Your Recovery Dollars at Work
Your Recovery Dollars at Work
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is reaching millions of people across Colorado through tax cuts, increased social service benefits, more affordable bank loans, and increased opportunities to obtain government contracts and grants. Most importantly, however, the Recovery Act is creating jobs, especially in the construction and green energy industry. Here are stories of Coloradans who have benefited from the Recovery Act. More will be added in coming weeks.
Jose Aguirre
P.A.A. Contractors in Thornton
Jose Aguirre, 31, of Aurora says "It's already helping us. We hired four more people for this job. Once you go into a state job, the pay gets better. It's better than private jobs. We're getting our feet wet with this job. What a blessing to get our feet wet with the stimulus money!"
Julia Kirklen
Denver Youth Workforce Office
Julia Kirklen, 18, a Denver native, graduated from East High School says, "This is the reason why I have a job, and why a lot of other youth have jobs in Colorado."
Marion Tongish
Twin Parish Church, Denver
The church anticipates that the number of families they serve will increase to 1,000 by the end of the year. The need for food used to go down in the summer, because of seasonal summer jobs, but this year the need did not go down. In fact, the need has increased 35% a year for the last 2 years
"That's very difficult for us budget-wise," Mr. Tongish explains, "and without the Recovery Act, we really couldn't do it."
Alison Barber
Castle Rock Construction
Alison Barber, 23, of Denver says without the Recovery Act, "at this point, Castle Rock Construction would probably be trying to lay off people," she said. Instead, they've won $39 million in contracts through Recovery Act-funded projects. That includes a piece of the $32 million project that includes improvements to a bike path on C-470 in Morrison. Barber was hired as foreman and started work in June.
"I really feel like the Recovery Act will trickle down slowly to everyone. I'm a more direct result."
Click here to view a video of Alison Barber
Arielle Nieves
Pikes Peak Community College
Computer Lab Assistant
Arielle Nieves, 17, from Georgia, now living in Colorado Springs works as a computer lab assistant, she is responsible for answering phones, checking-in patrons and aiding students at computer stations.
Arrielle's new position, which is subsidized by the Recovery Act, has allowed her to support herself financially and help her grandmother care for her younger siblings. Furthermore, while she has previous job experience in retail, her current position has taught her more technical knowledge of computers. Such knowledge will prove valuable in future work environments.
Dr. Marc Moss
University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora
Dr. Marc Moss, 47, was awarded a $3 million grant on June 1, 2009, paid for with Recovery Act funds for a 5-year clinical study. The grant pays for the first two years of the study and was awarded by the National Institute of Nursing Research and will be used to study a condition called polyneuromyopathy -- a dysfunction of the nerves and/or muscles that often is a consequence of being on mechanical life-support for seven days or more.
Patrick Jachetta
Patrick Jachetta, 49, of Arvada, says, "I'm not a thief. I just want to live." Jachetta is soft-spoken and clean. He expressed deep gratitude toward the people at the church and the free food. He said he didn't know some of the food, like the meat, was purchased with Recovery Act dollars.
Alberta Halle
Alberta Halle, 82, of Arvada received the extra $250 check from the Social Security Administration paid for by the Recovery Act. She said she put the money in the bank "for necessities."
"I think it's a good idea. I don't take it for granted."
Margareta Bancroft
Standard Renewable Energy
Margareta Bancroft, 47, moved to Boulder from San Diego in January 2009.
"I was very excited about the the Recovery Act because I feel like it's going to promote growth and provide a lot of opportunities to people who need it. I think it's an excellent thing for our president to do... because of the growth opportunities for all people," Bancroft said.
Rena Thomas
Rena Thomas, 59, of Lakewood says, "I didn't know (the Recovery Act) was helping me. That's great. It really helps," Thomas said. With the extra $250, she said she paid her phone bill, which had been overdue.
Thomas also goes to Agape Life Church to get food commodity items on a weekly basis. She said the fruits and vegetables and meat are really helpful for her diet. "I depend on this, I really do."
Jace Sanders
Construction Worker for CS & W
Jace Sanders, 37, of Pagosa Springs, has worked in construction all his life.
He didn't realize at the time that his new job was funded by Recovery Act funds. "This is the first real live job that I've been on that I've realized that actual stimulus money was being used on it," Mr. Sanders explains.
Mr. Sanders and his family are thankful not only to have a steady income, but also to live back at home in Pagosa Springs.
