CHFA is proud to announce its Round Two 2022 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 $731,892 to 54 nonprofits through its Direct Effect program in round two, which received over 80 applications seeking more than $1.8 million in combined funding.
The 2022 Direct Effect Award Round Two recipients are listed below.
A Way Forward - $3,892
A Way Forward’s mission is to eliminate barriers to recovery from substance use disorder and provide a trusting, welcoming, diverse, and non-judgmental environment for families and individuals seeking help in the St. Vrain Valley. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their Behavioral Therapy for PTSD, which is a research-driven approach for persons with trauma-related psychological symptoms. The three main components in the program include mindful relaxation, flexible thinking, and patient education. To learn more about A Way Forward, please visit awfnobarriers.org.
Alpha Phi Alpha GEH Scholarship Endowment - $15,000
Alpha Phi Alpha GEH Scholarship Endowment furthers the education of economic development of its participants via its award winning Young Men of Alpha Program (YMOA). The program engages young African American men and other young men of color, 6th through 12th grade, in healthy dialogue on education, economic and financial literacy, and personal responsibility. It also engages youth in outside activities and exposes them to a wide variety of healthy experiences that they can take with them through life. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the YMOA program, which helps to address the achievement gap in early childhood education. To learn more about Alpha Phi Alpha Scholarship Endowment, please visit gehendowment.org
Aurora Public Schools Foundation - $5,000
Aurora Public Schools Foundation provides supplemental funding and resources to support possibility becoming reality for every Aurora Public Schools (APS) student. They focus on career and college readiness programming through their College and Career Centers (CCCs) at APS high schools to ensure that upon graduation all students have a plan for their future. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to support career webinars and panel discussions, transportation for career exposure visits to local businesses and post-secondary institutions, food to incentivize students to participate in CCC events, and for marketing and communications to xpand CCCs’ reach. To learn more about Aurora Public Schools Foundation, please visit educateaurora.org.
Black Canyon Boys and Girls Club - $15,000
The Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club fills the need for structured after-school and summer care and activities for youth in rural Montrose County, Colorado. The Club provides safe, fun, enriching, and affordable after-school and summer programs for thousands of children. Their services allow parents to pursue work that will grow their family economically and participate in the local economy. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support a permanent and larger home for the Club. The new facility will double their current capacity, allowing them to serve 200 kids per day. To learn more about Black Canyon Boys and Girls Club, please visit bcbgc.org.
Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado - $15,000
Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado’s mission is to nurture and guide motivated young people in need to become well-educated, career-ready men and women for others. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their year-round comprehensive Academy Program, which serves up to 75 scholars each year by immersing them in academically focused, nurturing environments that ignite their hope, enliven their determination, and leverage their strengths. Professionally trained staff, community volunteers, tutors, and mentors provide scholars with personalized academic, college-preparation, and social emotional support that aligns with key principles of Positive Youth Development. To learn more about Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado, please visit bhghcolorado.org.
CARE Housing - $10,000
CARE Housing (CARE) is a private nonprofit affordable housing developer and service provider based in Northern Colorado. CARE has developed and manages seven properties in Northern Colorado. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support operating costs of CARE’s Resident Services Program. CARE's Resident Services department has multiple programs available to all residents of the organization including an Eviction Prevention Program, a STEM-based after school and summer youth program, resource education, and community engagement opportunities. To learn more about CARE Housing, please visit carehousing.org.
Casa de Paz - $10,000
Casa de Paz serves individuals and families who are separated as a result of immigrant detention. Through hospitality, food, clothing, shelter, and emotional support, Casa provides short-term post-release support for immigrants leaving the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Aurora. Casa de Paz works to ensure that all immigrants leaving the Aurora detention facility have a home to stay in, a phone to use, a meal to eat, a bed to sleep in, new clothes, a backpack, toiletries, transportation, a small amount of spending money, and a ride to the airport or bus station. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help cover increased costs associated with serving the rising number of immigrant asylum-seekers. To learn more about Casa de Paz, please visit casadepazcolorado.org.
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance - $8,000
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance uses the universal language of dance to honor the African Diaspora, explore the human condition, champion social justice, unite people of all ages and races, and ultimately celebrate the complexity of life through movement. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their STREAM technical theater program, which is a STEM-based course for young adults between the ages of 16 and20 years old who are seeking a career, or more experience in Information Technology and/or Technical Theatre. STREAM specifically targets students of color, students who aren't thriving in traditional school settings, and students who have less access to enrichment activities. STREAM students learn lighting, design, and stage management skills, how to work on a team, how to write a resume and they attend professional networking events. To learn more about Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, please visit cleoparkerdance.org.
