Caddis staff members love to invest energy locally. It’s the best way they know to grow better places. Read on to learn more about the many ways Caddis staff have contributed to places they lived before coming to Colorado and how they’re continuing their volunteer efforts now that they call Boulder home.

Boulder’s local governance
Caddis staff members have served on city boards, commissions, and authorities – including the city’s Planning Board as well as Boulder Housing Partners. Bryan Bowen currently serves on the board of directors for Better Boulder, an organization that advocates for sustainable and smart development.

Community support in Boulder
Many Caddis staff are engaged in efforts to make the local community a better place. Karin Hoskin does street outreach for TGTHR, an organization providing services to homeless youth in Boulder. Rachel Baker works as English as a second language literacy tutor for BoulderReads, the Community Literacy and Learning program of the Boulder Public Library. Other staff members have volunteered for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, Growing Gardens, and the Holiday Neighborhood HOA.

Housing and community
Several Caddis staff members have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, not just in Boulder but also in Seattle, Austin, Pittsburgh, and Vancouver. Kristen recalls trying to learn how to lay bricks. The mortar kept falling off her trowel, and she developed much respect for masons! Caddis staff have also worked with the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild, the Austin Sustainable Building Coalition, Wild Sage Cohousing, the Cohousing Association of the United States, the Colorado Green Building Guild, and AIA Northern Virginia’s Committee on the Environment.

Food justice and food access  
Good food definitely motivates Caddis staff members. Volunteer gigs related to food have included Ryan Adanalian’s stint as a board member for the Kitsap Community Food Co-Op, Rachel’s work as the lead graphic designer for Veggie Mijas (a collective working toward plant-based food justice, education, and intersectional awareness), and the baking Karin and her 17-year-old daughter do for the national nonprofit Cakes4Kids. Karin and her daughter, Livia Hoskin, bake something delicious and beautiful for a child in need to enjoy on their special day.

Sports and outdoors
Kelly Siu and Ryan get active while volunteering. Kelly has been a volunteer soccer coach with five- and six-year-olds for the YMCA of Northern Colorado. Ryan has served as a Special Olympics track coach, fixed up donated bikes that were given away to homeless individuals and individuals in need through Mission with Bikes, and currently works with Wildland Restoration Volunteers, helping with restoration efforts and serving as a backcountry first aid medic.

Other volunteer contributions
There’s no end to the many ways Caddis staff members volunteer in their communities. Kelly volunteered for the Mackinac Island Governor’s honor Girl Scouts in Michigan, the only location in America where Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are an integral part of the operations of an historical site by acting as official guides. Stephen Eckert and his wife, Jade Polizzi, have been taking University of Colorado architecture students to Lama Foundation in New Mexico for many years for design build projects for the spiritual retreat center.

Stay tuned for news of other Caddis volunteer activities. We love to show our love for our community!

Above: The classic Holiday Drive-In sign welcomes visitors to North Boulder’s Holiday Neighborhood, where the Caddis offices are located. Kristen Uitto recalls volunteering for the Holiday Neighborhood HOA with her husband, Greg Uitto, to change the messages on the sign. Kristen laid out the letters and then passed them up to Greg, who wore the harness and climbed the ladder to stand on the platform.