Providing interdisciplinary therapies for children with developmental disabilities in underserved communities in the greater Denver area.
Who We Are
Therapies for Hope is a team of passionate individuals with decades of combined experience working with children with developmental disabilities – as therapists, therapy program directors, grant writers, executives, financial managers, and parents.
Together with our large network of established community partners we are dedicated to help children with developmental disabilities and their families in underserved communities through unique, proven, interdisciplinary therapy Intensives.
Therapies for Hope is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (FEIN #86-3227408).
Meet Our Leadership Team
Eric Victor, Executive Director of Therapies for Hope
Over the following years, Eric and his family, motivated by Hope’s sparkling personality and the joy she brings to their lives, dedicated themselves to pursuing programs and therapies that would provide the best opportunities for Hope’s growth and development.
One of the most transformational and positive growth experiences for Hope involved multidisciplinary therapy sessions over multiple days and the results of that experience made Eric an instant believer and passionate advocate for this approach. Further, in working with other like-minded advocates and those with deep experience in this community, they identified an inexcusably massive unmet need from families who also desperately needed these types of services.
And in April of 2021, Therapies for Hope was born. Since then, the Therapies for Hope team has been embraced by an incredible network of established community organizations which has enabled Therapies for Hope to move from inception to launch of programs in record time.
Eric, his wife Enid, son Declan and daughter Hope live in Aurora and spend time enjoying the great outdoors of Colorado and are looking forward to reduced travel restrictions in order to visit Eric’s son, Yuri, and daughter Liesl, of New York City.
Enid Victor, Director of Administration
My work experience ranges from stay-at-home mom, home-based business, and teaching in our church, to business account manager in a major manufacturing firm. I bring my project management and logistical skills, as well as my heart for families of kids with special needs, to ensure that the mission of Therapies for Hope is achieved in an efficient manner.
I have a Bachelors in Mathematics from St. Olaf College in Minnesota, a Masters in Statistics from Iowa State, an MBA from Georgia Tech, and I am currently working on a Masters of Divinity from Denver Seminary and expect to graduate in December 2022.
Amanda Weniger
Program Development
Monica Hoffman, Director for Therapy Programs
Monica Hoffman grew up in a large family that embraced individuals with developmental and intellectual differences which created her passion for this field. She has spent the majority of the last 25 years working with the IDD community in a variety of settings providing therapeutic services, developing and managing programs, and advocacy within public schools, private agencies, and non-profit organizations. It is her continued mission to assist families find the needed resources to access quality therapeutic services for their impacted family member and navigate the challenging world of Medicaid funding and other financial supports. Seeing this beautiful population thrive and find purpose in their life fills her heart with never ending happiness and fulfillment.
After graduating from Fort Hays State University in Kansas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Disorders: Speech Language Pathology, she moved to Colorado with her husband to begin their family. Monica went on to complete a Master of Arts degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. In her free time Monica enjoys spending time with her wonderful husband, two grown children and her extended family and friends creating memories to last a lifetime. Monica continues to search for ways to promote awareness and acceptance of those with differences in all walks of life.
Meet Our Board of Directors
Kelly Backes, Board Member
I currently reside in Atlanta, GA with my husband, two sons, and a pair of unruly dogs. Having been educated at the University of Colorado, the state will always hold a piece of my heart. My professional background consists of experience in finance, accounting, and Human Resources.
Collinus Newsome, Board Member
Driven by a belief that health and racial equity are critical to our success as human beings, Collinus began her career as a middle school teacher before working with teacher education licensure candidates at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Later, at Aurora Public Schools, she served as the superintendent’s office’s policy advisor, evaluating policy, programs and leading special projects to implement equitable practices across the district. Projects included the development of the Aurora Public Schools Welcome Center, which provides services to immigrant and refugee families and helps students develop the skills necessary to be successful in the American education system.
As director of education at The Denver Foundation, she helped community leaders and educators maximize their impact and witnessed the ways community investments can curb or exacerbate health and racial inequalities. At the Colorado Health Foundation since April 2020, Collinus leads the Foundations School-based Solutions bodies of work.
Collinus is a Denver native. Her parents arrived in Denver in 1978 as part of the last wave of black southerners migrating from the Deep South to northern cities. John and Ruby parented eight children despite the bigotry and hatred they lived through. All eight of Collinus’ siblings are first-generation college students. She attended Denver Public Schools, South High School, and was a Colorado Flyers Track and Field Club member. Collinus earned a track and field scholarship to the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana where she was a 7-Time Big Ten Champion and 6-time NCAA All-American. Collinus lives in Park Hill, where she grew up, with her three daughters Grace, Faith and Rubie.
Education
BA – Sociology and History, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign M.ED – Curriculum and Instruction, University of Colorado, Boulder
Doris Van Valkenburg, Board Member
Meet Our Advisory Community
Outreach and Family Advocacy
Strategy and Service Collaboration
Research, Applied Theory and Analytics