Colorado Health Network, Inc. - $20,000
Colorado Health Network (CHN) is a statewide organization which provides emergency financial assistance (EFA) to clients to keep and/or assist clients with affordable housing. CHN provides EFA in the form of deposit assistance, eviction prevention, and rental/mortgage assistance. CHN provides supportive services including medical case management services to ensure clients maintain a stable housing environment. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support EFN, which is a critical resource to help clients secure and/or maintain housing. To learn more about Colorado Health Network, please visit coloradohealthnetwork.org.
Community Compassion Outreach - $15,000
Community Compassion Outreach creates solutions and resources for people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Their Recovery Empowerment Support Services Team of Peer Support Specialists and volunteers provide support to adults and youth with substance use disorders, behavioral, and mental health challenges who are experiencing homelessness, in temporary or transitional housing, or soon to be evicted, and residing in La Plata County and the City of Durango. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will fund training for people in recovery who are interested in becoming Peer Support Specialists, helping expand our current team of employees and volunteers. To learn more about Community Compassion Outreach, please visit communitycompassionoutreach.com.
Community Food Bank of Grand Junction - $20,000
Community Food Bank of Grand Junction believes that no one should go hungry in Mesa County. They help their neighbors in crisis get the good food they need, connect with fellow caring community members, find resources, and help them stabilize or improve their economic and health situations. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their food pantry and delivery programs. These two programs provide food for over 6,000 individuals per month and distribute over 75,000 pounds of food. This award will help provide over 80,000 nutritious meals for up to 15,000 Mesa County community members. To learn more about Community Food Bank of Grand Junction, please visit foodbankgj.org.
Community Options, Inc. - $10,000
Community Options, Inc.’s mission is to provide and coordinate services and supports to people with intellectual/developmental disabilities. They serve nearly 500 clients in the Western Slope counties of Montrose, Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Ouray, and San Miguel. Housing is a critical service they provide to their clients, including group residential living, personal care alternatives, host homes and supported living. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support much needed repairs at their residential group homes in Montrose and Delta counties. To learn more about Community Options, Inc., please visit communityoptionsinc.org.
Compañeros: Four Corners Immigrant Resource Center - $5,000
Compañeros: Four Corners Immigrant Resource Center is an immigrant resource center that serves the immigrant communities of rural southwest Colorado. They provide culturally competent and bilingual programs and services to some 800 clients a year. They provide many services, including employment, small business support, and housing resources and assistance. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support "La Escuelita" which means "the little school" in Spanish. This is a community-led and -developed program that supports the after school and summer education of immigrant children with tutoring and activities. To learn more about Compañeros: Four Corners Immigrant Resource Center, please visit companeros.org.
Continental Divide Trail Coalition - $10,000
The Continental Divide Trail Coalition works to complete, promote, and protect the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) and its larger trail community by increasing stewardship, creating a strong trail community, and providing access to free trail information and education. The CDT Gateway Community program establishes community-driven partnerships with rural communities along the CDT corridor to implement place-based community initiatives and to foster the growth of the outdoor recreation economy. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to install a town center kiosk in Salida, CO and Leadville, CO. The kiosks will include information, such as a map of the CDT in each area, information about the community, QR codes that lead scanners to the Chamber of Commerce and CDT websites, and responsible recreation tips. To learn more about Continental Divide Trail Coalition, please visit continentaldividetrail.org.
Elevation Community Land Trust – $30,000
Elevation Community Land Trust (ECLT) makes homeownership more accessible for Colorado families through the community land trust model, a proven tool for creating and preserving accessible, inclusive communities for generations. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will provide general operating support to flexibly fund ECLT’s capacity launch and sustain innovative applications of the community land trust model, providing anticipated impacts across three main areas for households at and below 80% AMI. The funds will support the development and scaling of ECLT’s innovative programs to target demographics and regions in which private and public dollars are frequently underinvested: mobile home parks, BIPOC communities, and rural areas. To learn more about Elevation Community Land Trust, please visit elevationclt.org.
Family and Intercultural Resource Center - $30,000
The Family and Intercultural Resource Center (FIRC) promotes stable families and equips people with tools to succeed as individuals, parents, and employees. FIRC is the only human services nonprofit in Summit County and provides 20% of residents annually with the education, social, and economic support they need to provide for their family’s housing, food, medical, and mental health needs. With a high cost of living and low-wages, Summit County residents are especially challenged by rising rent, gas, and food prices. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the purchase of food for and conduct outreach and enrollment assistance with 3,000 unique individuals who shop annually. To Learn more about FIRC, please visit summitfirc.org.
