EVENTS STATE JOBS HOW TO HELP COVID-19 FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH Black History Month honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history, from the enslaved people first brought over from Africa in the early 17th century to African Americans living in the United States today. Black-owned restaurants and shops in Colorado are serving up plenty of options when it comes to ideas for dates — of the romantic and friend variety — gifts for loved ones and sweet treats or cool pints to brighten up your day. This year, honor Black History Month by showing love and support to some of the amazing Black-owned businesses in Colorado. Here are a few suggestions from OEDIT's #ShopLocalColorado campaign. If You're on a First Date The upscale-meets-homey vibe at Mateo is the ideal setting for outstanding cocktails (seriously, don’t skip these) and the Plate Provençal — charcuterie, cheese and more. If the date goes well, move on to main courses like steak frites and duck confit. (Boulder) Make a novel first impression at TeaLee’s Tea Co. with an afternoon tea tray and book browsing in an environment that “moves to the rhythm of tea.” (Denver) The Tapout Session at Lucky Dumpling is a surefire first-date icebreaker. Get the conversation going as you leave your dinner destiny in the hands of the chefs, who take you on a seven-course tasting experience. (Colorado Springs) If You're Looking to Spice Things Up At Hot-Chick-a-Latte, find all your coffeehouse tried and trues along with specialty drinks whose racy names pale in comparison to the bold flavors … and the scantily clad baristas. (Denver) Jessie’s Smokin’ NOLA brings the heat as only Cajun and creole seasonings can with muffulettas, po’boys, gumbo, jambalaya and, of course, red beans and rice. (Centennial) Spicy Ethiopian chicken stew, peppery steak tartare and flavorful lentils — there’s no shortage of tummy-pleasing spice at Ras Kassa's Ethiopian Restaurant. (Lafayette) The food hall at Mango House is a culinary haven for immigrant and refugee chefs, where you can savor the tapestry of flavors in authentic Ethiopian and Sudanese fare. (Aurora) If You Need Ideas for Friend Dates Urban Sanctuary Wellness Studios offers an array of classes — both in-studio and online — so you can bond with your buds while working on your bind poses. (Denver) Get crafty with a pal thanks to Maker General’s DIY weaving and embroidery kits — featuring Black American legends like Harriet Tubman and Prince — or paint-by-numbers kits of Rosa Parks and Michelle Obama. (Longmont) Novel Strand Brewing Co. is your friendly neighborhood brewery with rotating sours, hoppy styles and other pleasant surprises on tap … not to mention outdoor greenhouses for warmer winter sippin’. (Denver) If You Want to Stay In Whistling Boar’s Date Nite Boar Box brings three courses of deliciousness to you. We’re talking a larder brimming with artisan bread, meats and cheeses along with your choice of mouthwatering appetizer, main and dessert. (Louisville, but check site for delivery range) COVID put a pause on Mrs. Davenport’s Sweet Potato Pies, but that’s not stopping her. Spend a night baking with your little spuds as the smiling Mrs. Davenport guides you via virtual lessons, or pre-order her upcoming recipe collection, The Gourmet Sweet Potato Cookbook. (Commerce City) Raglin Market’s Mateo Sandwich Pop Up boasts take-out soups, salads and swanky French-inspired sandwiches — and prides itself on hyper-locally sourced ingredients. (Boulder) Skip the cooking and get straight to dinner — or lunch, brunch and breakfast — thanks to pick-up and delivery meals from Mawa’s Kitchen. (Aspen) If You Want to Spend Extra Time Together The no-rush atmosphere of Axum Restaurant pairs perfectly with traditional Ethiopian and Sudanese-style dishes, making this the ideal spot to silence those phones, sit back and enjoy a leisurely meal together. (Denver) Unwind with a four-course meal at Four by Brother Luck. Seasonal menus feature multiculturally influenced dishes, such as blue-corn bread with wojapi (Native American berry sauce), rabbit green chili and roasted cauliflower enchiladas. (Colorado Springs) Gifts for Your Most Special Someone Black Travel Box, Denver — Travel-ready skin- and haircare products for women of color are the name of the game. Shop at MATTER, Denver — Your go-to for books, cool typography crafts, prints, games and so much more. ICONI, Greenwood Village — Oprah named this activewear line as one of her Favorite Things of 2020. Need we say more? Sweet Treats and Caffeinated Cuddles Caffeinated Cow, Colorado Springs — Family-owned and -operated coffee and ice-cream store that also sells sandwiches, bagels and breakfast burritos. (What more do you need?) HiRa Cafe & Patisserie, Aurora — Ethiopian-styled cafe and cake shop serving coffee, teas, cakes, pastries and savory dishes. Smith + Canon Ice Cream Co., Denver — Known for one-of-a kind ice-cream flavors like honeydew wasabi and Thai Tea. MyKings Ice Cream, Denver — A community gathering place scooping Colorado-made ice