CHFA is proud to announce its Round One 2021 Direct Effect Award recipients.
CHFA’s Direct Effect Awards recognize Colorado nonprofit organizations whose missions align with CHFA’s work to strengthen Colorado by investing in affordable housing and community development.
CHFA is donating a record $909,650 to 78 nonprofits through its Direct Effect program in round one, which received 112 applications seeking more than $3 million in combined funding. Additionally, Second Chance Center was selected as CHFA’s 2021 David W. Herlinger Golf Tournament beneficiary, which has historically raised $75,000 for its annual beneficiary.
The Round One 2021 Direct Effect Award recipients are listed below.
A Precious Child - $10,000
A Precious Child provides children in need with opportunities and resources to empower them to achieve their full potential. It is a one-stop shop for families in crisis to receive the goods, opportunities, and resources they need. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support the Precious Perks Social-Enterprise Workforce Development program, empowering 16-to-24-year-old young adults with opportunities to learn soft skills, professional skills, and attain multiple certifications. The Award will also provide case management to help vulnerable families access wrap-around services and resource navigation to ensure their housing needs are met. To learn more about A Precious Child, please visit apreciouschild.org.
Advocates of Routt County - $7,500
Advocates of Routt County supports and empowers all people impacted by sexual violence and abusive relationships; while working to disrupt all systems that tolerate and perpetuate such violence. It is a domestic violence shelter, providing emergency shelter to individuals fleeing violent situations. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support their new transitional housing program. This transitional housing unit will allow their clients to get their immediate needs met and secure long-term housing to ensure that they and any children can start living a life free from violence. To learn more about Advocates of Routt county, please visit advocatesrc.org.
Almost Home, Inc - $5,000
Almost Home, Inc. is a primary service provider in Adams and Weld County that prevents and confronts homelessness through a continuum of services through three Emergency Assistance Programs. Each program is designed to make homelessness rare, brief or one time. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support their Housing Navigator Center and help to ensure consistent staffing and resources are available to Coloradans in need. The Housing Navigator Center provides direct case management, housing counseling, and workshops to reach self-sufficiency. To learn more about Almost Home, please visit almosthomeonline.org.
Archway Housing & Services - $10,000
Archway Housing & Services elevates lives by providing access to affordable housing, food security, and supportive social services that people need to thrive. Archway strives to change lives for all Coloradans by providing housing and related supportive services that engender a safe environment and teach community skills. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will be used to fund the Supportive Services Program, which offers supportive social services, case management, rental assistance, and food assistance to households living in Archway communities. To learn more about Archway Housing & Services, please visit archwaycommunities.org.
Asian Pacific Development Center - $5,000
Asian Pacific Development Center (APDC) is powered by its rich heritage of AANHPI advocacy and exists today to serve and support all immigrant, and refugee communities with a whole health, community-based engagement approach through health, education, and advocacy. APDC advances the well-being of the AANHPI community of Colorado broadly, providing culturally appropriate and integrated medical, behavioral, educational, and related services. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help expand the reach and impact of their work to address barriers to equity. APDC will provide community education on anti-Asian Hate, community outreach and engagement to build awareness of resources available to individuals impacted, and connect local communities needed resources. To learn more about Asian Pacific Development Center, please visit apdc.org.
Bayaud Enterprises - $15,000
Bayaud Enterprises' mission is to create hope, opportunity, and choice, with work as the means through which people with disabilities, and other hurdles to employment, can more fully participate in the mainstream of life. In 2020, Bayaud served 4,530 single adults and family members - 93% were living in poverty, 70% were homeless, 55% had a disability, and 10% were veterans. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will advance economic development opportunities for the community's most vulnerable residents with the creation of jobs that pay living wages, job training, job placement services, post job placement coaching to support job retention, and a myriad of supportive services including mental health and substance misuse counseling. To learn more about Bayaud Enterprises, please visit bayaudenterprises.org.
Boulder County AIDS Project - $10,000
Boulder County AIDS Project provides affordable housing services to low-income people living with HIV (PLHIV), as part of wrap-around services to help ensure PLHIV access and retain medical care and HIV treatment. They embrace a "Housing First" model when addressing PLHIV's basic needs because a lack of stable housing is one of the greatest barriers to staying engaged in medical care. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support housing assistance services for low-income PLHIV in Boulder, Broomfield, Gilpin, and Clear Creek counties. The Award will help improve health outcomes for PLHIV, reduce HIV transmission, reduce costs to the healthcare system by preventing hospitalization/rehospitalization, and decrease housing instability and homelessness. To learn more about Boulder County AIDS Project, please visit bcap.org.
