The Way to Happiness Foundation & Open Door Program Mark 15 Year Partnership in Denver

New community center opens in Five Points as law enforcement, civic leaders, and humanitarians gather to honor Rev. Leon Kelly's 43-year legacy

DENVER, CO, UNITED STATES, April 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Way to Happiness Foundation International joined civic leaders, law enforcement officials, humanitarians, and community members in Denver's historic Five Points neighborhood this week to mark two milestones: the 43-year legacy of Reverend Leon Kelly and Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives, and 15 years of partnership between Open Door and The Way to Happiness Foundation. Over that period, more than 10,000 copies of the character-based guide The Way to Happiness have been placed into the hands of Denver youth and their families. The event also celebrated the opening of a new community center, which welcomed the public beginning last October. The center now serves as a permanent home for both Open Door's intervention work and The Way to Happiness Foundation's character development programming in the Denver area.

For 15 years, The Way to Happiness Foundation has worked alongside Rev. Kelly, integrating its 21-precept guide to living into Open Door's mentorship and intervention model. Rev. Kelly has become one of the Foundation's most dedicated community ambassadors, distributing copies of The Way to Happiness as part of his work in the community. His hands-on commitment reflects the same character-first philosophy the Foundation promotes in more than 100 countries worldwide.

The recognition extended to the event's law enforcement and public safety speakers. Both the Denver and Aurora Chiefs of Police delivered remarks referencing Rev. Kelly and the Way to Happiness’s role in community intervention work. Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlin emphasized that law enforcement cannot mentor young people the way a trusted community member can, and called on attendees to continue pressing forward with prevention-focused work.

Ron Sloan, Former Director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and a longtime associate of Rev. Kelly, recognized him with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. "We need leaders not in love with money, but in love with justice. Not in love with publicity, but in love with humanity." He described this as a direct reflection of Rev. Kelly's character and his decades of work alongside law enforcement.

Ludwig Alpers, President of The Way to Happiness Foundation International, addressed the gathering: "If you restore even one life, you alter the course of a family, a neighborhood, and ultimately a city. Consistent, values-based leadership produces long-term change."

The new Five Points community center gives that leadership a permanent address. Jerry Perez de Tagle, Executive Director of The Way to Happiness Foundation and the center, welcomed attendees and joined Rev. Kelly in closing remarks. The facility provides space for mentorship sessions, character development programming, and community gatherings, and positions Denver's long-running intervention model within a broader national and international conversation around prevention and community stability.

Humanitarians Steve and Peggy Fabos, who have supported the center and its mission for more than 15 years, addressed the audience: "We have witnessed the lives changed and saved through this work. Supporting mentorship and character development is one of the strongest investments a community can make in its future."

The event took place against the backdrop of positive shifts in Denver's public safety landscape. According to Denver Police Department data, the city recorded 37 homicides in 2025, down from 70 in 2024 and the lowest total since 2014. Peer-reviewed research published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence estimates the full societal cost of a single homicide, including victim costs, criminal justice expenses, and intangible losses such as pain, suffering, and lost quality of life, at nearly $9.5 million.

Rev. Kelly reflected on the milestone: "For 43 years, we have stood for direction over destruction and leadership over violence. Intervention may interrupt a crisis, but character changes a lifetime. Young people deserve more than survival. They deserve a future."

Alumni of Open Door's programs were also recognized, including individuals who now serve at the state and national level helping other cities build prevention models after Open Door's approach, a direct illustration of how one redirected life can influence a family, a community, and ultimately a city.
The Way to Happiness Foundation operates in more than 100 countries, supporting character-based initiatives worldwide. What is being built in Denver's Five Points neighborhood, Ludwig Alpers noted, has relevance far beyond the city: "What begins in Denver will not stay in Denver."

The Way to Happiness Foundation International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring shared values and personal responsibility through the distribution of The Way to Happiness, A Common-Sense Guide to Better Living penned by author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard. For 15 years, the Foundation has partnered with Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives, founded in 1988 by Reverend Leon Kelly as the oldest anti-gang intervention program in the Denver metropolitan area, to bring character-based programming to communities most affected by gang activity and youth violence. For more information, visit https://www.thewaytohappiness.org/.

Ludwig Alpers
The Way to Happiness Foundation
+1 818-402-3218
email us here

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