Meet Marissa Poppens

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marissa Poppens and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marissa, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I think a lot about risk. I’ve never been in a position where risk wasn’t a big part of everyday. Upon getting my diagnosis with MS. I asked telling employers I had a disability. I risked working to hard and making my MS worse. I risked retiring early to get disability so that I wouldn’t have yearly relapse with my MS. I risk every month knowing that disability doesn’t cover all of my rent and that I could loose my housing. I risk loosing the ability to have an organization to help others daily by not having secure funding. Risk is a part of life and without it you’re not growing or pushing yourself to be and do better. The risk is stressful, but most often pays off.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
MSterious Miracles is a nonprofit I started in 2017 after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). I had lost a lot of my mobility, fired from my job for having MS, and lost my housing all in less than a year. After hearing several other people go through the same thing or something similar. I wanted to provide a tangible solution that wasn’t just a temporary fix.

I’m most proud of being able to help someone and give them hope again that they will be okay.

I got to where I am by the incredible support of family friends CO workers and strangers that believe in me and the community. People that took the time to teach me small and big things about business and community.

It was not easy, but it was easy to know that the org I started was needed. The biggest challenge is to keep going when there is no funding and you can’t help people in the way they need it most. It’s also very challenging to find people with the same level of passion and drive to work non-stop to keep the org going so that the newly diagnosed or lifelong person with MS can have hope and the their day to day needs met.

I’ve overcome most of these challenges when someone will tell me how much this org means to them or that we saved their lives. When I see someone with no hope in their eyes and thinking MS has one and we give them something that makes their MS a little bit easier it makes me not want to ever give up and grow this org to be able to help everyone that is living with MS. When that person or business decides to donate or volunteer to allow me more opportunity and time to grow the org it’s a game changer and reminds me this org is needed.

I want the world to know that as long as I’m alive I will fight and advocate for those of us living with MS. I will continue to find ways to help create fun and engaging events where people learn and hopefully do something on their own for the MS community or someone they know that has MS. I want people to know that MSterious Miracles will create miracles every chance we get.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take them to my favorite places to eat.
Breakfast/brunch were hitting One Fold, Syrup, Lucille’s, Yardbird, and Milly’s.

Lunch were going to Lowry Beer Garden, walters 303, Machete tacos have to get at least 1 langosta taco with pineapple tequila shots, Akia Hot Pot, Tommy Knockers, AYCE sushi at Sho Sushi or Sushi Tutoro, Mango House

Dinner has to be Bastiens for a sugar steak and then drinks and live music on a Friday at Inga’s Alpine Tavern.
Hit up Angelo’s for some oysters and great Italian with delicious cocktails from Davis.

Activities I have to take them to my favorite movie theater Sie Film Center and catch an indie film or hopefully a film festival is the time is right.
We would go to the mountains head west on 70 to Idaho springs for white water rafting. Go to Grand lake and stay in a cabin overlooking the lake and Mt baldy.
Do ATV’s at multiple locations in CO. Iron Mountain hot springs.
Go to a live show at the Filmore or see Carnivale De Sensuale at the Oriental.
Hit up UMS for an outdoor music festival.
Go mini golfing at Boondocks.
Go to the Paint Mines for an easy hike and stunning views then hit up Hickery House for some BBQ.
I’d also take them to Jazz in Park at City park grills some food play lawn games and listen to live music and enjoy some people watching.
Hit up some museums like Wings Over The Rockies, History Museum, Meow Wolf, and Nature & Science.
Walk around the Stanley Marketplace and get some Denver Biscuit Co.
Definitely hit up at least 12 breweries throughout the week. Making sure to hit Launch Pad,
Stroll/cruise Colfax for some late night pizza at Fat Sully’s
Spend a day in Ft Collins at horsetooth reservoir on the water.
Take in a Nuggets or AVS game.
Attend a film festival
Go to Summer Scream at lakeside

A week isn’t enough time to showcase all that Colorado has to over. I’ve been here for 18 years and just starting to scratch the surface.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Denver Film has been pivotal in where I am in life. They have taught me so much, connected me to amazing people. Allowed me to see incredible films and hear incredible stories. I’ve been able to experience and do things I wouldn’t have ever dreamed of because of Denver Film. They have allowed me to grow and learn how to put on amazing events. How to manage volunteers. I’ve been able to make lifelong friendships through volunteering with them. They showed me the importance of volunteering and how it can change your life and others by just showing up.

Website: https://www.msteriousmiracles.org

Instagram: MSterious_miracles

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/msadultprom