Boulder Shelter for the Homeless - $10,000
Boulder Shelter for the Homeless creates avenues to stable housing for their community's homeless adults, from a foundation of supportive and safe shelter. Their programs emphasize Housing-Focused Shelter, providing some of their community's most vulnerable residents with a safe, warm bed, a healthy meal, and a little bit of dignity, and providing them "exits" to stable and affordable housing. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will enable the shelter to continue its programs, including coordinated entry, housing focused shelter, permanent supportive housing, navigation, and COVID-19 Precautions. To learn more about Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, please visit bouldershelter.org
Boulder Treasures/The Ramble Collective - $37,000
The Ramble Collective creates pathways to purpose and community for adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). Through a partnership with Boulder Housing Partners they recently opened an Independent Living Community, which provides 20 units of Project Based Voucher supported apartment units allocated to individuals with IDD. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support the Ramble Community Connections program, which provides support and wrap-around services to all residents, not just those with IDD, in an effort to build community and reduce stigma. Ramble Community Connections is looking to expand their programming to include mentoring for individuals, transportation training and recreational and social activities for the residents. To learn more about the Ramble Collective, please visit TheRambleCollective.org
Bright Future Foundation for Eagle County - $15,000
Bright Future Foundation creates a stronger Colorado by supporting survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and trafficking with safe, stable housing, and comprehensive programs for long-term recovery. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support the BrightHouse, an emergency shelter in Eagle County which provide safety, security, and protection to survivors of violence and their families. It will also support the Ensuring Freedom Program, which provides survivors with housing stabilization, flexible financial assistance, survivor-driven mobile advocacy, and supportive services to enhance community engagement. To learn more about Bright Future Foundation for Eagle County, please visit mybrightfuture.org.
BuCu West Development Association - $10,000
The mission of the BuCu West Development Association is to create a destination that promotes and supports entrepreneurs, small business, cultural organizations and residents in an authentic, energetic and colorful environment. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support their Community Connectors Program, which was launched through a partnership with the West Denver Renaissance Collaborative. This program has provided the strategic outreach effort needed in southwest Denver to reach the families most in need of pandemic support. Utilizing community leaders as on the ground connectors has helped to identify, encourage, and complete applications for rental assistance, pandemic resources, and other needs-based programs. To learn more about BuCu West Development Association, please visit bucuwest.com.
The Business Incubator Center - $10,000
The Business Incubator Center supports the launch, growth, stabilization, and long-term success of business enterprises in Mesa County and the surrounding region. Their goal is to stimulate the local economy and retain/create the greatest number of sustainable jobs possible. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support a Commercial Kitchen Program and a coworking space. The support for the Commercial Kitchen Program will allow for the installation of electrical connections for Food Trucks, which have been a quickly expanding small business in Mesa County. Funding for the coworking space will support expansion of the space which is a drastically needed and utilized program. To learn more about The Business Incubator Center, please visit gjincubator.org.
CASA of the 7th Judicial District - $17,850
CASA's mission is to respect a child's inherent right to be safe, establish permanence and have the opportunity to thrive and, once appointed by the court, to advocate for the child's best interest in the court at every stage of the case. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will furnish 6 suites and shared living space for a supportive housing project in Delta. The project is under construction and slated to open in Fall 2021. This project will provide housing and supportive services for 18 to 24-year olds coming out of foster care or at risk for homelessness in Delta County. The services provided by CASA on behalf of these youth include mental health, employment readiness, clinical case management, and goal setting. To learn more about CASA of the 7th Judicial District, please visit casa7jd.org.
Centro Humanitario Para Los Trabajadores - $10,000
Centro Humanitario Para Los Trabajadores (El Centro) is dedicated to promoting the rights and wellbeing of a unique and marginalized sector of the workforce. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help fund El Centro's Outreach, Engagement, and Leadership Development Program, which brings workers out of isolation to build unity and connect with resources and opportunities in their communities. It will also support their Employment Program, which seeks to eliminate the need for workers to stand on corners to look for work, with no access to running water or shelter, and reduce the risk for workers who accept jobs that may result in exploitation from unknown employers. To learn more about El Centro, please visit centrohumanitario.org.
Chaffee Housing Trust - $15,000
Using the Community Land Trust model, the Chaffee Housing Trust built 14 affordable homes for ownership and rental to rural Chaffee and Lake County households earning between 61% and 78% AMI. All buyers and renters receive pre-purchase counseling, including financial literacy, credit repair, mortgage loan application assistance, and post purchase support. Renters receive ongoing services to plan for the future and have the option to purchase their unit. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support the Promotore Program, designed to address inequities in family capacity to enter into homeownership and asset wealth creation that can be passed on to subsequent generations. Promotores will receive financial literacy education and training on how to work with members of their community, step by step, through the homebuyer readiness process. To learn more about Chaffee Housing Trust, please visit chaffeehousing.org.
Colorado Homeownership Coalition - $10,000
The Colorado Homeownership Coalition provides mortgage assistance to homeowners experiencing a temporary disruption in income to avoid delinquent mortgage payments and ultimately resume self-sufficiency. The Colorado Homeownership Coalition is a financial lifeline for individuals and families that need a helping hand. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will provide mortgage assistance to eligible Colorado families. To learn more about Colorado Homeownership Coalition, please visit chchelps.org.
Denver Metro Fair Housing Center - $7,500
Denver Metro Fair Housing Center (DMFHC) is dedicated to eliminating housing discrimination and promoting housing choice for all people through education, advocacy, and enforcement of fair housing law. DMFHC is trained and experienced in providing fair housing educational trainings to community, housing consumers, housing providers, realtors, and housing authorities to increase their knowledge of fair housing rights, responsibilities and remedies under fair housing laws. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help further DMFHC's mission and allow them the ability to carry out all their educational classes and enforcement activities in communities. To learn more about Denver Metro Fair Housing Center, please visit dmfhc.org.
