Dissolution of the Prospect Home Care & Hospice Foundation concludes with the dispersal of $2 million to nonprofits and fire departments.

Mary Barrowman, president and chief executive officer of Prospect Home Care & Hospice, closed the Prospect organization and launched the foundation.

“In the summer of 2019, Prospect experienced an unexpected collapse of critical personnel,” she said. “Experienced RN’s and operations directors were moving on – retirement, transfer and easier jobs.”

Out of options, Barrowman notified state, federal certification and licensing institutions of her decision to shut down the organization.

“By 2020, I was the sole employee as I continued to provide grief counseling and support, financial assistance and served as a navigator for people unable to access care,” she said.

At the time, Barrowman was emotional over the decision but resolute.  

“Our delivery of the high-quality compassionate care resulted in strong community support.  Gifts, donations and fundraisers were our lifeline. Grants sustained us,” she said. “We had dozens of volunteers, including physicians, that reduced costs.”

The foundation springs from Prospect’s remaining funds.

“By law, as a medical facility, I was required to maintain access to medical records of my patients for 7 years,” Barrowman said. “By 2024 my outreach had dwindled and I pivoted to managing investments that had grown so much my profit was greater than when I was a full-service agency.”

Barrowman’s dispersal of funds began with fire departments, Four Mile, Florissant, Southern Colorado Wildland Firefighters and Divide.

Before closing the foundation, Barrowman made a couple of phone calls, the first to Teller Senior Coalition, followed with delivery of a $100,000 check.   

“I was floored,” said Kathy Lowry, executive director of TSC.  “We were at a low point, so the timing was marvelous.”

At the time, funds for a grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation were delayed.

“The money from Prospect helped us expand our bus routes to include one from Woodland Park to Colorado Springs,” Lowry said.  “Prospect’s donation gives us breathing room financially.”

TSC services are designed to help seniors age in place and at the same time, remain socially active. Buses are the catalyst. 

“People form friendships on the bus,” said Roni Gordon, TSC’s transportation coordinator. “We have a group of ladies who call us for a ride to Trader Joe’s.”

Gordon recalls a couple from Cripple Creek who wanted to celebrate their anniversary at Roy’s Crew Barbecue in Woodland Park.

“Those are the types of things we can do,” Gordon said. “We take a lady who is 103 to get her hair done once a week.”

In addition to transportation, the coalition delivers meals, keeps a food pantry and for seniors unable to do housework, provides help. 

“Mary did a lot of good for the community. Funds are so tight now, but we are not cutting services,” Lowry said.

The final donation was $25,000 to the Community of Caring Foundation, for “A Place for Kids,” childcare facility in Cripple Creek, expected to open next year. Mary Bielz, chair of the CoC foundation pegged Barrowman from the get-go, in 2003. 

“As soon as she hit town, she was here to make a difference,” Bielz said. “She was about serving others in need, honoring people on the front lines.”

Back in the day, Bielz and Barrowman formed a team at the Aspen Mine Center to help high-risk senior citizens in southern Teller County. At times, the two visited seniors living in difficult circumstances, in hard-to-get-to places, Bielz said.

“She didn’t take no for answer; she was scrappy,” Bielz said. “She was never afraid to make those home visits.”

Along with being scrappy, Barrowman was compassionate and empathetic, Bielz added.  

“We saw a lot of hard things, but she was never intimidated,” Bielz said.

For Bielz, the $25,000 to the childcare facility fits the theme of Barrowman’s donation.

“Eventually, the children can take care of us; they can be firemen or policemen, for instance,” she said.

Rural fire departments received the majority of the $2 million, Barrowman said.

“They are the perfect fit for my Prospect legacy, two decades of life enhancing operations and, in closing, granting forever gifts,” she said. “It was a good run.”