cream, milkshakes and snow cones. Colorado Sno-Balls, Colorado Springs — Shaved-ice sweetness featuring cool add-ins like marshmallow cream and condensed milk. Sweet Sweetz, Denver — A fun selection of dairy and vegan ice creams plus pies, cobblers, brownies and other goodies. Endless Grind Coffee, Aurora — Family-owned shop using fair-trade coffee that also sells teas, specialty drinks and light bites. Walia Creamery, Denver — Traditional and vegan ice cream in flavors like sweet potato, lavender and mango ginger as well as classics like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. TIME TO HIT THE SLOPES This past week we saw historic snowfall that was very much-needed across our state, but especially in our mountain towns to keep our ski industry at peak performance. So take the time to enjoy the snow and hit the slopes at one of our 32 ski resorts! Here is a list of some of the best resorts in Colorado. [link removed] [link removed] FREE KN95 AND MEDICAL GRADE MASKS In support of the State of Colorado’s ongoing efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and assist in the mitigation of virus spread, we are now offering free KN95 medical-grade masks at certain public libraries and other community sites across the state that have agreed to be local redistribution points. Masks can be picked up (5 per person) at locations found in the link below: FREE MASKS Below you can find our most up-to-date information surrounding Tests, Vaccinations, Boosters, and Numbers. COVID BY THE NUMBERS TOTAL CASES 1,260,954 TOTAL HOSPITALIZATIONS 57,436 TOTAL PEOPLE TESTED 4,693,220 PPEOPLE IMMUNIZED WITH ONE DOSE 4,377,444 PEOPLE FULLY IMMUNIZED 3,919,253 ELIGIBLE PEOPLE WITH ADDITIONAL DOSES 1,879,359 COVID DATA VACCINE DATA Data as of 2/3/2022 4:00:00 VACCINE FINDER Find a vaccination site near you. NEED A FREE AND FAST COVID TEST? It’s easy to get a free, fast, and safe COVID-19 test with more than 150 free community testing sites across Colorado. If you're experiencing symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, make an appointment today -- neither insurance nor ID is required to get tested. FREE TESTING SITES MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENTS Monoclonal antibody treatment has shown to be highly effective for Coloradans who have recently tested positive for COVID-19, preventing severe symptoms and hospitalizations. Coloradans who think they qualify for this treatment can call 1-877-268-2926 or visit covid19.colorado.gov/for-coloradans/covid-19-treatments for more information. COVID-19 TREATMENTS COVID-19 THIRD DOSE ELIGIBLITIY All Coloradans are eligible for booster doses if they have received both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine and it has been more than 6 months since their second dose. Or if they have received the Johnson and Johnson single-dose vaccine more than two months prior. THIRD DOSE INFORMATION PROTECTION AGAINST THE FLU Getting your flu shot is also critical to building resistance against viruses and building up resilience in our economy. It's quick, easy, and free to do your part -- flu vaccines can be found in the majority of major grocery chains, pharmacies, community health clinics, and primary care practices. Find sites offering flu vaccines in your community at the link below. FLU SHOT FINDER STATE PROGRAMS The Colorado Tourism Office’s Tourism Management Grant provides funding for tourism-related projects that develop, enhance, or manage visitor experience in Colorado. The maximum grant amount is $20,000 and the required match is 4:1. For every $1 the qualifying grantee allocates to the proposed project, the Colorado Tourism Office will provide $4 in matching funds. Applications open on February 1, 2022. Employee Ownership Tax Credit: This tax credit is available to Colorado-headquartered businesses to cover up to 50% of a qualified business’ conversion costs for use on their state income taxes. Applications open January 1, 2022. Employee Ownership Grant: This grant is available to Colorado-headquartered small businesses to pay for the reimbursement of professional technical services required to transition your business to become a Colorado Employee Owned Company. Applications due February 4, 2022. Meeting and Events Incentive: This program provides a 10% cash rebate against eligible hard costs for hosting meetings and events in Colorado that take place on or after July 1, 2021 and on or before December 31, 2022. The Advanced Industries Proof of Concept Grant and Early Stage Capital and Retention Grant applications will open January 3, 2022 and close March 3, 2022 at 5 p.m. Business Foundations Technical Assistance Program: This program provides technical assistance and small grants to Colorado small businesses to help businesses legally establish themselves. The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) is again offering Advanced Industries Tax Credits for 25% of an investor's investment in a qualified business up to $50,000 on an investment of $200,000 or more. If the advanced industries business is in a Colorado