Doors 2 Success – $15,000
Doors 2 Success assists Mesa County residents to achieve economic independence and empowers them to stabilize and improve their lives and the lives of their children through education, training, referrals, and other supportive services tailored to their individual household needs. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help Doors to Success expand their Service Coordination, which provides residents with medical, dental, food, and transportation resources, access to physical health assessments and referrals to services, cultural education, exercise classes, and more. It will also help cross-train Service Coordinators in Care Coordination, which supports clients with acute needs, often following a surgery, other hospital stays, or an emergency department visit. To learn more about Doors 2 Success, please visit gjha.org/housing-programs/doors-2-success.
Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA) - $13,000
DAVA's mission is to strengthen the community through the arts with a primary focus on youth engagement. DAVA is located in northern Aurora along the east Colfax Avenue corridor. The community's high crime rate and economic conditions contribute to young people's challenges, which include poverty, gang involvement, exposure to drugs and alcohol, and low high school graduation rates. In response, DAVA has developed a unique approach to arts programming by integrating positive youth development, strong ties to education and local schools, and job training to increase leadership and life skills. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support student stipends for their Job Training in the Arts and Technology program, which uses long-term, process-driven project cycles to teach middle school students art and workforce skills. As a part of Job Training, students earn a small stipend for hard work and leadership development. To learn more about DAVA, please visit davarts.org/.
Environmental Learning for Kids - $7,500
Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK) cultivates a passion in science, leadership, and service in a diverse community of learners. For children who are living with low-income or come from underserved populations, environment and science are not the first choice for potential future careers. ELK exposes them to this possibility and gives them the tools and skills to confidently pursue this career path. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support their programming to provide science and environmental education, youth development, and mentoring to the community. To learn more about Environmental Learning for Kids, please visit elkkids.org.
EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum - $10,000
EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum strives to create a regional hub for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) learning on the Western Slope. EUREKA! is committed to increasing access to STEAM resources for socioeconomically disadvantaged community members and addressing educational outcomes and access to enriching activities for youth as a social determinant of health. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help EUREKA! provide transportation for youth in the Clifton and Palisade areas to and from the museum in the summer, transportation of supplies for Title I after school programs during the school year, and tuition reduction for students and families to continue providing educational enrichment and support for underserved communities. To learn more about EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum, please visit eurekasciencemuseum.org.
Extreme Community Makeover - $10,000
Extreme Community Makeover coordinates volunteer teams to partner with Denver residents to improve their own homes and neighborhoods. These projects build safer environments; cultivate community among residents, neighborhoods, and networks of local resource providers; and connect residents to a permanent path towards healthy, hopeful, and stable lives. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support Extreme Community Makeover's work in neighborhood revitalization and community development in eight Denver neighborhoods – Barnum, Elyria, Globeville, La Alma/Lincoln Park, Swansea, Villa Park, West Colfax, and Westwood. To learn more about Extreme Community Makeover, please visit extremecommunitymakeover.org.
First Southwest Community Fund - $25,000
First Southwest Community Fund supports tangible economic opportunities throughout rural Colorado by making much needed non-traditional capital (loans) available to new and existing businesses to create and retain jobs and provide educational resources to entrepreneurs and business owners. It supports the dedicated entrepreneurial spirit of rural Colorado, by investing in the people, culture, and ideas that fuel innovation and financial knowledge. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support the Fortaleza Fund, which is designed to give access to funding for immigrant-led businesses in rural Colorado through micro-loans, grants, and technical assistance. To learn more about First Southwest Community Fund, please visit fswcf.org.
Food to Power - $15,000
Food to Power's mission is to transform every aspect of our food system into co-powerment and equity. They are working to cultivate a healthy, equitable food system in the greater Colorado Springs community. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will allow Food to Power to continue making a direct impact on under-resourced communities in Colorado Springs through its current programs, and will support the Hillside Hub, the city's first neighborhood food center. The goal of the Hillside Hub is to cultivate a community-operated space where neighbors grow, cook, learn about, access, and advocate for fresh food. To learn more about Food to Power, please visit foodtopowerco.org.
The Gathering Place - $15,000
The Gathering Place (TGP) strengthens Colorado by providing direct housing support, case management, job readiness programming, wellness services, and basic needs such as nutrition and hygiene, to some of the most vulnerable individuals in Denver. TGP is the only daytime drop-in center in Denver specifically serving women, transgender individuals, and children who are experiencing poverty and homelessness. All services are provided at no cost to clients. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support general operating needs, prioritizing TGP's housing-focused Case Management Program. The award allows TGP to sustain access to comprehensive services while also providing limited financial assistance to clients who are working with the Case Management Program to obtain housing, yet have unaddressed needs or barriers related to housing. To learn more about TGP, please visit tgpdenver.org.
Grand Foundation - $5,000
The Grand Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life in Grand County by proactively addressing current and future needs in the areas of health and human services, arts and culture, education, amateur sports, and environment. The Grand Foundation and the Leadership for a Sustainable Community Committee partnered in 2018 to create the Grand County Housing Assistance Fund to target the housing issues that face residents of Grand County. The Fund is designed to provide housing assistance to the local workforce, ensuring they can afford the rising cost of housing. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support their rental assistance program. To learn more about Grand Foundation, please visit grandfoundation.com.
