{"id":2452781,"date":"2020-01-01T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-01T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=318486"},"modified":"2020-01-01T05:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-01-01T12:00:00","slug":"a-safe-house-stepping-stones-supports-empowers-young-adults-in-roaring-fork-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/a-safe-house-stepping-stones-supports-empowers-young-adults-in-roaring-fork-valley\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018A safe house\u2019: Stepping Stones supports, empowers young adults in Roaring Fork Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.5709366391185\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-318486-223\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun | From left, Shannon Moran, Aidan Ziets and Juliana Carpenter make three-way heart hands at Stepping Stones in Carbondale on Wednesday December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.47935779816514\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11.504587155963\">\n<p><strong>From left, Shannon Moran, Aidan Ziets and Juliana Carpenter make three-way heart hands at Stepping Stones in Carbondale on Wednesday December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/a-safe-house\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-1024x682.jpg\"><i class=\"fas fa-shopping-cart\"><\/i> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"From left, Shannon Moran, Aidan Ziets and Juliana Carpenter make three-way heart hands at Stepping Stones in Carbondale on Wednesday December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun | A photo of the original Stepping Stones house, which opened its Carbondale doors in 2014. Taken Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10.484375\">\n<p><strong>A photo of the original Stepping Stones house, which opened its Carbondale doors in 2014. Taken Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/a-safe-house\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-1-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-1-1024x682.jpg\"><i class=\"fas fa-shopping-cart\"><\/i> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"A photo of the original Stepping Stones house, which opened its Carbondale doors in 2014. Taken Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-2-1024x692.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun | Austin Brown, 19, sits in the dining room of the Stepping Stones house in Carbondale on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.47554347826087\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11.413043478261\">\n<p><strong>Austin Brown, 19, sits in the dining room of the Stepping Stones house in Carbondale on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/a-safe-house\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-2-1024x692.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-2-1024x692.jpg\"><i class=\"fas fa-shopping-cart\"><\/i> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-2-1024x692.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Austin Brown, 19, sits in the dining room of the Stepping Stones house in Carbondale on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-3-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun | Austin Brown, 19, right plays video games in the Stepping Stones building , in Carbondale before going to work while David Aguilar, 21, naps on on the couch Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"2.4110671936759\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"15.430830039526\">\n<p><strong>Austin Brown, 19, right plays video games in the Stepping Stones building , in Carbondale before going to work while David Aguilar, 21, naps on on the couch Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/a-safe-house\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-3-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-3-1024x682.jpg\"><i class=\"fas fa-shopping-cart\"><\/i> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-3-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Austin Brown, 19, right plays video games in the Stepping Stones building , in Carbondale before going to work while David Aguilar, 21, naps on on the couch Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-4-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Children play Uno in the middle school Stepping Stones building in Carbondale on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.47540983606557\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9.5081967213115\">\n<p><strong>Children play Uno in the middle school Stepping Stones building in Carbondale on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/a-safe-house\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-4-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-4-1024x682.jpg\"><i class=\"fas fa-shopping-cart\"><\/i> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-4-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Children play Uno in the middle school Stepping Stones building in Carbondale on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-5-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun | A Dungeons and Dragons group meets in a room in the Stepping Stones building in Carbondale on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.47631578947368\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9.5263157894737\">\n<p><strong>A Dungeons and Dragons group meets in a room in the Stepping Stones building in Carbondale on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/a-safe-house\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-5-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-5-1024x682.jpg\"><i class=\"fas fa-shopping-cart\"><\/i> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-5-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"A Dungeons and Dragons group meets in a room in the Stepping Stones building in Carbondale on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-6-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-6-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun | Anderson Bohmfalk, 12, solves a Rubic\u2019s cube puzzle in the middle school Stepping Stones building on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.47738693467337\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11.457286432161\">\n<p><strong>Anderson Bohmfalk, 12, solves a Rubic\u2019s