps keep Indians in class
Students communicate, learn through dance moves
Sungate helps abused kids survive confusion and pain
Curtis Park Center provides programs that point toward better-paying jobs
By Sue LindsayDenver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
When Kiameesha Dismel wanted a better life for herself and her children, the Curtis Park Community Center showed her how to get there. "Joy of Giving" is a Denver Rocky Mountain News month-long campaign to make the holiday season a warm and joyful time for everyone. To donate to Curtis Park Community Center, mail checks to 929 29th St., Denver, CO 80205. For information or to volunteer: (303) 295-2399. Living on her own since she was 14, often working two full-time jobs to make ends meet, Dismel, now 21, was fed up with low-paying, dead-end jobs. The fact that she was seven months pregnant with her second child didn't deter her. The impending birth of her second son was all the more reason to carve out the beginnings of a career. Last spring, she began taking classes paid for by the community center to get her GED. "I needed my GED to move up. My lack of a high school diploma was starting to be a big holding track in my life," she said. But she was only a couple of weeks into the classes when she developed toxemia and her son, Ivanhill, was delivered prematurely on March 19. Her son, born with a hole in his heart and pulmonary hypertension, stayed in the hospital until July and remains on oxygen. He will need open heart surgery after he is a year old. But even that didn't stop Dismel. A few weeks on welfare was all it took to reignite Dismel's determination to change her life. "There wasn't enough money on welfare to pay my bills," she said. "I had to get back to work." She returned to the community center where her mentor, Leanna Salas, found her a clerical job with the Park Hill Health Clinic. The catch? She needed her GED. "I just went in there and took the test and I passed," she said. She got the job, which paid about $2 more an hour than her previous job. And it offered her dreams for a future. She plans to return to school in January through another Curtis Park program for training as a medical assistant, a move that will nearly double her hourly wage. "I love coming to work every day," she said. "I'm more motivated now than I ever have been. "I've had jobs that paid $10 an hour but I never thought I would have a job that had a future, where I could move up." With a bigger paycheck, Dismel was able to move out of her Denver apartment complex into a townhome in Northglenn. Her 8-year-old brother also now lives with her. "At the apartments, my 3-year-old son couldn't play in the back yard without his toys being stolen," she said. "I'd park my car and come out later to find a big dent in it. I was tired of it, tired of the area." Although she and her children's father don't live together, he cares for the children while Dismel works. She gets home before he needs to be at his job. Salas said Dismel's determination made the difference in her life. But Dismel says she couldn't have made it happen without the support of programs offered by the community center. "If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to get my foot in the door to show them what I could do here," she said. "If you don't have a high school diploma, most employers don't think you can do the job. The community center gave me the chance to prove I could do it." December 22, 2000 NewsWeatherOpinionNationWorldSci/TechDeaths BusinessStocks Bank Rates SportsBroncosAvalancheNuggetsRockiesCollegeRockyPreps RecreationSnow Rept.HikingBikingFishingGolfCalendarDentry EntertainmentMoviesDiningMusicOn StageBooksTV Living Comics Health Food Home & Garden Family Travel Cookbook Births Weddings Crossword ClassifiedPlace an adAutoCareersHomes User Agreement / Privacy Statement © Copyright, Denver Publishing Co.Subscribe to the NewsQuestions? Comments? Talk to Us
When Kiameesha Dismel wanted a better life for herself and her children, the Curtis Park Community Center showed her how to get there.
The fact that she was seven months pregnant with her second child didn't deter her. The impending birth of her second son was all the more reason to carve out the beginnings of a career.
Last spring, she began taking classes paid for by the community center to get her GED.
"I needed my GED to move up. My lack of a high school diploma was starting to be a big holding track in my life," she said.
But she was only a couple of weeks into the classes when she developed toxemia and her son, Ivanhill, was delivered prematurely on March 19.
Her son, born with a hole in his heart and pulmonary hypertension, stayed in the hospital until July and remains on oxygen. He will need open heart surgery after he is a year old.
But even that didn't stop Dismel.
A few weeks on welfare was all it took to reignite Dismel's determination to change her life.
"There wasn't enough money on welfare to pay my bills," she said. "I had to get back to work."
She returned to the community center where her mentor, Leanna Salas, found her a clerical job with the Park Hill Health Clinic. The catch? She needed her GED.
"I just went in there and took the test and I passed," she said.
She got the job, which paid about $2 more an hour than her previous job. And it offered her dreams for a future. She plans to return to school in January through another Curtis Park program for training as a medical assistant, a move that will nearly double her hourly wage.
"I love coming to work every day," she said. "I'm more motivated now than I ever have been.
"I've had jobs that paid $10 an hour but I never thought I would have a job that had a future, where I could move up."
With a bigger paycheck, Dismel was able to move out of her Denver apartment complex into a townhome in Northglenn. Her 8-year-old brother also now lives with her.
"At the apartments, my 3-year-old son couldn't play in the back yard without his toys being stolen," she said. "I'd park my car and come out later to find a big dent in it. I was tired of it, tired of the area."
Although she and her children's father don't live together, he cares for the children while Dismel works. She gets home before he needs to be at his job.
Salas said Dismel's determination made the difference in her life. But Dismel says she couldn't have made it happen without the support of programs offered by the community center.
"If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to get my foot in the door to show them what I could do here," she said.
"If you don't have a high school diploma, most employers don't think you can do the job. The community center gave me the chance to prove I could do it."
December 22, 2000