Grand Valley Catholic Outreach - $10,000
Grand Valley Catholic Outreach works to provide emergency services to individuals and families in need, support the homeless in their quest for safe and decent housing, feed those who are hungry, and invite participation from all denominations in the quest to support human life. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support their rental assistance program, which has facecd significant demand as Mesa County works to recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many residents remain either underemployed or unemployed and are overwhelmed by debts that have accrued as a result of the events of last year. To learn more about Grand Valley Catholic Outreach, please visit catholicoutreach.org.
Growing Home - $10,000
Growing Home offers wrap-around services, dual-generation programs, and a participant-centered approach that elevates community voices so families and communities may thrive. Growing Home is dedicated to creating a thriving and equitable Adams County one family at a time. The organization's dual generation, participant-centered approach to strengthening families, nurturing children, and connecting community fills a critical gap for families and children who are experiencing immediate and long-term barriers to stability and success. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will go toward housing stability and homelessness prevention, collaborative coaching evidenced based case management, system navigation and resource education, and wrap around services. To learn more about Growing Home, please visit growinghome.org/.
Habitat for Humanity of Pueblo - $15,000
Habitat for Humanity of Pueblo's mission is to provide simple, decent, affordable housing for low-income families who cannot purchase a home by conventional methods or through government assistated programs. The organization has recently faced challenges due to capacity and funding, and most impactfully, COVID-19 and its effects on the homebuilding process and costs involved in building homes. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support their Homeownership Program by assisting efforts in reestablishing all service lines and contributing towards a full-time position which will be responsible for coordinating, managing and reporting of the Homeownership Program. To learn more about Habitat for Humanity of Pueblo, please visit hfhpueblo.org
Haven House of Montrose, Inc. - $10,000
Haven House of Montrose's mission is to end homelessness, for those they serve, by providing temporary housing for up to two years with wraparound programs designed to help families get back into permanent housing on a path to self-sufficiency. They also have programs for residents' children designed to help them become successful in school, learn respect and self-discipline, and develop a positive attitude. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help ensure the continued operation and development of their Transitional Housing, Child Development and Early Child Education Programs, and strengthen their resources needed to fund the development of an addition to their existing facility. To learn more about Haven House, please visit havenhousehomeless.org.
Home Builders Foundation - $5,000
Through home repairs and renovations to improve accessibility, Home Builders Foundation improves independence, quality of life, and safety for individuals with disabilities, in turn allowing them to participate more fully in their families, communities, and the state economy. Their Accessible Home Modification Program addresses the burden of costly home modifications and ensures homes are safe for Coloradans with disabilities. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help Home Builders Foundation continue to provide accessible home modifications to Coloradans with disabilities, creating safer, more accessible homes. To learn more about Home Builders Foundation, please visit hbfdenver.org.
Homeward Alliance - $10,000
Homeward Alliance's mission is to empower individuals and families who face homelessness to survive, move forward and thrive. Their work helps people find employment, secure treatment for medical issues, rebuild family relationships, and gain permanent housing. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help fund a Housing Specialist for their Resource Navigator program. This program provides flexible, no barrier services to help people experiencing homelessness traverse the obstacles that keep them from housing. To learn more about Homeward Alliance, please visit homewardalliance.org.
Homeward Pikes Peak – $10,000
Homeward Pikes Peak is committed to the dual purpose of enhancing human well-being and helping meet the basic human needs of all people, with attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable and living in poverty. It is the largest housing provider to individuals in the Colorado Springs community who are exiting homelessness. Housing First provides HUD rental assistance, case-management, and access to behavioral health care for Veterans and adults with a dual diagnosis of severe mental illness and SUD. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support the housing programs that Homeward Pikes Peak operates. To learn more about Homeward Pikes Peak, please visit homewardpp.org.
HomewardBound of the Grand Valley, Inc. – $7,000
HomewardBound of the Grand Valley's mission is "From Surviving to Thriving; Changing the Perception of Homelessness!" They provide emergency shelter and focus on providing readily accessible services that will ultimately lead willing individuals and families to permanent housing. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support Homeward Bounds Purposeful Work program, which is a vocational training program that removes barriers to employment and offers a pathway to self-sufficiency for homeless adults. Workers complete a variety of jobs on a rotation through five occupational areas: food service, janitorial/maintenance, clothing/retail, facility reception and ushering, and administration. They also participate in life skills and employment related soft skills classes. To learn more about HomewardBound of the Grand Valley, Inc., please visit homewardboundgv.org/
The Inn Between of Longmont, Inc. - $10,000
The Inn Between of Longmont, Inc. provides its Supportive Housing Program that helps people experiencing homelessness achieve housing stability. Through referrals from 16 local agencies, The Inn houses those earning less than 50 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), with most households earning only 18 percent of the AMI on average. The Inn has served the community for 27 years with transitional and permanent supportive housing, currently owning 87 housing units throughout six properties. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help The Inn provide training and career development opportunities to support residents' financial stability and success plan goals. It will also help The Inn to hire a Training Coordinator and additional advocates. To learn more about The Inn, please visit theinnbetween.org.
INSPiRE - $7,500
INSPiRE works to end institutional racism in the public education system. They believe young people are the true educational experts in knowing the challenges they are facing in our broken educational system and that young people have the power, the drive, and willingness to become solution builders to rectify these necessary changes we need in order to build stronger and high-quality schools that families and communities can be proud of for generations to come. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help INSPiRE continue their strategy, which is built around the concept of youth leadership, youth voice, and the power of youth activism. To learn more about INSPiRE, please visit coloradoinspires.org.
