{"id":7071,"date":"2022-03-07T16:27:11","date_gmt":"2022-03-07T23:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/?p=7071"},"modified":"2022-05-31T07:59:31","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T13:59:31","slug":"candy-elkind-the-connector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/es\/candy-elkind-the-connector\/","title":{"rendered":"Candy Elkind - El Conector"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=”https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/cropped-race-photo-5.jpg&#8221<\/a>; alt=”Cirque de Summit Race photo” title_text=”Cirque de Summit Race” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” module_alignment=”center” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_image][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Community-Shares-Transparent-420×230–300×157.png&#8221<\/a>; title_text=”Community Shares Transparent 420×230″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Family-photo-Linda-on-far-left-Mom-on-far-right.jpg&#8221<\/a>; alt=”Kathy_Reed_Photo_1_crop” title_text=”Family photo Linda on far left Mom on far right” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.3em” header_4_font=”|300|||||||” header_4_font_size=”16px” custom_margin=”-18px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Family Photo: Candy’s sister on the far left and Mom on the right.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Title” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”|700|||||||” header_2_font=”|600|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Candy The Connector<\/h1>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]After 19 lengthy and grueling hours the pair of runners arrived back in the Wellington neighborhood.\u00a0 They recapped the journey, steady footsteps at a constant pace that graced the trails for 50 long miles circling the community they call home.\u00a0 But this race had a deeper meaning, and the recollection of this special day of remembrance would stay with the two women forever.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSharing my story is important for those of us who go through trauma, tragic loss, frustrations, depression, or suicidal thoughts to find the hope and resources to not feel alone.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since<\/span> graduate school, <\/span>local philanthropist Candy Elkind has been labeled \u201cCandy the Connector\u201d by friends and family for her willingness and efforts to support her community. For over 25 years she has been involved closely with fundraising and philanthropy efforts, for the last decade with Summit County. Candy serves as the philanthropy officer for the hospital foundation. She works closely with Building Hope to provide scholarships for individuals who come through the emergency department in need of mental or behavioral health assistance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After the pandemic started, Candy saw community issues escalate. Those issues included high suicide rates, substance abuse, job layoffs, and loss of family members due to COVID. She wanted to help. However, this is when tragedy struck her personally and she was forced to focus on healing herself.\u00a0<\/span>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Title” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Turning Trauma and Loss into Community Healing<\/b><\/h2>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]In the fall of 2019 Candy relocated her elderly mother from Pennsylvania to an assisted-living facility in Denver. Candy\u2019s sister had been their mother\u2019s caretaker for a decade and Candy looked forward to relieving her sister. Unfortunately, a few months later Candy suffered her first blow with the death of her 91-year-old mother due to COVID complications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That death was traumatic for both sisters. Due to a back injury, her sister had become dependent on painkillers. Eventually the addiction switched to heroin. Candy had believed that taking over the role of caretaker for their mother would be positive for her sister\u2019s substance-abuse recovery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Six weeks later, when the death of her mother was still fresh and consuming, she received a devastating phone call. A bad batch of heroin and fentanyl had taken her sister away in minutes. \u201cWhether it was intentional or not,\u201d Candy says, \u201cand I would like to think that it wasn\u2019t, I think she just couldn\u2019t cope with not taking care of Mom, not having that purpose, and struggling to find her own path outside of being a caretaker.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Title” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Giving Back to Others can Help Heal your Heart<\/b><\/h2>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]Candy leaned on her support system (including her husband, stepson, cousins and immediate family) to begin her healing. She also utilized the Bristlecone Grief Support Network through<\/span> St. Anthony\u2019s Summit Hospital, <\/span>and connected with a therapist through the Building Hope website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite dealing with her own grief journey, Candy the Connector was inspired to turn her own anguish into something positive for her community. A health care scholarship was set up in her family\u2019s name to provide support for caregivers to advance their careers. She wanted to give back to a network of support that was crucial to her healing journey. \u201cPhilanthropy can heal. If you can be in a space to give back to help others, it can help heal your heart.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Candy was also instrumental in the launch of the Summit County chapter for th<\/span>e OneDegree Website and App. <\/span>With the help of donors and a collaboration from local non-profits, the app provides resources for families, individuals, and visitors to the community. Among other things, the app includes information about mental and behavioral health, housing, employment, and daycare options.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With all the positive work \u201cCandy the Connector\u201d has contributed to Summit County during her grief journey, she is already thinking of how to improve access for mental and behavioral health resources. Nearly two years into the pandemic it\u2019s clear there is a higher need and people are struggling. Nurses and healthcare workers at the hospital are burned out and working overtime. Local businesses are short staffed, while community members continue to struggle with housing and how to thrive in the county. Therapists are stretched thin and can\u2019t keep up with demand. There is still more work to do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes a village,\u201d Candy says. \u201cIt\u2019s ok to not be ok. I want to share my story to reduce the stigma around mental health and help others find the hope and resources through my sharing. Once you start sharing, you\u2019ll see people within your network who have gone through the same thing and can relate to you.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Title” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”19px||-43px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

