As we enter the Thanksgiving week, I would like to introduce a new piece where I will highlight a nonprofit of the month and thank them for the hard work they are doing.  Over the last year, I have come across many nonprofits which are doing amazing work but are often “hidden” from the rest of our community.  Through this new once a month posting, I hope to show the work that some of these organizations are doing and to also have you as the readers of Nonprofit Gold share some of the amazing organizations touching your lives.

In addition to the blog posting each month, the list of nonprofits of the month will be showcased on the main page of Nonprofit Gold.

For this month, I am showcasing the Denver Botanic Gardens for their Mordecai Children’s Garden.  Below is a blog that I wrote about the Mordecai Children’s Garden and why the Denver Botanic Gardens is making a difference in Denver.  (Click here to read the original blog)

Shhh, A Child is Growing

The first time I entered Mordecai Children’s Garden, I was taken aback by this hidden gem in the Mile High City. A garden on a rooftop? Yeah, maybe in New York but not in Denver.

As I entered the garden on top of the new parking structure at Denver Botanic Gardens, I thought, “Oh, this is going to be a small garden where my son will be able to look and smell some plants.” However, as I walked further in, I saw it was so much more. From bridges, ponds, streams, plants, nature trails and more bridges, this is not your average garden.

This is an adventure in the city.  Stroller races on the bridges, digging in the sand, splashing in a stream, playing with the stuffed animals on Marmot Mountain and exploring new plants. Where else can you do this with your kids in one afternoon?

Mordecai Children’s Garden not only serves as a place for my son to run and explore but also serves as a place where I know I can watch him grow. Throughout the garden there are little signs which read “Shh, a baby plant is growing,” however, these signs should also say, “Shh, a child is growing.”

Each time I have entered the Children’s Garden, I have watched as my son, Brayden, has grown before my eyes. From the time he giggled as his cousin pushed him around the maze of bridges in the Alpine Meadow to touching and smelling the pumpkin with a volunteer to pointing at the carrots and tomatoes in the Home Harvest Garden, he has made the Children’s Garden his own adventure land.

As we enter this week of Thanksgiving, please join me in giving thanks to Denver Botanic Gardens and the Daniel and Janet Mordecai Foundation in having the vision to create a place for our kids to explore and grow. Please join me and my wife in supporting the future of this adventure in the city by giving to the Mordecai Children’s Garden Endowment challenge before it ends on November 30.

The Mordecai Children’s Garden at the Denver Botanic Gardens deserves a big thank you for everything they are providing to the community.  What nonprofit are you thankful for?