Kavod Senior Life - $9,000
Kavod Senior Life provides quality, affordable housing, and wraparound supports to low-income older adults. Kavod serves more than 400 Independent Living and Assisted Living residents in a supportive community that fosters their health, wellness, and social/emotional needs. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support Kavod's on-site medical clinic in partnership with University of Colorado Medicine, making a direct effect on the individual health outcomes of its community of low-income older adult residents. The clinic offers general health services, mental status and cognition assessments, medication assessments, alternative health remedies, and basic testing. To learn more about Kavod Senior Life, please visit kavodseniorlife.org.
La Puente Home, Inc. - $12,000
La Puente works tirelessly to keep building a solid foundation to give people the ability to meet their most basic needs. La Puente addresses the effects of poverty by providing a safety net of services, where individuals and families get what they need to stabilize, heal, strengthen, and ultimately thrive. Annually over 16,000 individuals and family members receive at least one of La Puente's services, including emergency shelter, nutritious food from one of their 15 pantries, housing with support services, after-school youth-stabilization services, educational gardens, homeless prevention resources, soup kitchen meals, home outreach visits, and more. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will build the financial stability and sustainability of the Healthy Community Organizer (HCO) position, which helps increase communication between pantries to build better food access, share resources, continue to supplement pantries with food and support, focus on building community relations and strategies to strengthen food access and the Foodbank Network, and tackle the deeper causes of endemic and generational poverty. To learn more about La Puente, please visit lapuentehome.org.
Latino Cultural Arts Center - $5,000
The Latino Cultural Arts Center's (LCAC) mission elevates and advances the artistic and intellectual contributions of Latinos. Their programs harness the power of the creative economy putting it in the hands of artists, families, youth, and educators. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support their Day of the Day of the Dead program, Ofrendas. The Award will help cover supplies for workshops, stipends for artists and art therapists, and editing costs for a documentary. LCAC believes that Day of the Dead is as much a celebration as it is an opportunity to educate and build more equitable communities. To learn more about Latino Cultural Arts Center, please visit lcac-denver.org.
Leon Gallery, Leon Nonprofit Arts Organization - $5,000
Leon is committed to mentoring, nurturing, and promoting the work of emerging and established artists in order to assist in the development of their careers and build a stronger art community for Denver. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support "Art at the Crossroads", a two-part artist mentorship and beautification program that will involve working with the individuals living at the Crossroads facility. Mentees in the program will be paid while working with the artist mentors and will allow them to develop skills, explore and express their creativity, earn a decent hourly wage, and ultimately create a work of art to be shown in exhibitions at various locations around the city, including Leon. To learn more about Leon Gallery, please visit leongallery.org.
Lift Up of Routt County - $10,000
Life Up of Routt County provides charitable assistance, without discrimination, to meet basic human needs, while fostering self-sufficiency. LiftUp has strengthened Colorado by providing the funding to keep our neighbors in their homes during times of crisis. By offsetting the cost of a client's rent or mortgage for a month, LiftUp helps keep clients in their homes and keep their housing affordable. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will provide Lift Up's clients with emergency financial assistance for housing costs through the Housing Needs Fund. This Fund assists clients who are at an income of 300% or lower of Federal Poverty Level and facing an emergency situation with their rent or mortgage costs for a limited period of time. To learn more about Lift Up of Routt County, please visit liftuprc.org.
Logan County Economic Development Corp – $7,500
Logan County Economic Development Corporation (LCEDC) is committed to growing the economy of Logan County through facilitating connections, assisting with incentive options, finding creative financing opportunities, and locating suitable buildings or site options for projects. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support LCEDC's work to train local workers for remote work opportunities. It will also support their entrepreneurship program through a mini pitch event to offer financial support for entrepreneurs in the area. To learn more about Logan County, please visit Sterling-Logan.com.
Medicine Horse Center - Therapeutic Riding and Equine Rehabilitation - $5,000
Medicine Horse Center aims to address the wellbeing of local youth and adults with programs designed to strengthen each participants self-esteem, social awareness, responsible decision making, and connection with self and others. With horses and humans working together, Medicine Horse Center seeks to foster healthier communities. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support a scholarship fund for youth participants to come for more in-depth/one-on-one psychotherapy sessions in 2021 and 2022. To learn more about Medicine Horse Center, please visit medicinehorsecenter.org.
Mercy Housing Mountain Plains - $15,000
Mercy Housing Mountain Plains (MHMP) provides long-term, quality, and affordable housing at 17 properties throughout Colorado. Almost 3,000 people live at these sites, including 1,099 children. Residents are low-income families, seniors, and people with special needs, including chronically and previously homeless individuals. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will be used at their Grace Apartments site to further homeownership opportunities for residents by providing financial literacy and education. Grace Apartments provides 53 units of multifamily affordable housing to a diverse population of refugees and immigrants. To learn more about Mercy Housing Mountain Plains, please visit mercyhousing.org.
Metro Denver Homeless Initiative - $15,000
MDHI is the lead agency for the Continuum of Care (CoC), a collaboration of over 100 agencies working together to serve those experiencing homelessness. The agency also oversees the region's Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and OneHome, the region's system to prioritize and match households to the appropriate housing resource. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support the Housing Stability Flexible Fund (Flex Fund), a critical tool to prevent and end homelessness for hundreds of households. Individuals and families experiencing a housing crisis in the seven-county Metro Denver region and who are working with a partnering organization are eligible for Flex Fund financial assistance. To learn more about Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, please visit mdhi.org.
