At a community "Doug Mad" volunteer event in Castle Rock, volunteers gathered to clean yards and assist seniors while organizers announced a rotating senior shuttle and community service initiatives for youth, survivors and veterans.

Organizers and participants said the event mixes fellowship with practical help. Speaker 2 described the local tradition as a time when "they go out and they help seniors and they pick up leaves and they pick up weeds and make their communities just brighter and more beautiful." The event also served as a platform for announcing a new program that "is going to rotate through Castle Rock," which organizers said aims to give older residents more mobility without a fare.

The announcement of the shuttle was presented as a step to increase independence for older residents. Speaker 2 said the goal of the shuttle is to give seniors "the ability to get around town without having to pay for it," and an attendee who identified their age as 81 said the service would reduce time spent driving in traffic and help maintain independence.

Speakers also used the gathering to highlight youth-led work on mental health and substance use disorder. A member of the Douglas County Youth Commission (Speaker 2) said young people and adults with lived experience are "leading this effort with their voices," and referenced Safe2Tell as a resource tied to school-based reporting of distress. Speaker 3 provided a local public-health snapshot, stating, "We have had 81 drug and alcohol related deaths in 2024." The statistic was presented to underscore the scale of substance-related harms in the county.

A 19-year-old identified as Scarlet gave a personal account of addiction, saying, "My name is Scarlet. I'm 19, and I started using substances when I was 14," and describing lost years and the role of lived-experience advocates in recovery work.

Domestic-violence response and shelter services were also discussed. Speaker 2 said last year the Douglas County Sheriff's Office "responded to hundreds of domestic violence calls" and described a safe house as "that first best step in your darkest hour" for people seeking to leave abusive relationships.

Speakers concluded by emphasizing veterans' needs and a local veterans center concept. Participants described a proposed "Heroes Hall" as a one-stop place for veterans to find fellowship and services at any hour.

The event combined volunteer recognition with brief program announcements and personal testimony; no formal votes or policy actions were recorded at the gathering.