enterprise zone or rural area, investors can earn a state income tax credit of 30% of their investment. FEDERAL PROGRAMS USDA Rural Business Development Grants: This program provides funding to towns, communities, authorities, nonprofits, institutes of higher education, and others that provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Applications close February 28, 2022. WORK FOR THE STATE Join us at the State of Colorado! Find meaningful work serving the people of Colorado, and help create a state where all are proud to live, work, and play. You can find many more available jobs by clicking the button below. Advanced Industries Grant Manager - Full Time Advanced Industries Grant Technician - Full Time Colorado Tourism Office Digital Marketing Manager - Full Time Director of Constituent Services and Office Operations - Full Time Emergency Funds Manager - Full Time Finance and Compliance Officer - Full Time Health Policy Advisor - Full Time Operations and Special Projects Coordinator for the Office of eHealth Innovation - Full Time Policy Advisor - Full Time Senior Accountant - Full Time Senior Salesforce Administrator - Full Time Senior Program and Impact Officer for Climate and Dis - Full Time Senior Human Resources Generalist - Full Time STATE OF COLORADO JOBS MARSHALL FIRE RESOURCES It’s been almost a month since flames ripped through Louisville and Superior, destroying homes and forcing thousands of families to start over. As these communities begin picking up the pieces, the survivors need our support now more than ever. FEMA has approved more than $820,000 in individual assistance already, and the SBA has approved 299 low interest rate home loans totaling more than $51 million and 8 business loans for more than $1.2 Million. Our team at Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management continues to work with FEMA to activate additional programs including Crisis Counseling, Debris Management, Disaster Unemployment, Disaster Legal Services and DSNAP. Survivors who have not yet utilized these services and think they could help, should stop by the Disaster Recovery Center in Lafayette or apply for assistance, including debris removal online at disasterassistance.gov. Visit boco.org/MarshallFire to access a variety of additional services online. And of course, if you haven’t already, be sure to file a claim with your insurance company. Beyond support from the state or federal government, Coloradans have generously donated their own dollars and resources. Whether you’ve donated one dollar or one million, you are demonstrating the true meaning of the Colorado spirit. But as you offer support for survivors, please ensure that you are donating to a verified and legitimate group. A growing number of groups on Facebook and online are asking for donations that might not make it to the disaster survivors. Coloradans can visit coloradoresponds.org/wildfires to find a list of organizations that provide assistance to the Boulder community. Or they can donate directly to the Community Foundation Boulder County at commfound.org. They have already distributed more than $5 Million to thousands of individuals and families, and in addition to these funds, are now providing assistance to anyone who lost wages or tools of their trade due to the Marshall Fire. COLORADO AFGHAN EVACUEE SUPPORT FUND Colorado is committed to helping Afghan evacuees make Colorado home. We recognize their work and sacrifice as partners to the federal government and to our U.S. military and veteran communities. That’s why in partnership with fiscal sponsor Rose Community Foundation and the Governor’s Office, The Colorado Afghan Evacuee Support Fund was created to welcome Afghan evacuees and connect them with community resources. Contributions will fund grants to organizations in Colorado that provide refugee resettlement services, health and mental health services for newcomers, legal services to help evacuees navigate available pathways for permanency in the U.S., and other forms of needed assistance. This fund represents a holistic view of needs that newcomers will have over the long term and commits resources to areas where other funding mechanisms fall short. To date, the Fund has raised $1,000,000 and is striving to reach a goal of $5.6 million. To help support the fund, visit the link below. You can be assured that your funds go to a vital service currently neglected by other efforts, making your dollars all the more impactful. DONATE: bit.ly/COAfghanSupport To learn more about Afghan evacuees, visit the Department of Human Services' Colorado Refugee Services Program website. ENROLL TODAY WHAT WE'RE WATCHING Abbott Elementary - ABC WHAT WE'RE READING Finding Fantastic Joy Our Lady of the Nile WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO Huberman Lab - Podcast Back from Broken - Podcast Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email State of Colorado - Governor's Office | 136 State Capitol , Denver, CO 80203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About Constant Contact Sent by [email protected]