Award Recipients
At the Board of Commissioners Meeting, we recognized the following partners for going above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of BHP residents and the Boulder community.
Community Volunteer Partner: Avani G. Dilger
Presented by: Anita Speirs
Avani G. Dilger is a Certified Addiction Counselor, a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Somatic Psychotherapist, and an Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist who has specialized in substance abuse treatment with adults, teens at risk, and their families. She has done extensive research, training, and clinical work with traditional and alternative approaches to substance abuse treatment. She is the founder and director of the “Natural Highs – Healthy Alternatives to Drugs & Alcohol” program that is currently offered in several high schools in Boulder, Naropa University, and now Boulder Housing Partners communities. She works as a substance abuse counselor for teens, families, and adults in Boulder.
Our partnership with Avani and Natural Highs began on March 2023 offering weekly complementary acudetox sessions for BHP residents and nearby neighborhoods at our Red Oak Park property. In November 2023 we expanded this wonderful offering to 5 more Boulder Housing Properties for weekly sessions. We see anywhere from 6 to 15 residents at each property every week.
Additionally, Avani has given 16 full scholarships to various BHP residents so they can attend acudetox trainings and become certified practitioners. These scholarships are worth $425 each and the training is a 3-day intensive course.
Avani is an exceptional human being. She is a true partner who believes strongly in the BHP mission and works diligently to find the best practitioners, understand our residents, and ensure every person gets the care they deserve. She is wonderful to work with, an excellent communicator, and an amazing human being. Thank you, Avani, for your ongoing commitment to BHP and our residents.
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Community Volunteer Partner: Eliana Colunga
Presented by: Claudia Perez Rogerio
In partnership with CU Boulder, Eliana Colunga has been a close collaborator with Boulder Housing Partners for over seven years. She has dedicated her talents and efforts to designing innovative programs for families participating in the Bringing School Home program, as well as intergenerational activities across our portfolio, in collaboration with our BHP Event Coordinator.
Thanks to her creativity and commitment, we have successfully implemented educational programs that encourage family participation while promoting the holistic development of children through hands-on activities emphasizing the importance of early education.
Two other of her most notable initiatives are:
Building Up PK: In 2018, we began co-designing this program with Eliana, offering in-person activities at the Broadway East and Kalmia Community Centers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was redesigned to ensure its accessibility and continued impact, following these guiding principles:
- Encourage sharing and community building: Utilized WhatsApp and Facebook groups to enable participants to share experiences and their children’s work.
- Be responsive to parents’ needs: Delivered all materials with most prep work completed, accompanied by clear, easy-to-follow instructions in multiple formats.
- Developmentally appropriate activities: Focused on activities tailored to 2- and 3-year-olds, using safe, high-quality materials to build a crafts/activity library.
- Promote essential skills: Included activities fostering sorting, matching, fine motor skills, scientific thinking, and vocabulary development.
- Flexibility for families: Ensured activities were doable with parental support, even with other children present, and kept messiness to a minimum.
Since its inception, Building Up PK has positively impacted more than 80 children aged 2–5, preparing them for a successful transition from home to preschool and/ or to kindergarten.
Curiosity Corner: Launched in the fall of 2024, Curiosity Corner is designed for children aged 2–4 and their caregivers to enjoy moments of creativity and learning together. Following the same principles as Building Up PK, this program is intentionally offered as an in-person experience. To make it flexible and accessible for families with diverse needs, one of our community centers opens once a week, following the school calendar, for a four-hour window. Families can visit the center as often as they’d like and stay as long as they wish during each session. Each session offers four or five engaging activities, allowing children to explore pre-preschool experiences that foster:
- Fine and gross motor skills
- Language development
- Creative and social engagement
This program not only promotes early learning but also creates a unique environment for caregivers and children to connect and build stronger bonds.
Eliana Colunga is a visionary leader whose passion and dedication continue to make a significant difference in our community. Her efforts have created meaningful opportunities for families to develop essential skills and strengthen relationships through learning.
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Community Volunteer Partner: Irene Hillson
Presented by: MJ Fimple
I would like to take a moment to recognize Irene for her incredible contributions to the Golden West community. Even after her employment ended at Golden West, she continues to dedicate her time and energy to supporting residents in countless ways. She has assisted the BHP Property Management team with important tasks, helped brighten the building with holiday decorations, and provided consistent care and support to those in need.
Every Wednesday, Irene helps deliver groceries through Cultivate, a role she has maintained for 12 years at Golden West. In the summer, she handles up to 25 orders, equating to 60 bags of groceries, while in the winter, demand can reach nearly 50 orders and over 160 bags. Her efforts ensure residents, especially those with mobility challenges, receive essential supplies.
She also organizes POKENO game nights, a tradition that started five years ago with just four players and has since grown to a weekly gathering of up to 18 residents. Thanks to her efforts, everyone can participate, including those with visual impairments or memory challenges, without financial barriers.
Beyond these commitments, Irene has created a monthly tradition of delivering flowers to residents who may be new, recovering from illness, or in need of a kind gesture. She personally funds the Affirming Us support group, allowing them to host events and gatherings. Through a network of friends, she secures and distributes donations such as clothing, toiletries, and household essentials to those who need them most. She also provides food from a chef friend and personally cooks for residents who struggle with dietary needs or financial limitations.
