An Unpublished Letter to the Gazette
To the editor:
Gazette writer Ryan Handy’s story about Colorado Springs Together (“Recovery Group leaves mixed legacy”, July 28, 2013) was regrettably narrow in scope and did not provide key information your readers would have appreciated in order to fully understand CST’s work and advocacy in leading the recovery in Mountain Shadows after the Waldo Canyon Fire.
Focusing on the debris removal process at this late stage in the rebuilding effort and misinterpreting CST’s engagement in the insurance process leaves so many other critical aspects of the recovery out of the discussion.
The article says that CST “didn’t get involved with the insurance process.” This simply is not true.
To broaden the article’s brief reference, there were two licensed, semi-retired independent insurance agents at the CST Center providing consultation on insurance matters starting August 2012 for three afternoons weekly until January 2013, after which they were available by appointment. They also provided counsel by email and by teleconference. They provided individual one-on-one advice to over 200 survivors of the fire, assisting them in understanding the details of their homeowners’ policies and the coverage available to them, passing along tips on how better to negotiate with insurers, and advising on escalating claims to a higher authority in insurance companies.
The article also leaves the impression that the CST Center was a “store front” largely to be there as a respite center, ignoring the breadth and depth of assistance that was available thanks to a wide range of organizations from across the Colorado Springs community
From Aug. 8, 2012 to July 1, 2013 the CST Center was open five days a week from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. initially, then until 5 p.m. effective Feb. 9, 2013. It was staffed by an office manager and a team of over a dozen CST volunteers who provided timely referrals to affected homeowners.
The Small Business Administration was the first outside resource available at the center and was on site for five weeks. For several months local resources also were at the center providing direct services to residents: the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado, the Long Term Recovery Group, the Small Business Development Center, Colorado Springs Utilities, the Housing and Building Association, and the CST Discount Card program. Community mental health provider AspenPointe was present until the last day of operation, providing emotional support and referrals.
The CST center also hosted a wide range of recovery-related meetings conducted by government and nonprofit organizations, numerous meetings between homeowners and their architects and builders, and heartwarming reunions between neighbors separated by the disaster. The center fulfilled its mission to become the neighborhood resource center for the recovery.
In light of the writing that preceded it, the use of "mission accomplished" as the final comment from me seems misleading. I believe I was clear: The mission for the CST center may have been completed but the work of CST as an organization is not.
Sincerely,
Bob Cutter
Volunteer, President, Colorado Springs Together