cube puzzle in the middle school Stepping Stones building on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun<br \/><a class=\"buy-link\" href=\"http:\/\/aspentimes.mycapture.com\/mycapture\/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return+to+AspenTimes.com&amp;backurl=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/a-safe-house\/&amp;image=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-6-1024x682.jpg&amp;notes=https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-6-1024x682.jpg\"><i class=\"fas fa-shopping-cart\"><\/i> Buy Photo<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/stones-svs-010120-1-6-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Anderson Bohmfalk, 12, solves a Rubic\u2019s cube puzzle in the middle school Stepping Stones building on Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/a-safe-house\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/a-safe-house\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">It was just after 3:30 p.m. on a recent afternoon when exclamations, shouts and laughter erupted from the room of a Carbondale home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">There, six teens and their campaign leader were gathered around a table just getting into a soon-to-be three-hour afternoon of Dungeons and Dragons.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">As they took on the roles of their characters, voice effects and all, the young adults exercised creative freedom through the tabletop fantasy game as they\u2019d done most every Wednesday after school since they started the Dungeons and Dragons group last spring.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But it wasn\u2019t just a game meet-up at just any home in Carbondale. It was a time for the teens to check in with each other and their mentors at Stepping Stones, a Carbondale-based safe space that aims to give kids ages 10 to 21 up and down the valley consistent access to positive adult mentors, basic needs, educational support, skills development and empowering experiences.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s nice that there\u2019s a place where you don\u2019t have to worry about what people think,\u201d said Juliana Carpenter, 15, one of the teens at the Dungeons and Dragons table.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cYou can be and connect on your own terms and let go of the daily stress of your life for awhile,\u201d added Shannon Moran, 19.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Over the past five years, Stepping Stones has created partnerships with families and schools to offer guidance and support to teens during the day and in the evenings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Five nights a week in two buildings adjacent to each other, teens can access free dinners, laundry, showers and educational support. Adult mentors are available to talk one-on-one with young adults, or in group settings like the one held every Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI try to check in on everyone by working it into the game,\u201d said Jonathan Greener, assistant director of Stepping Stones, mentor and the Dungeons and Dragons campaign leader for the Wednesday night group.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cOur model is about meeting kids wherever they\u2019re at and living out life together in a way that prioritizes personal health and is empowering for ourselves and the young people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Subhead\">CREATING A YOUTH-DRIVEN SAFE SPACE<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">According to the Stepping Stones\u2019 2018 annual report, the nonprofit served over 6,000 meals, saw 6,279 drop-in visitors and engaged 92 kids in 1,232 mentor sessions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The annual report also shows 68.85% of the drop-in centers\u2019 youth identify as Hispanic or Latino, and 27.86% identify as White or Caucasian.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But while Stepping Stones aims to ensure the valley\u2019s young adults have access to meals and other basic needs, along with experiential learning opportunities like camping and mountain biking, Executive Director Kyle Crawley said the nonprofit is anchored on building positive relationships.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThere aren\u2019t a ton of brick-and-mortar spaces in the valley for just kids and having that space is important, but we want to go deeper than that,\u201d Crawley said. \u201cHere we meet with kids on an individual level and so naturally the challenges they face come up which we help them work through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Crawley said Stepping Stones mentors work with youth at a 10 kids-to-one adult ratio, and have seen everything from gender and identity struggles, to substance abuse and mental health challenges.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Because the nonprofit\u2019s programming and resources are all free and voluntary, Crawley said not all of the kids who come to Stepping Stones are a part of the mentoring program, but those who are meet with adults on a consistent basis, year-round and whenever the young adult needs them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cLife happens at all different times,\u201d Crawley said. \u201cThese kids have a variety of needs and are facing a myriad of challenges that requires an in-depth kind of attention.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Crawley has worked to give that level of attention as a mentor himself to several young adults in need, including Austin Brown, 19, of Snowmass Village.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Brown has been coming to Stepping Stones at least once a week ever since it opened its doors in 2014, and views it as a space that has helped him conquer his personal challenges.