Cliff is committed to applying his experience in business administration and workforce development to addressing gaps in care for young adults exiting foster care and youth corrections.

“We have to address the whole person. None of us can meet all of the health, housing, and employment needs a young person faces as they transition into adulthood, but together we can.”

My passion has always been to help others and strengthen the community she resides in. After graduating, I moved to Colorado Springs to earn her masters in student affairs in higher education at The University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Since moving to Colorado, I found myself working with an at-risk population once again at Project Diakonia. My favorite thing about working for such a small nonprofit is that I have the time to truly connect with my clients and help them in a holistic manner.  

As Data Analyst and Bookkeeper for our local team, Jennifer enjoys working with numbers and data sets as well as people.  A geeky jack-of-all-trades, Jennifer was pleasantly surprised to be accepted to Project Diakonia in late September 2022 and went through the training with her autistic teen. She was approached at graduation about volunteering to help tutor her peers, and quickly became part of the team. Jennifer is also an experienced trainer (Microsoft Office Specialist ) and a small business owner creating stained glass. An Air Force veteran, she and her husband retired in Colorado Springs. Someday she hopes to return to Scotland, where she grew up. 

After retiring from 36 years of leadership in the business sector, Steve now serves as the President of Project Diakonia in its mission to address gaps in care for youth aging out of government systems.

“As an adoptive parent, I am intimately aware of the challenges foster youth face. I believe in what Diakonia is doing to offer a sense of purpose and permanency to young adults who may have missed out on that.”

Chuck has been mentoring at-risk young adults in foster care for over a decade. Coupled with over 26 years of service as an officer in the Navy, Chuck is a compassionate and capable leader.

“Sometimes, all a young person needs is someone there to cheer them on. It’s amazing what God can accomplish in a person’s life when they know there are people that believe in them.”