Eric Van Orden
Energy Efficiency Manager at Standard Renewable Energy
Eric Van Orden, 27, of Boulder, joined the company in 2007 and works with most areas of the company, including the sales representatives and energy efficiency auditors.
Standard Renewable Energy is growing fast, in part because of the Recovery Act. In October 2009, Van Orden said his company plans to hire 17 more workers before the end of the year.
"The results of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act have been profound for our company and certainly helped us to create more job growth, a strong renewable energy industry and safe and comfortable homes in Colorado."
Darnell Mascarenes
Denver Human Services
Food Stamp Processor
While the increase in demand threatens to slow the processing of food stamps, Denver county staff is working diligently to avoid backlog, and Ms. Mascarenas reports that the Recovery Act dollars are helping these efforts immensely.
Bob Ryerson
Census Bureau
"I think that people would like to see the economy turn around overnight and that's not going to happen," he said. "I would like to tell people that there are jobs in the pipeline coming down, and to have some patience because it is working."
Andrew Cano
Weisburg Construction, Intern
Andrew Cano, 20, from Colorado Springs, has spent his summer doing what he enjoys most. An experienced mechanic, Andrew's past job experience includes working in landscape maintenance and automotive repairs. His current job, funded by the Recovery Act, has allowed him to pursue his passion further. An intern at Weisburg Construction, Andrew spends his time helping the Weiseberg mechanics fix lawn mowers, edgers and automobiles.
"If I didn't have this job right now," Andrew explains, "I'd be doing nothing but looking for a job. This job has given me something to do everyday, something to look forward to."
Jean Echeverria
Weld County Food Bank
Jean Echeverria packs food into boxes at the Weld Food Bank for families and individuals who are in desperate straits. The Greeley-based food bank expects to receive a major shipment of food paid for by the Recovery Act. They will get 137 cases of canned pork and 221 cases of cheese. That's enough to give for almost 3,000 individuals and families.
The food bank also expects to receive major shipments of eggs, sliced turkey and whole chickens. Echeverria said she's never seen such high quality protein products like those since she began working at the food bank last year.
Alex Johnson
Preparing Colorado for Tomorrow
Alex Johnson, 26, of Silverthorne had been working in construction in Colorado for about two years when he got laid off. After he got laid off, Johnson applied for more than 200 jobs with no luck. In May, he applied for a job as an installer with the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, an agency that is administering the expanded low-income weatherization program funded through the Recovery Act. About 75 people applied for the $14/hour job and Johnson was hired.
"I was hoping that I would get some of that stimulus money and here I am."
Jan Huston
Agape Life Church, Arvada
Jan Huston, of Arvada works at Agape Life Church. The church distributes food every Thursday to low-income residents from Jefferson County.
"They give out food from several sources: the Food Bank of the Rockies through the Emergency Food Assistance Program, food purchased with church congregation fund donations from the Food Bank of Rockies, donations from stores, restaurants and the church congregation."
Alexey Bogatiryov
Census Bureau
Alexey Bogatiryov, 24, of Centennial emigrated to the United States from his native Ukraine in 1995 when he was 10 years old. He graduated from the University of Denver.
"After college, I did whatever I could to get by. I was in a lot of debt. I relied on my credit card to get by."
In June 2009, Bogatiryov was hired as a partnership assistant for the local Census Bureau.
"I was always interested in serving my new country," he said. The new job "will definitely help me further my career with the government. I hope someday to work with the State Department as a foreign service officer."
Kevin DeLange
Dry Dock Brewery
Kevin DeLange, owner of Dry Dock Brewery in Aurora received the "Small Brewing Company of the Year" award at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival.
The Recovery Act loan provided the funds to expand Dry Dock Brewery. Their customer base doubled immediately and DeLange expects it to grow 30% over the near year.
"The Recovery Act has benefited out businesses primarily by being able to expand quicker with equipment purchases we otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford at the time which has helped us grow faster than we would have been able to."
Carla Pacheco
Census Bureau
Carla Pacheco, 45, of Littleton, was laid off from her job as an events manager for an electronics company in the fall of 2008. For nine months, she searched for work. Pacheco was hired by the U.S. Census Bureau in June 2009 to work as a partnership assistant.
Pacheco's impression of the Recovery Act was that it was designed to help develop new business for companies and to create jobs. She said she is grateful to have a job paid for with Recovery Act funds.
"It's incredible," she said of the Recovery Act. "It's government at work. It keeps us living and surviving. If I didn't have this job I'd still be looking. I really don't know what I'd do without this job."