The Race to Honor and Stay Connected to Nature and Community<\/strong><\/h2>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”|600|||||||” custom_padding=”11px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Candy also found peace and solace in the outdoors and her love of running. In the <\/span>Summer of 2019, she created a milestone goal <\/span>to run 50 miles for her 50th birthday. She signed up for a race in Tahoe for 2020, which was eventually canceled due to COVID. \u201cI didn\u2019t want that cancellation to not allow me to finish my goal.\u201d She worked with a coach, continued to train, and found an outlet in the outdoors and long runs with friends. <\/span><\/p>\n

In honor of her sister\u2019s 65th birthday, she ran a 50-mile loop, the \u201cCirque de Summit,\u201d her own version of the canceled race. Side by side with a friend, honoring the loss of both their mothers, the two began \u2018the race\u2019 in Breckenridge at 5 a.m. They ran to Peak 8 and connected with the peaks trail, continued through Frisco to the Dillon Dam Reservoir trailhead for a quick loop, off to the Oro Grande in Dillon and Silverthorne, next to Keystone connecting with Tiger Run and back to the Wellington neighborhood in Breckenridge, arriving around midnight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe ran the race together to get through this rough time, stay connected to nature, and have a purpose and goal outside of our grief.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/race-photo-4.jpg&#8221<\/a>; alt=”Candy Elkind” title_text=”Candy Elkindrace photo 4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”30px||||false|false” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.3em” custom_margin=”-13px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Candy Elkind and her friend getting ready to run the 50-mile Cirque de Summit.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-23px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]Candy recognizes there are limited resources in small Colorado mountain towns. She hopes as \u201cthe Connector\u201d her philanthropy and fundraising work can make an impact on our unique community and often-transient citizens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the end, it boils down to connecting with others and seeking healing for yourself. Candy concludes: \u201cDo your very best to not isolate yourself. It\u2019s hard to ask for help. People are prideful and don\u2019t want to burden someone else. I hope they can find it within themselves to not feel embarrassed to share, and not be afraid to be vulnerable.\u201d<\/span>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

***<\/h3>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|300|||||||” text_font_size=”16px” text_line_height=”1.5em” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Story by Alyse Piburn, special projects writer for Building Hope Summit County. <\/em>If you have a story to share,\u00a0reach out to her at alyse@buildinghopesummit.org<\/a>.<\/em> Photos submitted by Candy Elkind<\/em> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tras 19 largas y agotadoras horas, la pareja de corredores lleg\u00f3 de vuelta al barrio de Wellington. Recapitularon el viaje, pasos firmes a un ritmo constante que adornaron los senderos durante 50 largos kil\u00f3metros que rodearon la comunidad....<\/p>","protected":false},"author":194720797,"featured_media":7078,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1393],"tags":[1394,1395,1384],"class_list":["post-7071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-shares","tag-candy-elkind","tag-community-shares","tag-mental-health-awareness"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcRpks-1Q3","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/race-photo-1-rotated.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7071","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/194720797"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7071"}],"version-history":[{"count":53,"href":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7071\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8287,"href":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7071\/revisions\/8287"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7078"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildinghopesummit.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}