Florence Crittenton Services - $10,000
Florence Crittenton provides teen families with a one-stop center for: post-secondary and employment pathways, early childcare education, health and wellness, and social capital. The housing challenges their moms face have risen dramatically as the cost of living in the Denver metro area continues to increase. In 2021, they hired a Housing Coordinator and established a task force to make recommendations and start addressing acute housing needs. In June 2022, the task force released its recommendations to move forward toward more long-term housing solutions. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to support their Housing Coordinator, who works one-on-one with families to educate them about housing services and help access them as needed. To learn more about Florence Crittenton, please visit flocritco.org.
Fort Lewis College Foundation - $15,000
The Fort Lewis College (FLC) Foundation is dedicated to enriching educational and cultural opportunities at FLC by anticipating the economic needs of FLC’s future creators and entrepreneurs. The Foundation provides Emergency Grants for unexpected expenses and supports the student-led pantry, the Grub Hub (GH), which has addressed food insecurity since 2012, and now aims to tackle student homelessness. A 2019 campus-wide survey assessing basic needs found that 45 percent of students were housing insecure and 28 percent experienced homelessness. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support a Rapid Rehousing Program for FLC students with three components: housing identification, rent and move-in assistance, and case management. To learn more about Fort Lewis College Foundation, please visit foundation.fortlewis.edu.
GoFarm - $10,000
GoFarm’s mission is to develop farm ownership, train and support local farmers, connect people with local agriculture, and increase equitable access to nutrient-rich food grown in Colorado. They support economic development in Colorado in three ways. First, by increasing farm ownership and careers in sustainable agriculture with training, mentorship support, financial assistance, and access to land, tools, and equipment. Next by facilitating purchases between consumers and local farmers through our Local Food Share program. Last, by connecting public food assistance dollars (SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks, and WIC Incentives) with local farmers. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support personnel and programming costs for the Farmer Assistance Program, which provides support to current and aspiring local farmers. To learn more about GoFarm, please visit gofarm.org.
Grand Enterprise Initiative - $5,000
Grand Enterprise Initiative offers free and confidential business management coaching to anyone wanting to start or expand a business in Grand County. To date, they have assisted 510 clients, helped start 136 new businesses, created 247 new jobs with estimated new sales (annually) of $11 million. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used for operational support for the grassroots economic development methodology called Enterprise Facilitation. To learn more about Grand Enterprise Initiative, please visit grandei.org.
Gunnison Country Food Pantry - $15,000
Gunnison Country Food Pantry (GCFP) serves those in need by providing food assistance in a kind, confidential and supportive environment. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used for renovation of a new location. In February 2022, GCFP purchased a new building, which will double their space. Renovations, including leveling the floor, and adding an ADA compliant ramp are needed to make the space functional. The anticipated impact of this project is to reach 3,000 households in five years annually who shop the pantry or receive home deliveries. To learn more about GCFP, please visit gunnisoncountryfoodpantry.org.
Gunnison Valley Mentors - $10,000
Gunnison Valley Mentors (GVM) is a mentoring organization matching referred youth ages 6 - 17 with mentors. The single greatest factor in overcoming childhood adversity is the presence of a caring adult. GVM contributes to a healthy, thriving state by increasing protective factors for youth facing challenges, thereby reducing the negative impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to directly support mentoring services including professional case management, youth work crews, therapeutic mentoring, mental health counseling, positive youth development, family engagement actions, group activities, mentor support, and the mentoring center. To learn more about GVM, please visit gunnisonmentors.com.
Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority - $20,000
The Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority was formed as a multijurisdictional housing authority in 2012 to facilitate the development of affordable housing programs and activities in the Gunnison Valley. They are a public resource offering property management for income-restricted homes, deed restricted housing program administration, loans for purchasing or rehab purposes, homeowner and tenant counseling, energy efficiency upgrades, and development consulting. Their Gunnison Valley – Home Energy Advancement Team (GV-HEAT) aids income-qualified households with energy-efficiency upgrades and health and safety measures in Gunnison and Hinsdale counties. GV-HEAT needs to expand programming to overcome a significant lack of weatherization expertise in the valley. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to invest in building the technical weatherization capacity of local contractors. To learn more about Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority, please visit gvrha.org/gv-heat-program.
