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How to become a Program Participant

Become an EarthLinks Program Participant!

Individuals wanting to be a participant in the Workshop program at EarthLinks must go through Orientation which is held quarterly (every three months). Once completing Orientation, a new participant is eligible to be paid for coming to work one morning which may involve making crafts, working in our organic gardens, arranging flowers, making body products, and more. They are also eligible to receive regular case management (aka resource navigation), go on monthly nature trips, participate in our educational and recreational afternoon classes and more!
Information about our upcoming orientation:  
1) Call-in times to register for a spot in our upcoming Orientation is from 9 AM sharp until 4 pm that afternoon of Monday, Oct. 25th.  At that time, folks will be interviewed as to their current living situation, their income, how long they have been homeless, etc. Call: 303-389-0085
To qualify: Folks need to have an income under $1,080 per month and have experienced homelessness either now or in the recent past.  This would include persons living in shelters, in their vehicles, and living temporarily couch surfing with family and friends.  Preference is given 1st to those who are currently homeless; 2ndly to those who are living with family or friends in semi-permanent situations or in transitional living situations; and 3rdly, to others who are housed but meet the income requirements.
2)  We will determine by Wednesday who will be accepted into this quarter’s orientation and will notify those who have been chosen to begin orientation as well as call those who were not selected.
3)  1st Orientation Day is Friday, Oct. 29th at 9 AM.  Orientation is a three step process.  The 2nd Orientation session is Monday Nov. 1st at 9 AM.  The 3rd Session will be that same week depending on which day the new person chooses to be their regular workshop day.    
4)  It is required that prospective participants be able to make all three Orientation sessions.  Missed sessions will disqualify a person from this Orientation period with rare exception.  We ask that those chosen for orientation make arrangements to be present for all three days.  
New orientees for the EarthLinks Workshop program meet over a three week period (typically a Friday and a Monday), then attend one regular workshop during the third week. To be invited to join orientation, you must be 18 years of age or older, be currently experiencing homelessness, or have experienced homelessness it in the recent past. If you are earning an income from any source, it needs to be less than $12,490 a year according to the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
Orientation is a three- step process which will be described below:
  1. To obtain an invitation to orientation you must call EarthLinks at 303-389-0085 anytime after 9am on designated our call-in date and SPEAK TO A PERSON (do not leave a voice mail, so keep calling back until you talk to someone on the phone). If you do not have a phone, you may come to EarthLinks at our location (2746 W. 13th Avenue Denver, CO 80204) after 9am to sign up for orientation in person.
  2. You will receive a follow-up call later in the week letting you know if you are invited to join the first orientation meeting later that week on a Friday from 9:30am – 11:30 am. You will be provided a breakfast on that day.
  3. You will then be invited to return  for a second orientation day that following Monday to get familiarized  with the community and products. After completion of these orientation days, you will then be assigned a workshop day for the following week, depending on your schedule.
Ms. M's Testimonial
“What really sustains me at EarthLinks is the garden, being able to look at it, wander through it, and care for it. EarthLinks for me is a meditation in action. It is recuperative and helps me counteract the stress and trauma that I deal with on a daily basis due to poverty.”
Pam's Testimonial
"I love being around all of the growth and the nature at EarthLinks, it’s an electricity in a way, it gives off its own energy, so I come here and suck it all in because downtown there is not much at all, I come here to recharge. I’m proud to say that I work here, I represent. EarthLinks is more than just a garden- it’s family, it’s support, it’s people who love me even when I didn’t love myself, and my family didn’t at that point either. I wouldn’t be where I am without this community, I don’t even know if I would be alive."
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Jan's Testimonial
A lot of times when you are homeless, there is this feeling is that you have no worth, you have nothing to contribute. Society acts as if homeless people just appeared out of nowhere, but most of them have been around for quite a number of decades doing a lot of work and either because of illness, or disability, or getting laid off, it’s very hard to get a job that pays enough to live on. You begin to feel as though you’ve been kicked to the curb. Coming to EarthLinks and doing something productive and interesting makes people feel better about themselves, I know it helped me a lot when I needed it.
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Who is Eligible: Persons 18 years or older who are currently experiencing homelessness, have been homeless, and who are economically poor.
When does the Workshop Program Happen? Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:30am-11:30am.
To sign up: Please call (303) 389-0085 or come to our location at 2746 W. 13th Avenue Denver, CO 80204 t0 ask for instructions.
The size of orientation is based on the available space in the program, and we will not hold orientation if there is not enough space in the program to accommodate new people. Space in orientation is on a first come/first served basis, please call us with any questions that you have.