Fostering Hope is the result of a collaborative effort of two non-profit organizations, Faith Partners and the Colarelli Family Foundation.

• Our People
  • Jackie Jaramillo, Program Director
  • Barbara Lara, Program Manager
  • Nick Colarelli, Chairman, Colarelli Family Foundation

• Faith Partners is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help families escape poverty. The program was established in 1999 by a coalition of churches and local ministries with the leadership of its Executive Director, Jackie Jaramillo, who began to partner with the Department of Human services in response to welfare reform. The new legislation created opportunities for government and church to partner together. Thus, a mentoring program to help families transition from welfare-to-work began.
• Over the last 9 years the program has mentored 400 families, with teams of church volunteers who are trained and supervised to be advocates, friends, and resources to the families. The program has succeeded in restoring hope for a better, more independent future. The volunteers have successfully taught many families important life skills, giving them the opportunity to live a self-sufficient, productive life.
• Faith Partners has established a significant network of relationships with churches, county and state human service agencies, private social service agencies, and funding sources. More recently it has become increasingly interested in children from these families that required foster and adoptive homes. In addition to her role as Executive director of Faith Partners, Jackie Jaramillo is also the Program Director for Fostering Hope.

• The Colarelli Family Foundation, a 501c (3) organization, was established in 1998 to serve as a vehicle for the charitable and social service interests of the Colarelli family. The mission of the organization is “to recognize and support ordinary people who live extraordinary lives.” The board of Colarelli Family Foundation is composed of the founders, Nick and Margaret Colarelli, their five children and their spouses. The family includes psychologists, school counselors, physicians, as well as engineers, lawyer/accountants, and business executives, all of whom are also parents. Several have worked professionally with neglected and abused children. Over half have had extensive program management experience.
• Since its inception, the board of Colarelli Family Foundation has developed an increasing interest in the plight of foster children. In 2002 the Board undertook an extensive research effort to learn more about the foster care system. What clearly emerged from the research was the need to support and strengthen the role of foster parents. A dramatic increase in the tenure and number of well-intentioned, qualified foster parents is necessary if the foster care system is to improve.

Fostering Hope ---- This program began with the question, “What would enable more people to volunteer and persist as foster parents? Interviews with foster parents identified some of the assistance that would help:

• Babysitting and respite care;
• Transporting the children to multiple therapists, doctors, etc;
• Assistance with tutoring and coaching the children;
• Professional services beyond those which the state provides, but which the child needs (orthodonic, vision, psychological and educational services, etc.);
• Donations of clothing, sports equipment, bicycles, etc. for the children.
• Some other adults who would listen as knowledgeable friends and be a “sounding board.”
• They further indicated that this help needed to be easily available and non-bureaucratic.
• In effect, they described a community of supportive individuals they could call on when they needed assistance with the challenge of caring for their foster child, i.e., they needed a quasi- “extended family” to help them care for and develop the child, as well as to provide the child with a sense of connection and secure bonding to a group of adults. 
• The next question became, “Where would we most likely find people who were willing to become an ‘extended family’ for foster parents?”  In answering this question, the Colarelli Family Foundation looked to the 300,000 faith communities in the U.S.  Nearly all hold as part of their belief, the imperative to reach out and serve the disadvantaged, especially the young, the infirm and the aged. Most have service programs that do so and are staffed with volunteers. Volunteerism and service are important values for nearly all faith communities. Faith Partners had already had significant success in reaching out to faith communities in Colorado Springs for assistance in mentoring families on welfare.
• Faith Partners and the Colarelli Family Foundation learned of each other through the offices of the El Paso County Department of Human Services. They explored the possibility of a collaborative program and in January, 2006, the program was initiated  with a grant from Colarelli Family Foundation and “in kind” contributions from Faith Partners. The goal for the first year was to have five congregations committed to the project. Each would have developed an “extended family” of fostering partners that provided support to at least one foster family. A second goal was to develop a documented program model useable elsewhere.

Colarelli Family Foundation Board

Nick J. Colarelli Ph.D. – Nick is currently in semi-retirement in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He continues to work with select clients and volunteer his services to community organizations. Nick graduated from Regis College with a B.S. in Philosophy, from St. Louis University with a M.S. in Psychology, and from Northwestern University with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. He was a member of the graduate faculty at St. Louis University for many years, where he taught in the clinical program, directed doctoral research, and initiated a program in Organizational Psychology. In 1975, he founded Colarelli Associates, a St. Louis based consulting firm that offered psychological services to governmental, healthcare, religious, and social service agencies, as well as to business and industry. He completed the sale of the firm to his partners in 2000.
eMail: njc9@comcast.net

Margaret Colarelli B.A. – Margaret is currently retired from Colarelli Associates, a consulting firm she co-founded with her husband, Nick. She was the firm’s Administrative Manager, a position she maintained until her retirement in 1995. Margaret graduated from St. Louis University with a B.S. in Psychology. She continues to enjoy her five children and thirteen grandchildren.

Gina Colarelli O’Connor Ph.D. – Gina is currently Associate Professor, Lally School of Management and Technology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Research Director of the Radical Innovation Research Project. She researches, teaches, and consults in the fields of New Product Development, Radical Innovation, and Commercialization of Advanced Technologies. Gina has published articles in numerous academic journals and is coauthor of a book on Radical Innovation. She graduated from St. Louis University with a B.S. in Psychology and a MBA in Finance, and from New York University with a Ph.D. in Marketing and Corporate Strategy. Gina is married to Patrick and they have three children: Dan, Christine, and Kenny.
Lally School of Management and Technology

Patrick O’Connor J.D. – Patrick is currently principal of Patrick O’Connor, J.D, C.P.A., a firm offering tax compliance, personal financial planning, and legal assistance for individuals and small businesses. He graduated from St. Louis University with a B.S. in Accounting, a B.A. in French language, and from St. Louis University School of Law. Patrick is a member of the New York State Bar.