Haven of Hope - $10,000
Haven of Hope’s mission is to provide food, counseling, rehabilitation, and hygienic services to the homeless and less fortunate. They provide wraparound services that remove barriers to self-sufficiency and increasingly meets the need of Denver’s unhoused population. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the Fresh Tracks program, a holistic, asset-based employment development program that pairs onsite job training with therapeutic services. Fresh Tracks creates access to employment opportunities for unhoused individuals by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to attain sustainable employment. To learn more about Haven of Hope, please visit thoh.org.
Holyoke Community Childcare Initiative - $20,000
Holyoke Community Childcare Initiative (HCCI) was created in 2017 after concerned business leaders and community members came together to discuss a problem that had long been at the forefront of conversation within the community: the availability of safe and affordable childcare. Their goal is to establish a childcare facility that will serve around 110 children and create 16 jobs within the first six months of opening. Holyoke currently has only three in-home licensed childcare providers (all reportedly close to retirement) and one Preschool Program, making the community a daycare “desert.” CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the creation of this childcare facility. To learn more about Holyoke Community Childcare Initiative, please visit phillipscountyco.org.
Home Trust of Ouray County - $15,000
The mission of the Home Trust of Ouray County is to grow an inclusive, economically diverse community by providing permanently affordable housing and housing-related resources to modest income households through the stewardship of community assets. In order to help Coloradans access affordable housing and childcare services, they have acquired land, partnered with Habitat for Humanity of the San Juans and FCI Constructors to develop the land, and created a Homebuyer Opportunity Fund to offer down payment assistance to income qualified homebuyers. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used for general operating expenses. To learn more about Home Trust of Ouray County, please visit hometrustoc.org.
Housing Solutions for the Southwest - $15,000
Housing Solutions for the Southwest is dedicated to finding affordable housing options for the communities they serve. They provide funding for rehabilitation of homes for low-and moderate- income homeowners, operate the CIP Program which replaces heating systems at no cost to low income homeowners, are a certified HUD housing counseling agency, with housing counselors on staff, and provide the only reverse mortgage counselor in the region. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help fund a server replacement and the cost of year one of a data management system intended to cover a large portion their programming. To learn more about Housing Solutions for the Southwest, please visit swhousingsolutions.com.
Junior Achievement of Southern Colorado - $10,000
Junior Achievement of Southern Colorado, Inc. is a chapter of Junior Achievement USA, the largest organization dedicated to educating students through financial literacy, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurial programs. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support JA Finance Park, a teacher-led experienced for middle and high school students, grades 7-12. Lessons culminate in a simulation, assisted by volunteers, where students are given a persona and have an opportunity to live like an independent adult. They develop a budget and make decisions related to income, expenses, savings, and credit. JA Finance Park is offered to students and schools at no cost to them and JA targets schools where more than 50 percent of students are underserved and considered low- or very-low income per federal guidelines. To learn more about Junior Achievement of Southern Colorado, please visit soco.ja.org.
La Plata Economic Development Alliance - $20,000
The La Plata Economic Development Alliance’s mission is to create a vibrant and resilient economy from the recruitment, retainment, and growth of business, by fostering public and private partnerships in La Plata County. The Alliance is relied upon to be the entity that focuses on economic development initiatives and addresses major community issues like affordability and housing. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to provide additional resources and operational dollars to assist the community and their public partners in tactically executing on projects identified in a recently commissioned La Plata County 3-Year Workforce Housing Investment Strategy. To learn more about La Plata Economic Development Alliance, please visit yeslpc.com.
La Plata Family Centers Coalition - $10,000
La Plata Family Centers Coalition (LPFCC) serves families and individuals in rural Colorado, many of whom experience multi-generational poverty. All programs and service provision offered at LPFCC, including The Colorado Community Response program, Family Support Services, and home visiting program Parents as Teachers address social determinants of health, promote self-sufficiency and economic development, and follow a strengthening framework. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help pilot a bilingual clinical social work service program. LPFCC will contract an independent bilingual clinical social worker to co-design culturally-grounded behavioral health services and outreach strategies. To learn more about La Plata Family Centers Coalition, please visit lpfcc.org.
Learning Zone at Real Life Colorado - $10,000
Learning Zone at Real Life Colorado teaches nonverbal students with Intellectual Disabilities to communicate and participate in society using Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices. Their innovative program offers student-centered instruction in the areas of academics, social communication, self-determination, and independent living. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help provide scholarships to learners who are socially and economically disadvantaged. To learn more about Learning Zone at Real Life Colorado, please visit RealLifeColorado.org.
