As you can imagine, we ALL were on Cloud Nine with our facilities manager Dylan Skeadas last week, complete with Superbowl MVP jokes flying around the office. But a 25% percent reduction in energy use over the past three years, including 16.5% last year, is no joke!

So far we’ve saved over $10,000 per year, with even greater savings anticipated in 2021. Dylan carries a passion for stewarding our funds well, on behalf of both our residents and our caring donors. Likewise, Dylan takes great pride stewarding the earth Joshua Station sits on (just look at our beautiful courtyard), and the air we all breathe.

Dylan has shepherded massive upgrades to our aging (57-year-old), sprawling (40,000 square foot), motel-style infrastructure. Heating outages are no longer routine. Resident rooms are snug instead of drafty. Showers are reliable. Our families—healing from homelessness during their time here—are most worthy of this intensive effort!

In an upcoming ceremony, Mayor Hancock will present the award plaque to Joshua Station on behalf of the City and County of Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, Resiliency. It will be well-deserved affirmation for Dylan and SO many who have joined him in the effort, notably:

Virginia Ortiz, former MHM staff member, identified our fit with the Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Program (NEEP).

Brooke Pike at NEEP came over from her office with tears in her eyes for our residents when our boiler went out. She has worked every angle for a new boiler, pipe insulation, water-saving faucet aerators for 70 sinks, and LED lighting—with funding from Xcel Energy, Energy Outreach Colorado, Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships.

Jerry and Margot Ladd generously poured dollars and labor into replacing major systems such as our chiller, pumps, hot water heaters, and energy-saving residence doors installed by Colorado Doorways. Other donors, contractors, and volunteers stepped up too, including AMI Mechanical, McBride Lighting, Synergy Mechanical, and Mile High Youth Corps. Hunter Douglas donated and installed insulated blinds that lower our summer cooling costs.

Joshua Station residents took to heart the “save energy” messages in common areas and on light switches, sharing pride in our community culture of caring for home and environment.

“Rich Erwin was relentless about recycling,” remembers Dylan fondly about our former facilities manager. “Rich often told volunteer groups about our efforts, and encouraged them to make similar changes in their own lives. When he passed away (in 2013) I wanted to honor his legacy and increase recycling at Mile High Ministries. My commitment, and our energy-saving projects, just snowballed from there.”

Join us in celebrating Dylan’s excitement!