Like many non-profit organizations in Denver, the Impact Empowerment Group (IEG) has been severely challenged by effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Northeast Denver organization, which is a Montview mission partner, seeks to disrupt the cycles of violence and crime by providing gang intervention, life coaching, school mentoring and job placement for youth and adults.  When schools were shut down in mid-March, so was IEG’s mentoring program. In addition, many of the companies which hired IEG clients were forced to lay off employees.

Montview member Craig Maginness, who has been deeply involved with the organization for many years, said it’s been a difficult few months. “IEG is itself an exemplar of how the virus and economic lockdown affected the black community disproportionately more than most of the rest of us.  The dramatic cuts in employment meant that IEG was unable to place people in jobs and most of the people who had been placed were on the front lines of layoffs.” 

In addition, after being denied a loan from the federal Paycheck Protection Program, IEG was forced to lay off most of its staff. But executive director Garrett Crawford said he still managed to do weekly telephone check-ins with about two dozen clients and he’s been busy working with the city on a summer youth employment initiative. He’s also been trying to determine what the school mentoring program will look like in the fall.  “Our mentoring program was always in-person in the schools, but if school is going to be online, we need to figure out how to adapt,” said Crawford.

IEG will also embark on another school initiative. It was recently awarded a contract from the Colorado Attorney General’s office to provide an alternative to school suspensions. “When kids are suspended, they disengage, they’re more likely to drop out and it contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline. We want to disrupt that pipeline,” said Crawford.  He added that there may be a role for Montview members who are retired teachers to help with the tutoring program.

“I’m an optimist by nature. I’m a glass-half-full guy. I look at everything that has happened these last few months, including the racial unrest, and I see people who are becoming more aware. I think that creates an opportunity for our organization to grow and that more people will want to help. The shut down impacted us greatly, but we’re coming back and I’m very optimistic about the work we’re going to engage in.”

– Submitted by Mary Jo Brooks