Lincoln Hills Cares - $5,000
Lincoln Hills Cares develops the next generation of young leaders through outdoor education and recreation, cultural history exploration, and workforce advancement. Their programs serve students who come from marginalized communities and who have not had access to outdoor educational programming. Their overall goal is to build community, promote outdoor equity, and support the environment through outdoor education and recreation initiatives, environmental and cultural history connections, and STEAM education. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support E-STEM Pathways, which provides underprivileged youth access to an engaging outdoor science education program that allows youth the opportunity to participate in activities that are dedicated to environmental protection and sustainability. To learn more about Lincoln Hills Cares, please visit lincolnhillcares.org.
Maslow Academy of Applied Learning - $15,000
Maslow Academy of Applied Learning (MAAL) is a nonprofit early childhood center with a history of expansion and a long, consistent waitlist. MAAL currently serves more than 200 children and accepts a high percentage of families covered by the Colorado Childcare Assistance Program. One of their driving forces is to fill a portion of the tremendous shortage of early childhood care that exists in their rural community so that children may have a strong start, and parents may work. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support a new childcare site that will add capacity in the infant, toddler, and preschool ages. To learn more about Maslow Academy of Applied Learning, please visit maslowacademy.com.
Montrose Lighthouse, Inc. - $10,000
Montrose Lighthouse, Inc. contributes to the well-being of the local community through its work to shelter the un-housed and homeless, working towards permanent housing for those in need of stable housing. They shelter under-served populace during the bitter winter months and also foster relationships with clients, which allow the Lighthouse staff to make arrangements for health care, mental health care, and open the doors to resources for safer, more stable housing. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help purchase a large, used van which would provide safe, reliable transportation for its clients to and from the out-of-town shelter, but also to necessary appointments related to health, housing and employment. To learn more about Montrose Lighthouse, please visit montrose-lighthouse.org.
Mountain Roots Food Project - $15,000
Mountain Roots is a food systems initiative that works to strengthen the local food system and build community wealth and health by combating hunger, creating equitable access to food, creating jobs, meaningfully engaging volunteers, increasing revenue for local farmers, conserving water, improving soils, collaborating with basic needs service agencies to address social determinants of health with wrap-around care, and educating community members about the importance of the health of our bodies and our planet. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support Common Ground: a community food hub and kitchen incubator. The project will expand their seasonal, micro-food-enterprise-operation into a new, year-round 2,300 sq. ft. Community Food Hub and Kitchen Incubator facility that connects supply and demand in the local food sector. To learn more about Mountain Roots Food Project, please visit mountainrootsfoodproject.org.
Mountain Valley Developmental Services - $20,000
Mountain Valley Developmental Services supports people with intellectual and developmental delays and disabilities. Over the past five years, they’ve provided community housing to more than 140 people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford living in rural and resort communities. They have recently purchased two homes into which residents from another larger group home will move. Many of these residents utilize Hoyer lifts, shower chairs, and wheelchairs to enable activities of daily living. In order to meet the physical needs of these residents and accommodate their adaptive equipment, MVDS will be renovating the homes for greater accessibility. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help support these renovations. To learn more about Mountain Valley Developmental Services, please visit mtnvalley.org.
New Legacy Charter School - $15,000
New Legacy Charter School (NLCS) provides teen parents and their children high-quality education and opportunities for economic mobility. The school helps create opportunities for students of color, who comprise 91% of NLCS’s student body. Teen parents are a unique population—and one significantly more likely to live in poverty than their peers—who require unique supports in order to thrive. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their High School Program, which prepares teen parents for college and/or their future careers through a variety of programs. To learn more about New Legacy Charter School, please visit newlegacycharter.org.
NEWSED Community Development Corporation - $20,000
NEWSED Community Development Corporation’s mission is, to promote the economic success of underserved populations in the seven-county Denver metro area through community development with a focus on affordable housing, small businesses, and asset creation. As a national leader in economic community-based development for 49 years, NEWSED successfully creates social and financial stability in the lives of low to moderate income individuals and families. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support NEWSED’s Housing Counseling department, which is a full-service housing counseling agency and available in English and Spanish for free to clients. To learn more about NEWSED, please visit Newsed.org.
