Both Ken Jaray and Dave Webster believe that giving back to your community is an important part of being a good citizen. Ken and Dave have been involved with numerous community organizations and activities over the past 30 years. Some examples of their community work include:
Founders, Castle West Foundation. Ken and Dave established the Castle West Foundation in 2009 after completing two years of grueling litigation against the owners and managers of the Castle West Apartment building. Unfortunately, the process was very difficult, expensive and time consuming for the former residents who tried to recover compensation after losing all of their possessions and their place to live. Through the Foundation, Ken and Dave established the Restorative Mediation Project whose goals include creating collaborative and restorative practices for resolving personal injury and medical error claims.
Co-Founder, Mineral Springs Foundation. Ken helped create the Foundation in 1987 to assist the City of Manitou Springs restore, preserve and protect the historic mineral springs in Manitou Springs. Over the years, all of the active mineral springs have been restored through extensive work and restoration and are available to the public for drinking. The Foundation has also been involved with spearheading a major study to document the current status of the mineral springs aquifer and establish guidelines for its use.
Elected to District 14 Board of Education. In 1997, Ken was elected to serve a four year term on the District 14 Board of Education. During his term, the Board requested and received approval from the community to raise additional funds for both instruction needs and the building of a new arts and administration building. Ken was also active with the Colorado Association of School Boards and was a speaker at one of the yearly CASB conventions.
Founder, Manitou Springs Education Foundation. The Foundation was set up in 2000 to help provide additional resources and support for the Manitou Springs School District. Programs include providing scholarships and mini-grants to students and teachers. An endowment fund was also established to help with long term needs .
Founder, Manitou Springs Restorative Justice Council. The council was set up in 2006 in order to implement restorative justice practices in the Manitou Springs school district and municipal court. Restorative justice practices are typically used when someone causes harm to either another person or the community. Both juveniles and adults participate in the program as an alternative or in addition to the criminal justice system. Restorative justice circles are held with the offender, victim, community member, school personal and others to talk about what happened and why, create agreements about future behavior and how the harms caused should be repaired. Typically, once the agreement is completed, the criminal charges are dropped.
Founder, Pikes Peak Challenge. Ken helped to create and provided administrative support for several years for the Pikes Peak Challenge, a program which brings awareness and resources to the needs of brain injured survivors. The Pikes Peak Challenge is a fundraising event for the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado and supports brain injury survivors, family, supporters and others as they hike from Manitou Springs to the top of Pikes Peak.
Manitou Springs Forward Vision Plan. Ken is a co-facilitator of a community effort to create a new vision plan for Manitou Springs. This year long effort brought together hundreds of residents, business owners, visitors and lovers of Manitou Springs to create a new plan outlining strategic steps to accomplish both short and long term goals of the community.