Mountain Family Center – $10,000
Mountain Family Center provides hunger relief, housing assistance and more to Grand County. Over the last year, Mountain Family Center has seen a vast increase in need. Over the last year, Mountain Family Center has experienced a large increase in clients due to the Pandemic and East Troublesome Wildfire. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will provide their client base with financial assistance for food, shelter and clothing. To learn more about Mountain Family Center, please visit mountainfamilycenter.org.
NeighborWorks Southern Colorado - $10,000
NeighborWorks mission is to promote healthy, vibrant neighborhoods and serve as the first choice for homebuyer resources in Southern Colorado. They provide a complete range of homebuyer resources to prepare prospective homebuyers to become financially self-reliant homeowners. They also focus on community development and resident engagement projects to provide opportunities for community self-investment and improvement. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support the Bessemer Mobile Food Pantry. The Food Pantry has seen an increase in need throughout the past year and it serves an area that is a food desert and a superfund site. To learn more about Neighborworks of Southern Colorado, please visit nwsoco.org.
Open Up, Inc - $4,000
Open Up's mission is to open up existing shared living space as an affordable housing option that leads to short and long term thriving. Open Up focuses on housing individuals earning between 30 percent and 50 percent of AMI. Their clients are typically working 30+ hours per week at a wage of $15 per hour or higher, yet cannot afford fair market rent and are often facing another barrier such as a previous eviction or involvement with the justice system. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help with outreach to the specific population that Open Up serves to raise awareness of the option and benefits of home sharing for them as they continue on their path of self-sufficiency. To learn more about Open Up, please visit letsopenup.org.
Partners in Housing - $10,000
The mission of Partners in Housing is to guide families in housing crisis from insecurity to stability, self-reliance and prosperity. Families with children come to Partners in Housing in desperate circumstances - they have either lost their housing, have never been stably housed, or are about to experience homelessness. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support the Family Self-Sufficiency program. Families receive intensive services during their year in the program with a holistic approach to wrap around services, including employment training and placement, housing navigation, budget counseling, credit counseling, physical and mental health supports, life skills training, and childcare assistance. To learn more about Partners in Housing, please visit partnersinhousing.org.
Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity - $12,300
Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. They provide permanent, affordable housing solutions and home repairs to low-income families in El Paso County. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will be used to support the Home Repair Program with construction tools and supplies and a used truck that would be dedicated to the repairs program. The Home Repair Program helps families keep their homes during times of hardship, particularly as the older adults served in this program are low-income or have a fixed income, and they may not have much discretionary money or assets. To learn more about Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity, please visit pikespeakhabitat.org.
PlatteForum - $7,500
PlatteForum offers innovative arts-education programming for youth from historically marginalized communities and introduced the first artist residency program in the metro area. PlatteForum's Artlab program challenges existing systemic barriers to success, not only in high school, but also by addressing opportunity gaps and removing roadblocks to attaining postsecondary success. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support ArtLab, an innovative, year-round, out-of-school paid internship program for high school youth from historically marginalized populations that integrates arts-based learning with academic, personal, leadership and professional skill development. To learn more about Platteforum, please visit platteforum.org.
Posada - $50,000
For 34 years, Posada has provided shelter, housing, and supportive services to homeless and at-risk of becoming homeless individuals, youth, families, veterans, and seniors in Pueblo. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will assist with costs associated with a health and safety remodel taking place at the Elko Family Emergency Shelter. The emergency shelter serves homeless families with children through a program-based shelter model. The emergency shelter serves homeless families with children through a program-based shelter model. By adapting the shelter to provide a safer space and more accessibility, Posada can increase the impact reach and the level of services provided through the shelter. To learn more about Posada, please visit posadapueblo.org.
Project Angel Heart – $10,000
Project Angel Heart improves health and well-being for people with life-threatening illnesses by preparing and delivering medically tailored meals and promoting the power of food as medicine. Project Angel Heart provides meals free of charge to its clients and their families, 93 percent of whom have low to moderate incomes. Project Angel Heart is working to support more than 3,500 critically ill Coloradans by providing 550,700 medically tailored meals in 2021. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support the costs associated with providing more than 1,200 of those meals. To learn more about Project Angel Heart, please visit projectangelheart.org.
Pueblo Community Health Center - $50,000
Pueblo Community Health Center (PCHC) is Pueblo County's Federally Qualified Health Center and has been serving the community since 1983, regardless of a patient's ability to pay or insurance status. The 28,000+ patients who trust PCHC as their primary care home have a host of social challenges which can include generational poverty, affordable or unstable housing, poor wages, and food insecurities. PCHC is much more than just a health care clinic. Through intensive case management, PCHC helps its patients with connections to affordable housing as well as transportation and food access opportunities. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will be used to support the construction of their newest clinic in the heart of Pueblo's most vulnerable neighborhood. The Award will enable PCHC to continue making a direct effect in the community by expanding primary medical, behavioral, and dental health care services for Pueblo's most vulnerable populations. To learn more about Pueblo Community Health Center, please visit pueblochc.org.