Irene’s generosity, dedication, and unwavering commitment to this community have made a lasting impact. Her kindness has touched so many lives, and for that reason, I am honored to nominate her for the Partnership Award.
Prior Award Recipients
February 12, 2025
Governmental Agency: Ellen Orleans, Sustainability Programs Manager, City of Boulder
Local Non-profit: Boulder Public Library District
Thorne Nature Kids – Lil’ Explorers Program
October 9, 2024
Erik Johnson, Northwest Builders LLC
March 13, 2024
Chris Jenkins, The Tantra Condominiums Association
Frasier Meadows – Seniors for Seniors
September 2023
Clutter Trucker
Boulder Food Rescue
May 2023
Quinsigh, LLC
Matt Gazdik, City of Boulder Parks & Recreation
Francisco Mejias, “I Have a Dream” Foundation of Boulder County
March 2023
Boulder County Housing Helpline
Eviction Protection and Rental Assistance Services Program
September 2022
Anonymous Broadway East Resident
Thom Krueger & Sheila Goetz
chfareach
June 2021
Mayra Zavala
March 2021
Boulder Rotary Club
Philanthropiece
Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN)
September 2019
Volunteer Victor Aguilar and Paola Barron
Impact on Education
City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department
Volunteer Parvinder Wahla
TRU PACE
June 2019
Realities for Children Boulder County, Eric Schulz
City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, Juanita Echeverri and David Sutherland
Volunteer Paulette Foss
September 2018
Volunteer Mark Willard
Via
June 2018
Boulder Public Library – Book Rich Environments Initiative
Harvest of Hope, Pop-Up Pantry
Senior Services, City of Boulder Human Services Department
October 2017
Clinica – Homeless Outreach Team
CU Environmental Center “FLOWS”
Division of Housing – City of Boulder, Kurt Firnhaber and Kristin Hyser
Volunteer Erica Meyer
June 2017
Dr. Ron Cabrera
City of Boulder Department of Transportation – “Go Boulder”
Volunteer Ana Karina Casas
St. Paul’s Methodist Church – “STEM Rev”
Boulder County Housing and Human Services: Healthy Kids and Adults Eligibility Technicians
Boulder Building Blocks Fund
March 2017
Lyn Young
David Kennedy – Catluck
Boulder Police Department – Homeless Outreach Team – Officer Jenny Paddock and Office Abel Ramos
Gail Promboin
Amy Tremper
October 2016
St. Benedict Health and Healing Ministry
Ingrid Castro-Campos
Nan Jenner Bryant
June 2016
Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA)
Engaged Latino Parents Advancing School Outcomes through the Community Foundation Serving Boulder County
Claudia Sanchez
Luisa Silva De Murillo
March 2016
Housing First Team for the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless
Oracle
Sue Percifield
October 2015
ReSchool Colorado – Donnell-Kay Foundation
Harvest of Hope Pantry
Caren Phillips from Intercambio
June 2015
CLEAResult
Boulder Area Ram Network-Colorado State University Alumni Association
CU Public Interest Internship Experience (PIIE) Program
Donated Dental Services, a program of Dental Lifeline Network – Colorado
March 2015
eGo CarShare
“I Have a Dream” Foundation of Boulder County
Stephanie Iannone – Housing Helpers
Greg Harms – Boulder Shelter for the Homeless
November 2014
First Presbyterian Church
AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer Program
Ken Wilson
Danica Powell, Mo Rait and Antonia Gaona – NOBO Library
June 2014
Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition
Mercedes Garcia – Resident of Kalmia
Christine Bettel – Family Self Sufficiency program graduate
Steven Lane from Kephart Architects and JV DeSousa
April 2014
Margie Rotkin – The Special Needs Organization
Mark Saprony (facility manager) and Residents – Presbyterian Manor
Andrew Moore – Chief Information Officer of Boulder Valley School District
Fran Ryan – Impact on Education
October 2013
Kyle McDaniel, Cornerstone Housing Alliance LLC and Lou Della Cava from LJD Enterprises, Inc.
Dave Maloney, Moving Connection
Linda Peth, Walnut Place Resident Council president
Kurt Wunnicke, Walnut Place Community Gardens
June 2013
Nick Kaminsky, Center for People with Disabilities
Hanna Dansky, Boulder Food Rescue
Joel Hayes, Boulder County Legal Services
March 2013
Richard Garcia and Valerie Gonzalez – Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition
Maria del Rosario Alvarado Gonzalez, Gabina Silva, Cristina Sanchez, and Mayra Zavala – Resident Partners
Brian Larson and Nicole Mansour – First Bank
Darcey Borzileri – Colorado Housing and Finance Authority
October 2012
Wanda Pelegrina Caldas, Sue Prant, and Rich Points – Community Cycles
Olga Jacoby – Community Programs Specialist, Boulder County Area Agency on Aging
David Shurman and Residents of Presbyterian Manor – Presbyterian Manor
June 2012
Barb and Joe Eberle – Volunteers (Thanksgiving Meals)
Alex Zinga – Youth Services Initiative (YSI) City of Boulder
Janet Fulton – City of Boulder Housing and Human Services
March 2012
Peggy Fernandez – Colorado Housing & Finance Authority (CHFA)
June Bianchi – Mental Health Partners of Boulder County
Dave Wyatt & John Wyatt – Wyatt Construction
Care Connect of Boulder County
