Center for African Family Integration (CAFI)

The CAFI Sustainability Center is hosting an important three-part community education series focused on diabetes awareness, prevention, and management. This initiative reflects CAFI’s ongoing commitment to improving health outcomes and empowering individuals through accessible, practical knowledge.

The program will be led by Dr. Suzana Deng, whose expertise will guide participants through essential topics related to living with and preventing diabetes. Through interactive sessions, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how lifestyle, nutrition, and early intervention play a crucial role in managing this condition.

The sessions will take place on:

May 2
June 13
June 27

Each session will begin at 11:00 AM and will be held at the CAFI Center office in Aurora.

This three-session format allows participants to build knowledge over time, ask questions, and apply what they learn between meetings. Topics will include understanding diabetes risk factors, healthy eating strategies, blood sugar management, and sustainable lifestyle changes. Whether you are living with diabetes, supporting a loved one, or simply interested in prevention, this program offers valuable insights for everyone.

The partnership behind this initiative highlights a shared commitment to community well-being. By combining professional medical guidance with CAFI’s community-centered approach, the program aims to make health education both engaging and accessible.

Community members are strongly encouraged to attend all three sessions to gain the full benefit of the program. Your participation can be a meaningful step toward better health and a more informed community.

Please plan to attend and take part in this valuable educational opportunity.

Send a message to learn more

Hello our readers! We are extremely excited of what 2026 in store for us and the community we serve.

We will be sharing more as we start implementing our goals and strategies in 2026!

May peace and love be upon all of you!

Happy holiday season to our friends/family & community members who are celebrating. May peace and love be filled in your hearts and homes. 🥳

CAFI Wellness Center
Year-End Reflection, Program Highlights & Call to Action

As this year comes to a close, we pause with gratitude for the many blessings God/Allah has bestowed upon us—good health, loving families, trusted friends, and a resilient and caring community.

2025 has been a truly meaningful year for the CAFI Wellness Center family. While we faced challenges, we also experienced powerful moments of growth, resilience, and collective achievement—made possible by the dedication of our staff, volunteers, partners, and supporters.

2025 Program Highlights

Throughout the year, CAFI Wellness Center proudly expanded and strengthened programs that directly supported youth, families, and women in our community:

Youth Storytelling & Empowerment Program:

Providing youth with a platform to share their stories, build confidence, and develop leadership and communication skills—affirming their voices as powerful tools for personal and community transformation.

Hands to the Future Youth Empowerment Partnership:

One of the most impactful collaborations of 2025 was our partnership with Hands to the Future, whose commitment to youth empowerment aligned deeply with CAFI’s mission. Together, we supported young people through leadership development, confidence-building activities, and opportunities that encouraged purpose, civic engagement, and self-belief. This partnership played an exceptionally important role in strengthening youth-centered programming, and we are excited to continue and expand this collaboration in 2026.

College Applications & Career Readiness Support:

Guiding students through college and post-secondary application processes, including applications, personal statements, and higher-education planning.

Tutoring & Academic Support:

Offering consistent tutoring services that helped students stay engaged academically and strengthen their paths toward success.

Application Support Services for Families:

Supporting families through school forms, benefits applications, and community resource navigation—made possible by our bilingual Community Navigators, who help remove language and systems barriers.

Women’s Wellness & Community Connection:

Hosting occasional Ladies’ Night gatherings, creating safe and welcoming spaces for women to connect, reflect, and build meaningful relationships.

With Deep Gratitude to Our Colorado Supporters

None of this work would be possible without the generosity and partnership of our donors and funders across the State of Colorado. We extend our sincere appreciation to our supporters in both the public and private sectors, whose investments made it possible for CAFI Wellness Center to expand access, strengthen programs, and respond to community needs with care and integrity.

Your trust in our mission empowers us to serve with impact, accountability, and cultural responsiveness. We are deeply grateful for your continued commitment to building stronger, healthier communities throughout Colorado.

Looking Ahead: A Call to Action for 2026

As we enter 2026, we invite our community to continue walking alongside us:

Volunteer your time and talents

Mentor a young person

Partner with us to expand programs

Support our work through donations and advocacy

Together, we can strengthen families, uplift youth, and create pathways to opportunity—ensuring our communities not only endure, but truly thrive.

On behalf of CAFI Wellness Center, thank you for standing with us. We move forward with faith, unity, and renewed dedication to building a more just, compassionate, and empowered future.

Wishing you and your loved ones peace, good health, and prosperity in the year ahead.

With gratitude and hope,
Dheman Bande, MHA
Executive Director
CAFI Wellness Center
[email protected]

We’re thrilled to announce the restart of our EmpowerHer Program—an inspiring initiative designed to help girls in our community build confidence, leadership, and personal growth.

Join us next week to connect with mentors, develop new skills, and discover the leader within you. Bring your friends and be part of this exciting journey toward empowerment and success!
Together, we rise. Together, we lead. 💪✨

Supporting Colorado Families During the SNAP Funding Delay
More than 600,000 Coloradans currently rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to purchase healthy, nutritious food. Half of all SNAP recipients in Colorado are children, and 10% are older adults. Ensuring that people’s basic needs, like access to food, are met is essential to advancing health equity and helping Coloradans thrive.

According to the 2025 Pulse Poll, 12% of respondents said they have skipped meals in the last year because they couldn’t afford food, and 25% reported cutting back on food or health care in order to afford housing. These interconnected challenges underscore the difficult trade-offs facing many Coloradans.

Due to the ongoing partial federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has not released funds to states to pay SNAP benefits. As a result, Colorado is currently unable to issue the approximately $120 million in November SNAP benefits it typically disburses at the beginning of the month. Benefits cannot be issued until Congress passes, and the President signs, legislation restoring federal funding for the program.

While the funding gap is immense, philanthropy and individual generosity can make a meaningful difference. We encourage all Coloradans who are able to support their local food pantry or food bank with a monetary donation, or to give directly to Feeding Colorado.

If you need food assistance, please contact:

Colorado 211: Call 2-1-1 or 866-760-6489, or visit 211colorado.org (Available in multiple languages)
Feeding Colorado: Visit feedingcolorado.org/find-food or email [email protected]
Hunger Free Colorado: Call their Food Resource Hotline at 855-855-4626 (Available in multiple languages)
For the most up-to-date information, visit the Colorado Department of Human Services website at cdhs.colorado.gov/snap.

Find Food - Feeding Colorado Find which food bank serves your county in Colorado using our interactive map. Full of local food resources!