Pueblo Rescue Mission - $10,000
The Pueblo Rescue Mission (PRM) makes the state of Colorado stronger by providing programming for Pueblo's people in need and people experiencing chronic homelessness through its transitional shelter, daily community evening meal, and its Navigation Resource Center. PRM's Resource Navigation Center empowers each participant to consider specific solutions to the current obstacles they face, equipping individuals with the tools and support to take that next step. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will provide operational support for their programs. To learn more about Pueblo Rescue Mission, please visit thepueblorescuemission.org.
Re:Vision - $10,000
Re:Vision works with people in economically marginalized neighborhoods to develop resident leaders, cultivate community food systems, and create an economy owned by the community. Re:Vision's programs are designed to leverage cultural assets, build community wealth, and foster economic resilience for families of Denver's Westwood neighborhood through food-based programming. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support Re:Vision's pilot entrepreneurial incubator program and RISE Westwood, which houses three Latinx-owned businesses and serves as a hub of Latino culture, focusing on developing food-based businesses with local entrepreneurs. To learn more about Re:Vision, please visit revision.coop.
The Reciprocity Collective - $7,500
The Reciprocity Collective (TRC) was created in 2016 to support individuals experiencing homelessness in gaining sustainable employment, purpose, and health. TRC is a conduit to employment, community resources, and relationships that support participants' long-term success. In 2020, TRC helped more than 180 participants achieve long-term employment and served nearly 1,000 individuals with basic needs navigation and connection. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will provide general operating support for key 2021 initiatives, including: long-term support employment, basic needs resource connection and housing, and COVID-19 recovery response through direct outreach services. To learn more about TRC, please visit thereciprocitycollection.org.
Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust - $5,000
Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust (RMCLT) partners with qualified families who have low incomes to help them become first-time homebuyers and successful homeowners. Its land trust model allows homes purchased through its program to become permanently affordable, easing the burden of rising housing costs for future families and shrink the affordability gap for future generations. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help cover costs associated with renovating and expanding a home in Colorado Springs owned by RMCLT that will be resold to a family through its program. The renovations will help ensure the home is safe and secure for families well into the future. To learn more about RMCLT, please visit rmclt.org.
Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute – $15,000
Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute (RMMFI) exists to provide income and wealth generation through business ownership. RMMFI's model is based on integrated capital and capacity building services. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support RMMFI's Idea, Launch, Thrive program, particularly Idea programming in four sites; north Aurora, Denver's Westwood and Mariposa neighborhoods, and southern San Luis Valley. The Idea Phase includes free assessments, education, coaching, and pitch practice, mentorship, microloans, and connection to partner organizations. To learn more about RMMFI, please visit rmmfi.org.
Saint Francis Center - $10,000
St. Francis Center (SFC) is a refuge for men and women who are homeless in the metro Denver area, providing shelter along with services that enable people to meet their basic needs for daily survival and to transition out of homelessness. St. Francis Center's programs and services are tailored toward adult women and men, and focus on daytime shelter, social services, health and wellness, housing, employment, and outreach. SFC is opening St. Francis Warren Residences in 2021, which is SFC's third supportive housing development serving individuals who are experiencing homelessness. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help provide residents of Warren Residences with enriching programming that will contribute to their overall well-being, healing, and growth. To learn more about SFC, please visit sfcdenver.org.
The Salvation Army - $10,000
For more than 150 years, The Salvation Army has served the Colorado Springs region. The Salvation Army improves the quality of life of people living in El Paso County and ensures that basic human needs of food, clothing, and personal hygiene items are available to all. Populations served include older adults, people living with disabilities, individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and households with limited incomes. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help The Salvation Army continue to provide meals to clients who are homeless or older adults with low incomes, as well as support homeless veterans in its transitional housing program and costs to operate its Low Barrier Emergency Shelter at RJ Montgomery. To learn more about The Salvation Army, please visit TSACS.org.
Second Chance Center - CHFA’s 2021 David W. Herlinger Golf Tournament beneficiary
Second Chance Center's mission is to help formerly incarcerated people transition to lives of success and fulfillment. Their comprehensive housing program includes emergency shelter, transitional housing to help folks find their feet, affordable workforce housing, and permanent supportive housing. Their training, apprenticeship, and employment program is geared to generating "mortgage paying" salaries in partnership with local employers to fill the skilled labor gap. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support the opening of the four-home, 12 unit Wabash Street transitional, supportive, and workforce housing development. This project will allow formerly incarcerated individuals to make a strong start on a new life. To learn more about Second Chance Center, please visit www.scccolorado.org.
Senior Housing Options - $5,000
Senior Housing Options was found in 1979 to address the displacement of older adults with low incomes and individuals living with disabilities in downtown Denver. Today, Senior Housing Options owns and/or manages five assisted living residences and four subsidized apartment properties in Denver, Longmont, Cortez, and Parachute. It is opening a new property in 2022 to serve 25 older adults in Longmont. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support the expansion of wellness programs and community-based service provision to residents of its subsidized housing communities. To learn more about Senior Housing Options, please visit seniorhousingoptions.org.
Solvista Health - $7,500
Solvista Health has been providing behavioral healthcare services for nearly 60 years and is established as the premier provider organization in their region. They serve Chaffee, Custer, Lake, and Fremont Counties. This region ranks among the highest in the state for unmet mental health, substance-use disorder (SUD) treatment needs, and medically underserved populations. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support the Regional Assessment Center which will provide a safe place for adults with substance abuse and mental health crises to stabilize and get connected to a broad continuum of care. To learn more about Solvista Health, please visit solvistahealth.org.
