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7SEPTEMBER2013BODYOFCHRISTNEWSForthepastfifteenyearsCelebrationofFamilies-StudentsInc.hashonoredmanyfamiliesandstu-dentswithintheDenvercommunity.OnSaturdaySeptember212013at100pmtheorganizationwillbecelebratingits15thyearanniversarywithacloseoutreunionevent.TheeventwillfeaturelocaltalentthatincludestheColoradoMormonChoraleandExcelInstituteChoir.TheeventwillbeheldatNewHopeBaptistChurchlocatedat3701ColoradoBoulevard.CelebrationofFamiliesiscor-diallyinvitingtheDenverCommunitytoattendthisworth-whilecelebrationandtoinviteotherstocomecelebrateaswell.Aspecialinvitationisextendedtothefamiliesandstudentsthathavebeenhonoredbytheorganization.UndertheleadershipofDr.RobbieBeanFounderandPresidentCelebrationofFamilies-StudentsInc.hashonoredandcelebratedfamiliesthatreflectedthediversityofDenverandsurroundingareas.Theorganizationsvaluesweretoencourageandreflectinclusionanddiversityofallfamilieswhohavebeenexamplesofoutstandingfamiliesunits.Thefamiliesrecognizedhavecomefromvariousracesnationaloriginssocio-economicstatuseducationallevelspoliticalviewsandreligiousaffiliations.Familieswerehonoredforvarietyreasonswhichincludedbutarenotlimitedtosupportingtheirchildrenseducationalandextracurricularactivitiesprovidingemotionalandmoralsupporttoeachotherover-comingfamilycrisesstrivingtoeliminatethemythofdysfunctionalfamiliesbutmostofallfortheirexpressionofagapelovewithintheirfamilyandthecommunityatlarge.ForthelastseveralyearstheCelebrationofFamilies-StudentsInc.alsoconductedacreativewritingandartcontestforchildrenages4fourto14.StudentsfrommanyschoolswithinDenverandsurroundingsareascompetedforfirstsecondandthirdplace.ThethemeofthecontestwasalwaysFamilies.Contestsubmissionsincludedessaysshortstoriespoetrymuralsdrawingsphotogra-phyandcomputergraphics.Thestudentscreativeworkreflectedexpressionsabouttheirfamilyafamouspersonsfamilytravelingwithfamilyfunwithfamilythedifferencesinfamiliesorholidaycelebrationswithfamilies.Allchildrenparticipantsreceivedrecognitionfortheirparticipationgiftbagsortrinketsandapizzaparty.ThelastendeavorthatwastakenonbyCelebrationofFamilies-StudentsInc.wasseveralintergen-erationaltripstoSouthDakota.Thetravelersofapproximately80peopleeachtripwereofallagesrangingfromsixto92.Thetravelersofvariousgen-dersoccupationspecialneedsandreligiousdenom-inationstraveledontheRamblinExpressbusandvanstoLeadSouthDakota.Thetripincludedvisit-inghistoricalsitessuchasMountRushmoreCrazyHorseMemorialandfellowshippingwithTrinityUnitedMethodistChurchinLeadSouthDakota.Educationalseminarswerehelddailytoseehowwellthetravelerswerestudyingtheinformationpacketsthathadbeengiventothemforthetrip.AttheendofeachtriptheorganizationsponsoredacommunitysharingprogramatSt.LukeCMEChurchwherestudentsthatparticipatedreportedonwhattheylearned.Bycombiningfamiliesseniorsandyouthaspartofthetravelinggrouptheorganizationnotonlyshowedhowtheysupportededucationbutalsoencouragedadiversegroupoftravelerstodevelopon-goingpositiverelationships.ThroughouttheyearsnotonlyhasCelebrationofFamilieshonoredfamiliesandstudentsbuttheorga-nizationhasalsohonoredSororitiesFraternitiesChurchesEducatorsReligiousOrganizationsandMissingLinksthoseindividualswhoweresup-portiveofthecommunitybuthavesincetransi-tioned.Manyindividualsandorganizationshavesupportedtheorganizationalfinancially.Withouttheircontributionsnoneoftheeventscouldhavebeenaccomplished.Theorganizationextendsandaheartfeltthankstoallthosevolunteersandcon-tributorsthathavemadetheprogramasuccessfor15years.Dr.RobbieBeanandCelebrationofFamilies-StudentsInc.areinvitingTheDenverCommunityallfamiliesstudentschurchesorganizationsandindividualswhohaveparticipatedinanymannertocomeoutandcelebrateour15thAnniversaryReunion.ComeonecomeallandletsCELEBRATECelebrationofFamilies-StudentsMarks15YearsCelebrationofFamilies-StudentsInc.takesatriptoSouthDakotaMarriageBestDefenseAgainstChildPovertyAdramaticriseinunwedbirthsandtheaccompanyingdeclineinmarriagearethemostimportantcauseofchildpovertyintheColorado.Asof200933.6percentofsingle-parentfamilieswithchildreninColoradowerepoor.Inthesameyearonly6.9percentofmarriedcoupleswithchildreninthestatewerepoor.Single-parentfamilieswerenearlyfivetimesmorelikelytobepoorthanweremarriedfamilies.TheoverwhelmingmajorityofpoorfamilieswithchildreninColoradoarenotmarried.Overallabout29percentofallfamilieswithchildrenatallincomelevelsinthestatearenotmarried.Butastaggering63percentofallpoorfamilieswithchildreninthestateareunmarried.Bycontrastmarriedcouplescompriseonlyaround37percentofpoorfamilieswithchildreninthestate.Thehigherpovertyrateamongsingle-motherfami-liesiscausedbytwofactors1thelowerincomecausedbytheabsenceofthefatherfromthehomeand2theloweraverageeducationlevelsamongsinglemothers.MarriageEducationandPovertyBirthsoutsidemarriageinColoradooccurpredom-inantlyamongless-educatedwomen.InColorado57percentofbirthsamongwomenwhoarehighschooldropoutsareoutofwedlock.Amongwomenwhoarecollegegraduatesonly5percentofbirthsareoutofwedlock.Ironicallythewomenmostlikelytohavechildrenwithoutbeingmarriedarethosewhohavetheleastabilitytosupportchildrenontheirown.Coloradoissplittingintotwoseparatecastes.Inthetophalfofthepopulationchildrenareraisedbymar-riedcoupleswithacollegeeducation.Inthebottomeconomicthirdofthepopulationchildrenareraisedbysinglemotherswithahighschooldegreeorless.Policymakersclearlyrecognizethateducationreducespovertybuttheyarelargelyunawarethatmarriageisanequallystronganti-povertyweapon.InColoradomarriedcoupleswithchildrenareabout75percentlesslikelytobepoorthannon-marriedfamilieswiththesamelevelofeducation.InfactamarriedfamilyheadedbyahighschooldropoutinColoradoisactuallylesslikelytobepoorthananon-marriedfamilyheadedbyanindividualwithafewyearsofcollege.MarriagePovertyandRaceMarriagesubstantiallyreducestheprobabilityTheHeratigeFoundationContinuedonPage11