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The first newsletter of the Fort Collins Area Interfaith Council, on October, 1979, reported that Frank Holland, representing Catholic Community Services in Northern Colorado, had begun a conversation in January of that year with clergy from the Fort Collins area about the possibility of starting an interfaith group which would address social concerns and other issues in the Fort Collins area. An organizational meeting was held at Blessed John XXIII University Parish on October 23, 1979.
The first respondents to Frank Holland's calls included Rev. Philip Dunford, Westminster Presbyterian Church; Dr. Donald Lambert, American Baptist Church; Rev. Bill Haig, First Presbyterian Church; Father Tom McCormick, Blessed John XXIII University Parish; Rev. Del Paulson, First United Methodist Church; Rev. Robert Nelson, Trinity Lutheran Church; Rev. John Minear, LaPorte Presbyterian Church; and Rev. Robert Geller, United Campus Ministry. Organizational meetings were held at Blessed John XXIII University Parish.
Rev. Bob Geller, CSU Campus Minister from 1962-2000, recalls the meeting with a number of clergy in the basement of the United Campus Ministry House, in what is now called the Geller Center for Spiritual Development, where the name of the organization was decided upon.The Not-for Profit Articles of Incorporation were signed on May 25, 1983 by Rev. Walter Royal Jones, Jr. with the address of the registered office of the corporation c/o Christ United Methodist Church at 301 E. Drake.
At first the group consisted only of clergy from Christian churches. Then it was expanded to laity, in order to better address the issues and ensure continuity of support. Through the years, new faith communities were invited to join. Finally, non-profit and government agencies were invited to join as affiliate members, thereby serving as a bridge between the faith communities and those requiring services.
After a few years of trial in attempting to serve a wide variety of community needs, Interfaith Council reorganized with four basic mission objectives: food, housing, health and social concerns. Additional para-church social agencies in the community also became active members of the Interfaith Council.
Subsequently, several current affiliate members originated as initiatives of the Interfaith Council, such as the Food Bank for Larimer County. This agency began in the basement of the United Campus Ministry House, with a freezer and a shelf for canned goods. This led to the Interfaith Food Service housed in the Crisis and Information Center. As the need grew, it came to be located in the facility it occupies today. Other IFC-initiated programs included the Children's Clinic, now located at Poudre Valley Hospital, and development assistance for the Volunteer Clearing House, which is now called the Education and Life Training Center (ELTC).
In the early days, the Interfaith Council was marked by more hands-on labor. Membership dues were only $25, enough to cover postage and administrative expenses. It worked with the Housing Authority of Fort Collins and Neighbor to Neighbor and Salvation Army to obtain several apartments for migrants and homeless persons. It helped obtain the donation of a house which was moved to Blessed John XXIII property, with members even making curtains so it could be more livable, in what was called Transition House.
Sister Mary Alice Murphy, who came to Fort Collins in 1983 and served as the third Executive Director of Catholic Charities, became a leader in Interfaith Council as well, as IFC participated in the founding of Homelessness Prevention Initiative and Care Housing.
The flood of 1997 resulted in many trailer homes being destroyed. Immediately after the flood, IFC processed about a quarter million dollars in donations to help those displaced or otherwise affected by the flood. Before the flood, one of IFC's biggest projects was the relocation of Pioneer Park residents, a mobile home park at Harmony and College, which was closing due to development at the intersection. IFC assisted with the relocation of more than 100 residents. Also, the Housing continuum was pivotal in combating neighborhood opposition to new affordable housing development. IFC sponsored a "Tour of Affordable Homes," inviting media, and local officials as well as neighborhoods opposing Care Housing and other developments at the time. A bus tour was arranged that took participants to observe existing affordable housing developments. The response was positive, the press covered the story, and many of those who had opposed the developments became supporters.
Interfaith Council has served a a non-profit "pass-through" so that individuals and companies could make tax-exempt contributions to IFC, as a 501c3 non-profit organization. Agencies such as Habitat for Humanity used IFC to accept contributions in its behalf until obtaining its own non-profit status.
After the turn of the current century, Interfaith Council has been noted for developing partnerships. Between 2006 - 2010 it has been represented on KRFC 88.9 FM on the Interfaith Dialogue radio series. It has teamed with the Multi-Faith Coalition of Northern Colorado in sponsoring the annual Thanksgiving Community-Wide Celebration. IFC has been a co-sponsor of the annual Hour for Peace held simultaneously around the world (5 a.m. locally) on December 31 in cooperation with other religious and civic organizations and with former IFC President Garth McCann serving as Master of Ceremonies. Most recently, in cooperation with United Way of Larimer County, it has participated in Make a Difference Day.
Today this interfaith body encompasses 22 religious bodies, with 27 community service groups as affiliated members. Major mission accomplishments in recent years include food for the hungry, assistance with housing provisions for low-income families, health services for needy families and individuals, contact with local and state lawmakers, assistance to families uprooted by the flood in Ft. Collins, and a wide variety of community social concerns that need to be addressed. Interfaith Council serves as a pass-through organization for funds contributed by the faith communities to the service agencies according to the recommendation of a Grants Committee. In 2009 a total of $12,000 was distributed to 18 agencies.
November 18, 2010
From December 2006 to November 2010, Interfaith Dialogue was broadcast on KRFC, 88.9 FM with the weekly half-hour series airing at 6:00 pm each Thursday. Produced in cooperation with The Fort Collins Area Interfaith Council, the programs explored the range and depth of local faith traditions, their services to the community, and their interaction with the social, economic, cultural life of the listening area. The originator and weekly host of the series was Richard A. Thompson, an ordained Presbyterian pastor, who previously volunteered as an eighteen-year host/producer of an interreligious public affairs network television series in Austin, Texas, and earlier as a host on the broadcast ministry of the Greater Chicago Church Federation. Click here for a summary of the programs over the four years of the broadcast.