Karis Community Hosts Day of Service Volunteers

DENVER (CBS4)- Xcel Energy is signing up volunteers from all over the state to participate in Day of Service. For three hours on Saturday, September 12, thousands of volunteers will be helping out at nearly 60 different projects set up by the energy company.

Karis Community in Denver is hosting one of the projects. Volunteers will be painting the basket weave fence that surrounds the property. Last year the non-profit received a grant to fix up the fence and put in a new gate, now it needs a good coat of paint.

"We have a large property, so we really count on volunteers to help us maintain the yard," said E.J. Barklage, executive director of Karis Community.

Karis Community is a therapeutic residential community for people who are recovering from bi-polar mood disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or serious and persistent mental illness.

"Our goal is to help folks be able to develop healthy coping and life skills so they can practice those while they're here and then be able to transition out on their own," Barklage told CBS4.

Barklage said that Karis Community has a 92 to 95 percent success rate with the clients it serves and part of the therapy is offering a well maintained place to live.

"It's an important project because when individuals come to Karis, they pretty much feel like they're not worth much. And they have felt like they have been tossed to the curb and often times marginalized by society. So we really try to provide an atmosphere that's nice, clean, beautiful and I think it conveys to them, 'You hold value and significance and you're worth it,'" Barklage explained.

Karis Community is hoping to draw 22 volunteers for its fence painting project. Xcel Energy's Day of Service runs from 8am to 11am on Saturday, September 12th.

LINK: Sign up for Xcel Energy's Day of Service