The summer of 1993 gained notoriety as the “Summer of Violence” or “Summer of Fear” in Denver, Colorado, as the state’s capital and largest metropolitan area witnessed 74 homicides. The number of crimes linked to gangs included 6 homicides, 142 aggravated assaults, 29 simple assaults, and 18 robberies. Additionally, some 58 juveniles were treated for gunshot or stab wounds at Denver Health Medical Center (then the Denver General Hospital) one block north of the First Mennonite Church of Denver where CCFC is currently housed. Nearly one out of every four murder suspects arrested in Denver was a juvenile male of color. Colorado ranked tenth in the nation for violent juvenile crime, most of that crime was among youth of color. In response to this violence and the police response that ensued, a small group of interested members of the First Mennonite Church of Denver led by Senior Pastor Jerry Weaver came together to determine what could be done to forestall another “Summer of Violence”. This group acknowledged that specific societal forms of oppression such as racism and poverty contributed to the violence communities of color were experiencing and wanted to create an organization whose values were rooted in social justice, non-violent conflict resolution, intentional anti-racist approaches and was community led.

The summer of 1993 gained notoriety as the “Summer of Violence” or “Summer of Fear” in Denver, Colorado, as the state’s capital and largest metropolitan area witnessed 74 homicides. The number of crimes linked to gangs included 6 homicides, 142 aggravated assaults, 29 simple assaults, and 18 robberies. Additionally, some 58 juveniles were treated for gunshot or stab wounds at Denver Health Medical Center (then the Denver General Hospital) one block north of the First Mennonite Church of Denver where CCFC is currently housed. Nearly one out of every four murder suspects arrested in Denver was a juvenile male of color. Colorado ranked tenth in the nation for violent juvenile crime, most of that crime was among youth of color. In response to this violence and the police response that ensued, a small group of interested members of the First Mennonite Church of Denver led by Senior Pastor Jerry Weaver came together to determine what could be done to forestall another “Summer of Violence”. This group acknowledged that specific societal forms of oppression such as racism and poverty contributed to the violence communities of color were experiencing and wanted to create an organization whose values were rooted in social justice, non-violent conflict resolution, intentional anti-racist approaches and was community led.