Southeastern Colorado Area Health Education Center - $15,000
Southeastern Colorado Area Health Education Center (SECAHEC) provides health care programs that address health care and its direct and indirect economic impact on rural and underserved communities in its 16-county region. SECAHEC provides health education programs, lowers healthcare costs, and improves the experience of care for patients through collaborative partnerships. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support SECAHEC's Southeastern Colorado Health Careers Program, which consists of three pipeline programs: The HOPE Institute, MASH Camp, and Girls in the Middle. The award will directly affect the healthcare workforce in SECAHEC's 16-county service area as pipeline programs can benefit students who may not have accurate perceptions or knowledge about health care careers. To learn more about SECAHEC, please visit secahec.org.
Sunshine Home Share Colorado - $7,500
Sunshine Home Share Colorado supports the home-sharing matching process to ensure matches are made in a safe and thoughtful manner. Home sharing allows a homeowner to generate income or trade rent for assistance with basic household chores, if needed, and provide a housing option for someone needing an affordable place to live. It also fosters the opportunity to build relationships, so people do not have to live alone. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support staff expenses associated with its home-share matching services, increased care management, and the implementation of a strategic marketing plan to grow the organization and serve more clients in need. To learn more about Sunshine Home Share Colorado, please visit sunshinehomeshare.org.
Total Concept - $20,000
Total Concept provides housing, financial assistance and education, as well as community development to benefit families and individuals living in rural and southeastern Colorado. Total Concept also places emphasis on community education and empowerment in order to produce long-term, sustainable change for those it serves. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will be used to spearhead a community-wide effort to engage people experiencing homelessness on the Eastern Plains through a process called a "registry week." This is a best practice in the homelessness field for identifying and assessing the community and regional need for housing and services and to enter individuals experiencing homelessness into the CES so that they can be eligible for housing and other necessary services. To learn more about Total Concept, please visit totalconcept.net
Tri-Lakes Cares - $10,000
Tri-Lakes Cares mission is to improve people's lives through emergency, self‐sufficiency, and relief programs. It is located in and provides comprehensive human services to northern El Paso County. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support Tri-Lakes Cares' comprehensive food pantry and help provide resources to those in need. To learn more about Tri-Lakes Cares, please visit tri-lakescares.org.
True North Young Adult Services - $10,000
True North Young Adult Services supports Colorado youth aged 16-26 who have experienced the foster care system. They are working to prevent homelessness by providing stable and safe housing for these young adults at below market rental rates, as well as provide academic resources, health and wellness support, and life skills education. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support Polaris House, which serves youth along the Front Range who are survivors of abuse, neglect, addiction, delinquency, homelessness, and those transitioning out of foster care services. To learn more about True North Young Adult Services, please visit truenorthyas.org.
Vail Valley Charitable Fund - $2,500
Vail Valley Charitable Fund assists individuals experiencing financial hardship due to a medical crisis or illness in the Vail Valley. In response to overwhelming oral health needs, they established the Eagle County Smiles Program, which helps children until age 18 by assigning them a dental provider to achieve treatment, preventative care, and education about healthy dental habits. They have recently launched an adult dental program as well. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support both dental programs which allows for increased health access and affordability. To learn more about Vail Valley Charitable Fund, please visit vvcf.org.
W.A.R.M. (Winter Assistance Relief Management, Inc.) - $5,000
W.A.R.M helps the residents of Rangely pay utilities, such as gas, water, electric, firewood, propane, and sewer bills during the months of November through April and provides emergency assistance during other months. Rangely and its citizens have suffered economically in recent years due to oil and gas restrictions. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will help with this needed financial assistance for the residents of Rangely. To learn more about W.A.R.M., please visit townofrangely.colorado.gov
Warren Village - $15,000
Warren Village creates opportunity and community to empower formerly homeless, low-income, single-parents to change the trajectories of their lives and achieve sustainable personal and economic self-sufficiency. Their model rests on three integrated programs: safe and affordable housing, quality early education and childcare services, and self-sufficiency programming that includes onsite college courses, career counseling, and life skills courses. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support the adult self-sufficiency program which is the key lever for personal transformation for our residents. To learn more about Warren Village, please visit warrenvillage.org.
We Don't Waste - $15,000
We Don't Waste strongly believes that access to food is a significant equalizer and a leading social determinant in health equity, and works to remove racial inequities along with academic, social, and economic opportunity gaps. Providing children with access to healthy food supports their physical and cognitive development and provides the foundation for a lifetime of academic and economic success, and helping parents put healthy food on the table allows them to focus on other critical areas of their lives that lead to employment and housing stability. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support continued operations and expansion of its Mobile Food Market initiative. To learn more about We Don't Waste, please visit wedontwaste.org.
Westside CARES - $7,500
Westside CARES provides supportive services for neighbors in need on the west side of El Paso County. They provide rental and mortgage assistance, housing navigation services, supportive services for neighbors exiting homelessness, utilities assistance, six food pantries, clothing, holiday and back-to-school support. They also offer hygiene items, an onsite nurse, a weekly doctor's clinic, transportation assistance, and mail service. CHFA's Direct Effect Award will support their comprehensive portfolio of direct services to neighbors in need. To learn more about Westside CARES, please visit westsidecares.org.