Gratitude Village Colorado April 2025 Newsletter

Spring Is Here!

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the Gratitude Village Monthly Newsletter!

Spring is waking up the world here in Denver—after a refreshing day of drizzle (one of my favorite kinds of days), the sun is shining brightly and the birds are singing. Tulips planted by my mother decades ago are now in full bloom, the peonies are reaching for the sky, and one special corner of our yard promises a show of Allium blooms in the weeks ahead. There’s a sense of renewal and possibility in the air — it’s a feeling we share at Gratitude Village, too!

We are thrilled to welcome a new Founding Member, Emily L., who has been part of our Explorer group and is now officially joining us in building this vibrant, connected community. Our momentum continues as we gear up for National Cohousing Open House Week, where we’ll be co-hosting both a virtual and an in-person open house with Infinity House of Arvada. These gatherings are a wonderful opportunity to connect, share our vision, and invite others into this journey of creating places where belonging, sustainability, and accessibility thrive.

All in all, it’s been a beautiful beginning to the spring season here at Gratitude Village—and I can’t wait to meet you (or see you again) at one of our upcoming events. Until then, take a moment to enjoy the blooming world around you and the exciting growth happening here in our budding community.

In Gratitude,

Suzie Shride

Founder & Executive Director

Gratitude Village Colorado

720-689-4821

National Cohousing Open House Week

Gratitude Village is proud to participate in National Cohousing Open House Week - April 28-May 4, 2025! Join us and the Infinity House of Arvada virtually on April 29 or in person on May 4 to explore what makes cohousing such a powerful way to live and find out what makes Gratitude Village and Infinity House so appealing.

Register Here for the Virtual Event April 29 via Zoom from 5-6pm MDT and Register Here for the In Person Event at Infinity House May 4 from 1-4pm MDT.

Meet the Board: Dr. Wanda Bedinghaus

We’re excited to introduce Dr. Wanda Bedinghaus, one of Gratitude Village’s founding Board Members! With a deep commitment to holistic wellness and community building, Dr. Bedinghaus brings both wisdom and heart to our leadership team. Learn more about her journey and why she believes so strongly in the Gratitude Village vision.

Read more about Wanda

Upcoming Events

Spring is buzzing with opportunities to connect! Whether you prefer in-person gatherings or virtual meetups, we have several upcoming events designed to share more about Gratitude Village and get to know your future neighbors. We hope to see you soon!

In Person Info Session

Join us May 7 (Wednesday) from 9:00am to 10:30am for an in person gathering at Hello Coffee in Lakewood (located in the FoxPoint Shopping Center 13701 W Jewell Ave #112, Lakewood, CO 80228). This short slide presentation and Q&A is a great chance to:

• Meet some of the GVCO board

• Meet other potential residents

• Get all your questions answered

• Support a wonderful local coffee shop

Please register here so we can give the coffee shop a head count!

Board Field Trip: The Disability Museum at Atlantis Community
Earlier this month, we joined board member Curtis Garrett for a private tour of the Disability Museum at Atlantis Community where Curtis works. It was a moving experience and a powerful reminder of the importance of accessibility and advocacy. Seeing the incredible effort and work it has taken to get us where we are today in terms of disability rights inspires our own commitment to creating a community where everyone belongs and thrives.

GVCO Board Members (and guest) before the tour of the Atlantis Community Museum.

GVCO Blogs

Read about our vision, the community and more! We have posted ten new blogs since our last newsletter! Topics have ranged from Sharing the Workload in Cohousing to Cohousing as an Act of Defiance in Challenging Times and How Living in Community Prepares Us for Future Challenges. There were also blogs about Earth Day and What It Means For A Home To Be NetZero. You can read these and all 70+ blogs we've published on our website or on CS Shride's Substack, Notes from the Common House. Just this week, we introduced a new series on the Substack that focuses on the emotions and human element of cohousing. Check out the first article, What if We're Not Meant to Live Alone.

Exciting Development News: Zoom with Katie McCamant
We had the pleasure of meeting with Katie McCamant, one of the founders of the cohousing movement in the U.S. and coauthor of the book, Creating Cohousing. We explored hiring her as a development consultant and recommended to the board that we do so! Her guidance and expertise could help us bring Gratitude Village to life even more beautifully and sustainably!

What We’re Reading
This month, our community bookshelf is full of inspiration! From Cohousing Communities and One Life, Live It by Charles Durrett to practical guides like Companion Planting and The Old Farmer’s Almanac Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook, these reads are fueling both our dreams and our planning.

If you find our content interesting or our vision inspiring please consider making a donation toward our project, share this newsletter with your friends and colleagues or post it on social media. You can also follow us on social media by clicking one of the links below.