The Barton Institute and Lifespan Local Launch Partnership, Face COVID-19 Pandemic Together

As the year began, the Barton Institute for Community Action took a big step – moving out of the University of Denver to become a separate organization. At the same time, we began a deep collaboration with Lifespan Local, an organization cultivating healthy communities in Southwest Denver.

Little did we know what 2020 would bring…and how important this partnership would become in the context of a global pandemic and its impact here at home.

The Barton Institute listens to people in Metro Denver communities and invests in helping them address the challenges they face. Under the leadership of CEO David Miller, the Institute is fueled by decades of experience in Denver’s philanthropy and civic spaces. Lifespan Local is the brainchild of Dr. Lydia Prado, who worked with the community to create the internationally-recognized Dahlia Campus for Health and Well-Being in Northeast Park Hill.

We are all fortunate that David and Lydia realized their strengths and goals aligned and brought their efforts together. The Barton Institute provides fiscal sponsorship and administrative backbone support for Lifespan Local, which currently focuses on Denver’s Westwood neighborhood.

Because Lydia and her team had been listening deeply to the residents of Westwood for months, they heard immediately when the Coronavirus pandemic began to disrupt lives and livelihoods. With administrative support from the Barton Institute, within days Lifespan Local began delivering bags of food and diapers to their neighbors. Now, fueled by gifts from generous donors, Lifespan Local provides distributions of food and supplies to several hundred Westwood families every week. You can learn more about their efforts here.

The Barton Institute/Lifespan Local partnership allows for nimble, creative action to meet community needs – especially during this most challenging of times. With leadership from our founding Board of Directors, we are building an organization that brings together people, resources, and ideas to create lasting, positive change. We hope you will read on to learn more – and consider how to join us in taking action.

Laura Barton
Chair, Board of Directors