At a kitchen table in Arvada, backpacks and homework papers take over. It’s a common sight for Carla Aguilar, but one she never expected to repeat.

“I thought I was all done raising kids, you know?” Aguilar said.

For more than a decade, Aguilar has been raising her two granddaughters, Ava and Athena. Ava, 12, was too shy to appear on camera, but 8-year-old Athena proudly showed how her grandmother helps her learn.

“She helps me read,” Athena said. “She taught me how to write correctly.”

Aguilar, 55, is disabled and lives on a fixed income. She says every day is a balancing act, and this time of year is challenging.

“Holidays are hard, so we’re kind of dealing with that right now,” she said.

Aguilar’s story is far from unique. According to the latest data from the American Society on Aging and the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 2 million grandparents nationwide are primary caregivers for their grandchildren. In Colorado, more than 36,000 families face the same reality, often with limited financial resources and little support.

“Most of these seniors are on fixed income, social security, disability, and you can’t really stretch that too far in Colorado these days,” said Steve Olguin, executive director of Bright Leaf, a nonprofit that helps older adults across the state.

Bright Leaf started as a small community group and now provides free home repairs, food assistance, and other essentials to seniors statewide. Its newest initiative, GrandCare Alliance, focuses on grandparents raising grandkids — offering help with school costs, activity fees, and holiday wish lists.

“We’re just trying to help out so it’s not as rough for them,” Olguin said.

For Aguilar, that support is a lifeline. She says her granddaughters are her world, and she’ll never stop fighting for them.

“They’re my heart, my soul, everything,” Aguilar said. “I will take care of them until my last breath.”

Bright Leaf is asking for the community’s help in supporting the GrandCare Alliance and its other services. Those who want more information on how to volunteer and donate can visit their website. 

• Possible fire danger ahead
• Warm for the week ahead
• Still a bit breezy

MONDAY: Monday will be warmer with 60s returning for many in southern Colorado. Plenty of sunshine is expected with a bit of a breeze too. Spotty fire weather conditions are possible for some too.

MID-WEEK: Humidity levels will likely improve throughout the week with less fire danger expected. However, sunshine and temperatures about 20 degrees above averages continue.

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CHRISTMAS: Christmas will be warm and dry with highs in the 60s for many with sunshine. The high country through the divide and Wolf Creek Pass may see some snow, but we will be dry in southern Colorado.

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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are asking President Trump to reverse a decision, saying the president denied disaster declaration requests for major wildfires and flooding across the state earlier this year.

In August, lightning strikes near the town of Meeker sparked two massive wildfires that burned over 150,000 acres in Rio Blanco County. The Lee fire became the fifth-largest wildfire in the state’s history. Polis declared a disaster emergency for the Elk Fire on Aug. 3, which was updated on Aug. 6 to include the Lee Fire. That declaration unlocked over $18.5 million in state funding to help with suppression and recovery efforts.

The Elk and Lee Fires and subsequent mudslides caused approximately $27.5 million in damage, according to state estimates validated by FEMA. State officials expect that estimate to grow as recovery efforts continue.

Polis said the region’s Piceance Basin produces between 2 and 5% of the United States’ daily consumption of natural gas and that the two local utility providers in the area suffered almost $24 million in damage to their infrastructure. He warned that a lack of support could stall production, damaging the local economy and causing rate increases that reach far beyond the region.

Polis declared another disaster emergency in October when areas of southwest Colorado along Vallecito Creek, the Piedra River, and the San Juan River basin were struck by intense flooding. 

According to a statement from the governor’s office, “The Western Colorado Flooding destroyed or damaged essential drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, including near-total sewer system failures in the Pagosa Springs area. Floodwaters breached levees, triggered evacuations for nearly 400 homes, prompted multiple boil-water advisories, and caused at least 11 high-water rescues by local first responders. Rivers reached historic levels — including the San Juan River’s third-highest crest since 1911 — and debris flows, sediment deposits, and rechanneling of waterways have created long-term risks for residents living along Vallecito Creek, the Piedra River, and the San Juan River basin.”

Polis made a formal request for support in September. Colorado’s entire congressional delegation — four Democrats and four Republicans — along with both Democratic senators, asked the president to support the request and to issue a major disaster declaration to help the people affected by the fires and floods.

According to the governor’s office, that request was denied Saturday night. In a joint statement, Colorado’s governor and senators called on the president to reconsider.

“Coloradans impacted by the Elk and Lee fires and the flooding in Southwestern Colorado deserve better than the political games President Trump is playing. One of the most amazing things to witness as Governor has been the resilience of Coloradans following a natural disaster. Their courage, strength, and willingness to help one another is unmatched – values that President Trump seems to have forgotten. I call on the President’s better angels and urge him to reconsider these requests. This is about the Coloradans who need this support, and we won’t stop fighting for them to get what they deserve. Colorado will be appealing this decision,” Polis said. 

Bennet condemned the denial, claiming that the president is using Coloradans for “political games” and calling the move “malicious and obscene.

“A disaster is a disaster, regardless of what state in the country it took place. Together with Governor Polis and the Colorado delegation, I will take every available step to appeal this decision,” he asserted.

“Coloradans are trying to rebuild their lives after fires and floods destroyed homes and communities across our state. Trump’s decision to reject our disaster requests, and therefore, withhold resources as our communities continue to recover, is unacceptable. This isn’t a game. These are people’s lives,” Hickenlooper said.

In response to CBS News Colorado’s request, White House Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson provided the following statement regarding the denial:

“During the fires, the Administration prioritized and mobilized two Modular Aerial Fire Fighting Systems, which are jointly managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Department of War, and retrofitted to C-130s operated by the Air National Guard. These systems enhanced aviation support to Colorado as they battled the Lee and Elk fires.

The President responds to each request for Federal assistance under the Stafford Act with great care and consideration, ensuring American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently by the states to supplement-not substitute, their obligation to respond to and recover from disasters.

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There is no politicization to the President’s decisions on disaster relief, unlike under the Biden Administration where FEMA officials refused aid to disaster survivors who displayed political signs and flags they disagreed with. The Trump administration remains committed to empowering and working with State and local governments to invest in their own resilience before disaster strikes, making response less urgent and recovery less prolonged.”

CBS News Colorado reached out to FEMA for comment on Sunday. Its Denver regional office referred questions to its national office in Washington, D.C., but as of the time of this story’s publishing, it has not yet responded.