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWhen I came in here, I struggled with a video game addiction. I\u2019d spend two to three hours a day playing games because in that world, I could be who I wanted to be,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThe video game world became the real world for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Since he\u2019s come to Stepping Stones, he said people like Crawley have helped him realize video games aren\u2019t everything in life, and it\u2019s best to go out, be active and meet people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">He also said the youth space has introduced him to new friends and helped him grow more confident in himself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIn the past I\u2019ve felt a lot of depression and felt this was the only place I could go in the valley and the only place that could help me overcome it,\u201d Brown said. \u201cStepping Stones is a place that no matter what you\u2019re going through you can really be yourself and no none will judge you. \u2026 Not only do you make friends, the moment you walk through the door it\u2019s a big family that always has your back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Subhead\">STEPPING UP FOR MORE VALLEY YOUTH<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Crawley said although the majority of the kids Stepping Stones serves are based in Carbondale, there are some teens who utilize its services from Snowmass Village to New Castle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In 2018, the nonprofit started its youth program for middle-schoolers, expanding to the building adjacent to the original Stepping Stones house, which Crawley said was just the start of its plans to elevate its youth mentor model in Carbondale and bring it to more kids in need across the valley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Over the next few years, Stepping Stones plans to renovate its roughly 8,000 square foot combined space in Carbondale, connecting the two buildings and creating more of a community hub for both kids and their families.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The renovation is the first phase of a three-pronged project, which includes raising $800,000 to revamp the Carbondale space, pay off the nonprofit\u2019s loans and lastly start to expand its services through the creation of a new drop-in center in the Basalt area called Patrick\u2019s Place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cOur life-changing spaces and mentoring program creates stepping stones for youth to rise above adversity and find belonging and personal growth that would last a lifetime,\u201d a Stepping Stones campaign statement reads.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">For Temple Glassier, the expansion to the Basalt area, El Jebel specifically, is important to ensuring these stepping stones reach more of the young adults living up valley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">On Nov. 3, 2017, Glassier\u2019s 15-year-old son, Patrick Palardy, died by suicide just a year after his father. Soon after Patrick\u2019s death, Glassier partnered with Stepping Stones to <a id=\"N0x14f11c0N0x1554980:N0x14f11c0N0x14d2368\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/trending\/basalt-mom-who-lost-son-to-suicide-pursues-vision-for-youth-counseling-center\/\">craft the vision for Patrick\u2019s Place<\/a>, a drop-in center similar to the ones in Carbondale that would be open longer and offer more activities for Basalt-area youth, including sports fields, a student sculpture plaza, garden, barn with animals and more, according to preliminary plan documents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A 1.8-acre area west of the El Jebel fire station was donated to Glassier and Stepping Stones for Patrick\u2019s Place, meaning moving forward just comes down to raising the money; first to renovate the space in Carbondale and pay off loans, then to start on the previously estimated $2.2 million El Jebel project.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s a big dream but it\u2019s a dream that fulfills a huge need in our valley,\u201d Glassier, a Stepping Stones board member, said of the Patrick\u2019s Place project. \u201cIt\u2019s still the same vision, it just takes time and it\u2019s a matter of getting the valley community to buy in and want to participate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Glassier, Crawley and the rest of the Stepping Stones team aren\u2019t the only ones who want to see the nonprofit grow its services and expand its reach in the Roaring Fork Valley \u2014 the young adults at the recent Wednesday night group meeting, the majority of whom are from the Basalt area, voiced their hopes for the Stepping Stones youth community to grow, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">As they continued to roll their fates in the Dungeon and Dragons campaign, they talked about how the weekly group has grown to become a good support system for one another, and how they work to spread the word about Stepping Stones mainly through word-of-mouth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe diversity at Stepping Stones is amazing, when all of the groups come together for things like hut trips it feels like we\u2019ve all been friends this entire time,\u201d Chey French, 17, said. \u201cYou don\u2019t get that in a normal school setting, there\u2019s nothing like that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIn our area, I think a lot of young people feel isolated geographically, socially and financially, and our valley has one of the highest rates of mental illness and suicide in the country,\u201d Shannon Moran, 19, added. \u201cBut this is a safe house. It\u2019s a reprieve from all of that. Everyone should come here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\"><a href=\"mailto:mvincent@aspentimes.com\">mvincent@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/a-safe-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From left, Shannon Moran, Aidan Ziets and Juliana Carpenter make three-way heart hands at Stepping Stones in Carbondale on Wednesday December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun Buy Photo A photo of the original Stepping Stones house, which opened its Carbondale doors in 2014. Taken Wednesday, December 11, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun)Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2452781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-18 23:20:53","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2452781"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452781\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2452781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2452781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2452781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}