$5,355 raised by 9 donors
7% complete
$80,000 Goal
Give Us Space to Breathe, Heal and Rise!
Without your support, too many young people might never find the space to breathe, heal, and rise.
Without a safe place to step away from screens, school, and stress, their confidence
and connection can fade beneath the weight of pressure.
Your generosity protects that space. It keeps mentors, caring connections, and safe places
ready when youth need them most; before discouragement or disconnection take root.
Every gift ensures that healing isn’t something they lose, but something they find.
Your gift today will...
When you give to The Aspen Effect, you help youth and families build the kind of inner strength
that carries them through life’s hardest moments. Together, we can create a community where
every young person feels grounded, connected, protected, and nurtured and ready to rise.
The Aspen Effect was created to provide youth with opportunities that build resilience, growth and purpose, fostering connections and experiences that support lifelong mental well-being.
Our mission is to build resilience in youth and families in Douglas County. The Aspen Effect is one of the fastest growing 501(c)(3) in Douglas County where there continues to be a youth mental health crisis, where the suicide rate is higher than the national average. Anxiety, disconnection, and pressure are rising, and too many youth are left feeling lost or alone.
Through hands-on experiences with animals, mentors, and service on the ranch, youth and families learn what it means to be grounded, connected, protected, and nurtured. These four words guide everything we do. When a person feels grounded, they know who they are. When they feel connected, they realize they are not alone. Feeling protected and learning about healthy boundaries brings a sense of safety, and being nurtured helps the heart open to hope again.
The ranch environment invites honest reflection and real conversations that help youth build resilience, self-worth, and healthy relationships. Our mentors and staff walk beside each participant, offering guidance without judgment and support without pressure.
We also partner with schools, community groups, and local leaders to strengthen families and prevent crises in mental health and substance use. Every person who participates in our programs finds space to slow down, take a deep breath, and rediscover their strength. We have seen tears turn into laughter, fear turn into confidence, and disconnection turn into belonging. These are not small changes. They are the beginning of transformation that lasts. As Founder and Executive Director Jerry Van Leuven shares, “Something magical happens when an animal is able to remove emotional barriers and leave a youth standing next to a caring adult they’ve learned to trust.”
Your support ensures no youth has to face this crisis alone. Without you, these opportunities for resilience and healing could be lost. With you, they become lifelines of hope. Learn more at www.theaspeneffect.org.
Organization name
The Aspen Effect
2017
Tax id (EIN)
82-2911196
Category
Mental Health & Crisis Intervention, Animal-Related, Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations, Youth Development
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
PO BOX 798Douglas County, CO, US