Happy Holidays from the Southern Hills Community Association!

Upcoming Association Events

🥚 Easter Egg Hunt - Spring 2026 @ Slavens

Details to come.

🇺🇸 4th of July Bike Parade - July 4, 2026 @ Slavens

Details to come.

🗓️ Annual Meeting - Fall 2026

Details to come. Must be a paid Member to vote. Please consider paying your dues in advance if you live in the Membership area.

Updates from Slavens School

❄️ Winter Break

Students will be on break from school for winter break from December 22nd through January 5th. Happy holidays!

🚸 Become a Crossing Guard!

Do you want to help keep our students safe while making a positive impact on the Slavens community? We are looking for volunteers or paid crossing guards to assist with student safety during arrival and dismissal. This is a great way to get involved, help children keep safe, and even earn a little extra money.

New: We’re inviting fathers, father figures, and all caregivers to help students and families cross safely and start the day with a smile. Students benefit from seeing men model care, calm, and safety at school. Your presence at the curb sets a powerful tone—and it’s for everyone, not just dads. (Grandfathers, uncles, big brothers, neighbors, aunts, grandmothers, and all caregivers are encouraged, too!)

Sign-Up For a Volunteer Shift

If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about this opportunity, please reach out to Darcie Forde at [email protected]. Your help makes a difference!

Update: Ross-University Hills Branch Library Renovation

Ross-University Hills Branch Library will be closing for a much-needed renovation. The library will be open through Saturday, December 20th. Please stop in and check out materials on the 20th or before so the library staff can thank you for your impact and library love! We have been working over the past few months to develop some services and resources for our community while our building is closed. While these will continue to evolve, currently we have:

• Plaza Immigrant Resources at Eisenhower Recreation Center on Thursday evenings.

• Added Plaza Immigrant Resources at Virginia Village on Tuesday evenings.

• Mobile Services will be adding bookmobile stops in the community

• Home delivery services

• Storytime at Kennedy Golf Club (January - February).

• Storytime at Washington Park Recreation Center.

• University Hills Death Cafe will move to Eisenhower Recreation Center.

• Several Older Adult programs starting at Eisenhower Recreation Center in 2026.

• Ross-University Hills one on one tech help moving to Decker Branch Library and Virginia Village Branch Library

We are excited to continue to develop services for this area. Please check out our website at denverlibrary.org/southeast to find our most up to date information. We look forward to seeing you around the University Hills community.

Recycle Your Holiday Lights for Free by January 2nd!

Did you find broken, burned-out or impossibly tangled sets of lights stored away with last year’s holiday decorations? Don’t throw them out! Recycle them instead by dropping them off at our Cherry Creek Recycling Center or Blue Star Recyclers through January 2. Please note, holiday lights will only be accepted for recycling at drop off locations and should not be placed in purple recycling carts. Last year, Denver residents recycled 2,153 lbs. of holiday lights - that’s more than one ton of lights!

Here’s What’s Accepted:

• Light strings and wires with incandescent, LED, and "icicle" lights

• Attached bulbs okay

Here’s What’s Not Accepted:

• Bubble lights (liquid-filled) or neon lights

• Lights contained in plastic bags or cardboard boxes; please remove light strings from packaging material

Learn more and recycle those old lights!

Donate or Volunteer with Jewish Family Service

Donate Funds to Support JFS

JFS food expenses have risen 20% since July. We urgently need your support now to keep our pantry shelves full and ready to respond to this crisis. When you give $50, you provide a week’s worth of groceries for a family in need. Donate and learn more at https://jewishfamilyservice.org/food-support

Donate Food & Hygiene Supplies

To donate shelf-stable food and hygiene items, see the above Top 11 List. Items can be dropped off at JFS, Monday through Friday, 8:15am – 4:15pm. Ring the doorbell for service.

Volunteer with JFS Food Programs

We particularly need volunteers at our Mobile Food & Hygiene Pantry. Shifts are Mondays through Fridays from 10:30am – 2:00pm.

To learn more visit - https://www.jewishfamilyservice.org/volunteer-food-programs

Make Your Voice Heard!

💵 People's Budget Needs Your Ideas!

How would YOU spend $2 million to improve your community!? With the Denver People’s Budget, you have the chance to share your ideas. The People’s Budget is Denver’s participatory budgeting program, where the community invests a portion of taxpayer dollars to neighborhood projects.

We want your ideas for neighborhood infrastructure projects that would improve Denver. What’s infrastructure? Think physical items that serve the community—playgrounds, trails, trees, crosswalks, benches, and more!

The top ideas will advance to the community ballots next fall and the winners will be constructed by the City. Who knows, your wish list idea could become a reality! Check out the website to see what projects have won in the past or head online to submit your idea now!

Under Construction

🦺 S. Colorado Boulevard and E. Yale Avenue Project

What: Denver Water’s contractor, Concrete Works of Colorado, will be starting a vault improvement project. As parts of Denver Water’s system reach the end of their useful life, they are prioritized for repairs or replacement to ensure you receive a continuous supply of high-quality water.

When: Work will begin this week and is expected to wrap up before summer 2026.

Where: The southwest corner of South Colorado Boulevard and East Yale Avenue.

If neighbors have questions about the project, they should contact Denver Water Customer Care at 303-893-2444. An interactive project map can be found at denverwater.org/Construction

🚧 Highline Canal Trail at S. Ash St. Project

What: Denver Water’s contractor, Concrete Works of Colorado, will be starting a vault improvement project. As parts of Denver Water’s system reach the end of their useful life, they are prioritized for repairs or replacement to ensure you receive a continuous supply of high-quality water.

Where: Primarily in the greenbelt along the Highline Canal Trail at South Ash Street.

If neighbors have questions about the project, they should contact Denver Water Customer Care at 303-893-2444. An interactive project map can be found at denverwater.org/Construction.

Join the SHCA!

We can’t do it without you! Find this email useful? Enjoy attending our events? Want to see us do even more? Please consider joining the SHCA and paying your annual dues if you live in the neighborhood. If you don’t, please consider a contribution anyway! All are welcome at our public events.

Did you receive this email from a friend? Join our mailing list.