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Community Assistance Network

336 Comanche
303-621-2194

About US

The Community Assistance Network (C.A.N.) consists of a network of organizations, churches and local business owners who work together to bring a multitude of assistance to the citizens of Elbert County, Colorado.

The objective of the CAN Utility and Food Assistance Fund is to provide basic necessities to individuals and/or families during a time of crisis. Being the only community based human resource organization in Elbert County, our services are vital to our community. The CAN organization strives to assist with basic necessities. The major portion of basic need is food and utilities.

Financial assistance to individuals who have loss of income due to lay-off’s or terminations quite often exceeds the organizational capabilities due to the high cost of living in the Elbert County region. Mortgage payments and rental costs within Elbert County are very high. When one employment loss occurs within a two income family, often times the family faces foreclosure and/or eviction from their residence. If employment is not obtained, the CAN will assist families and individuals by helping to keep food on the table along with heat, water and electric in their home.

Unemployment is not the only situation the CAN organization sees on a daily basis. Severe emotional trauma, such as domestic violence; loss of spouse; loss of love one; injury due to accidents (on or off the jobsite); illness of a family member; and often times, drug/alcohol addiction of a spouse or child. Each of these tragedies can cause a major disruption in a family’s ability to cope with day-to-day living and their ability to get up in the morning and go to work. These types of emotional disruptions are temporary circumstances for the individual and/or family. The CAN organization focuses not only on the ability to meet a basic food and utility assistance, but as well, to direct the family and/or individual in the best suited assistance available in counseling; drug/alcohol treatment centers; emotional support through support groups; medical/prescription programs available; and other agencies who might assist the them in returning to a healthy quality of life.

The CAN organization looks to assist each family and/or individual in creating a personal plan to help bring them back into a healthy state-of-mind through their own efforts. The utilization of the CAN Utility and Food Assistance Fund assists clients in accumulating all their financial resources to catch up on their rent and/or mortgage payments, thereby empowering them to help themselves.

History

C.A.N. was established in April 2003 with the combined efforts of 16 local community churches and concerned individuals located within Elbert County who saw a need for this type of organization. Through the coordination of these individuals the C.A.N. organization was up and running August 5, 2003. C.A.N. is a non-profit, non-denominational, non-partisan organization filed through the State of Colorado to assist individuals in need throughout Elbert County. C.A.N. stands alone as a separate entity to any church or governmental agency. It represents itself only.