Angela Colarelli Carron M.D. – Angela is currently a pediatrician at the Child Protection Center at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. She works as part of a multidisciplinary team to assess and treat possible child victims of abuse and neglect. Angela has worked with elected and non-elected officials to improve the child welfare system from a pediatrician’s perspective and was appointed to the 2000 Wisconsin State’s Task Force on Healthcare for Children in Out of Home Care. She is co-founder of Bridges, a supervised visitation and parenting program of children in temporary foster care and is a board member of Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin. Angela graduated from St. Louis University with a B.A. in Chemistry and from St. Louis University School of Medicine, MD. She is married to David and they have two children, Anna and Gina.
Children"s Hospital of Wisconsin

David A. Carron M.D. – David is currently a gastroenterologist in private practice and the Medical Director of an ambulatory surgery center in Milwaukee. In an ongoing effort to prevent colon cancer, he participates in teaching both to the medical and lay community, and is an active participant in clinical research trials. He also volunteers his expertise to local area free clinics.

Nick J. Colarelli, III M.S. – Nick is an electrical engineer and is currently Executive Vice President of Hunter Engineering Company in St. Louis, Missouri. Hunter designs and manufactures automotive testing equipment. Previous positions include R & D engineer and Vice President of Engineering. He is the named inventor on over 35 U.S. patents. Nick graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and from Washington University with a M.S. in Electrical Engineering. Nick is married to Karen and they have three children: Brian, Maria, and Anthony.
Hunter Engineering Company

Karen Colarelli B.A. – Karen is currently a full-time wife and mother, school volunteer, Girl Scout Leader, transporter, and hockey/baseball/soccer mom. She is an active member of St. Monica Church in St. Louis, Missouri. Karen graduated from Maryville University with a B.S. in Business Administration. She has worked twelve years in the medical field, ten of those as a Business Manager for a growing medical practice.

Vincent V. Colarelli M.S. – Vince is founder and President of Colarelli Construction, a commercial construction company in Colorado recently recognized as one of the nation’s Top 100 New Companies. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Associated General Contractors of Colorado, is a founding Director for Bank West of Colorado, and on the Board of the Pikes Peak Homeless Coalition. Vince graduated from University of Kansas with degrees in Architecture and Architectural Engineering, and from Stanford University with a M.S. in Civil Engineering. Vince is married to Janet and they have three children: Jonathan, Joseph, and Michaelanne.
Colarelli Construction

Janet Colarelli M.Ed. – Janet is currently a school counselor at Mountain Ridge Middle School, an International Baccalaureate school in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She has also worked at the elementary and high school levels, developing programs for students at risk, academically and/or emotionally. Janet graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.S. in Human Development and a M.S. in Education and Endorsement in Counseling and Human Services.

Katherine Colarelli Beatty Ph.D. – Kate is currently Program Manager at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) in Colorado. CCL has ranked first in leadership development worldwide for the past six years. She has co-authored a book on strategic leadership, published in March 2005. Kate graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and from Saint Louis University with a M.S. and Ph.D. in Organization Psychology. She is also a volunteer with the Diocese of Colorado Springs as a conflict mediator. Kate is married to Chris and they have two children, Mark and Thomas.
Center for Creative Leadership

Chris Beatty M.S. – Chris is currently a Senior Product Development Engineer at CEA Technologies. He is involved in developing medical products for some of the largest medical equipment companies, including Johnson and Johnson. Chris graduated from New Mexico State University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and from Washington University with a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

Faith Partners Executive Board

Chairperson
Deborah Perry, Executive Vice President
First Bank
2790 Briargate Blvd.
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80920
Phone: 719-533-2484
eMail: perry@efirstbank.com
Represents: Springs Calvary

Board Representative
Larry Rosenstrauch, CPA &
Lynn Bippus, Church Representative
1550 Oak Hills Drive
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80919
Phone: 719-590-7247
eMail: bippus@comcast.net
Represents: Springs Community Church

Board Treasurer
Bruce & Julie Johnson
395 Hidden Creek Drive
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906
Phone: 719-576-8005
eMail: lohnson500@earthlink.net

Board Representative
Heidi Delbridge
Represents: Gateway Church

Board Representative
Delrece Moore
3665 Overton Street
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80910
Represents: Anglican Church

Board Representatives
Eddie & Barb Boykin; Senior Pastor
USAF Academy Chapel
1850 Bula Drive
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80915
Phone: 719-573-9690
eMail: ec.boykin@msn.com or Barbara.boykin@fotf.org

Board Representatives
Jay & Rena Burns
4830 Delightful Circle N.
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80917
Phone: 719-574-7967
eMail: jayburns@aol.com
Represents: Village Seven Presbyterian Church

Board Representative
Darlene Larson; Lutheran Representative
801 Mira Drive
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906
Phone: 719-473-4593
eMail: darlars@juno.com
Represents: First Lutheran Church

Board Representative
Mary Maynard
1364 Old Cedar Cove
Monument, Colorado 80131
Phone: 719-444-8888
eMail: writesouth@aol.com
Represents: Tri-Lakes Chapel