Northwest Colorado Health - $20,000
Northwest Colorado Health is a safety net health care provider, focusing on serving a rural, low-income population, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Approximately 72% of their patients are uninsured or utilizing Medicaid. Their patients experience multiple barriers that increase the risk of poor health outcomes; their services are critical to decreasing barriers through access to affordable care. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will provide Social Work services for Home Health patients enrolled in Medicaid or without insurance. Home Health aims to improve the health of patients after an operation or illness resulting in fewer long-term health complications, including the possibility of re-hospitalization or admission to long-term care. To learn more about Northwest Colorado Health, please visit northwestcoloradohealth.org.
Project I See You - $5,000
Project I See You creates spaces where women can awaken inwardly, express vulnerability outwardly, and change the communities they’re a part of dramatically. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their Shared Power program, which helps first-time female homebuyers rise to become wise and sustainable homeowners through down payment assistance. It focuses on women of color who live in-between surviving and thriving: they earn sufficient income for a mortgage but lack access to any other financial support for a down payment and move-in costs. To learn more about Project I See You, please visit projectiseeyou.org/.
Providence Network - $10,000
Providence Network (PN) operates three transitional housing programs and three affordable housing apartment buildings. Each home provides comprehensive services that target mental and emotional well being, job readiness, and financial literacy in addition to meeting basic needs. With its two-tiered, holistic approach to addressing generational poverty, PN is a leader in creating effective, sustainable housing and life solutions. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support general operating costs to support PN’s housing initiatives. Funds will provide families with comprehensive housing and wrap-around services, such as counseling, sobriety support, parenting and life skills training, meals, case management, and vocational development. To learn more about Providence Network, please visit providencenetwork.org.
Pueblo Food Project - $20,000
Pueblo Food Project is a community led coalition that helps create a more vibrant, nutritious, and equitable food system for every eater in Pueblo County. It supports the local economy by prioritizing products produced and sold locally. In turn, the local food chain is strengthened, and jobs are created. Pueblo Food Project is the largest institutional procurer of local food in the county; they source bulk food products from over 22 local vendors to distribute to more than twenty hunger relief organizations. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to supply the pantry and redistribute products directly to clients and entrepreneurs. To learn more about Pueblo Food Project, please visit pueblofoodproject.org.
Restorative Resources Programming House - $10,000
Restorative Resources Programming House provides affordable housing, housing assistance, life skill enhancement connection, opportunities, support services and mentoring in Jackson, Grand, and Routt Counties. These services include, behavioral health employment education and placement, parenting education, higher education opportunities, full scale re-entry programming including housing. They are also an approved treatment provider for the Colorado Department of Corrections division of parole. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their housing program, which help to prevent homelessness for 15 to 20 households. To learn more about Restorative Resources Programming House, please visit restorativeresourcesph.com.
RISE 5280 - $15,000
RISE 5280 provides year-round support resources such as tutoring, mentoring, and financial literacy–ensuring BIPOC students have equitable access to the tools they need to graduate on time and succeed in college. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support Rise 5280’s Historical Black College and University Tour, which will host 75 students and 10 chaperones across the South-East U.S. to visit six campuses including, Dillard University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Spelman College, Clark University, Morehouse College, and Grambling University. To learn more about RISE 5280, please visit rise5280.org.
Southwest Center for Independence - $10,000
Southwest Center for Independence improves the quality of life and independence of people with disabilities, older adults, and veterans across Southwest Colorado. Their team of Independent Living Specialist deliver multiple programs that support the overall wellbeing of underserved community members, focused on increasing access to stable housing, transportation, jobs, and peer support systems. Their housing program supports people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity across the continuum of finding, establishing and maintaining stable housing. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the Southwest Rides program to deliver door-to-door, accessible transportation to disadvantaged individuals across La Plata County. To learn more about Southwest Center for Independence, please visit swindependence.org.
STRiVE - $20,000
STRiVE was started in 1966 by a group of parents determined that their children with intellectual/developmental disabilities needed an education and social interaction with other kids, ushering in a fundamentally different era of what it means to live with a developmental disability. Since that time, STRiVE has served thousands of individuals, many for a lifetime, through their mission to support people who strive to meet their full potential. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help enhance and expand STRiVE’s employment programming, open to any adult with IDD interested in developing job skills. Their Small Group Employment provides technical and soft skill training, and work experience at a STRiVE-owned/operated enterprise. To learn more about STRiVE, please visit strivecolorado.org.
Teller Senior Coalition - $10,000
Teller Senior Coalitions mission is to provide services to Teller County senior citizens to enable them to live healthy, active, and independent lives. The many services they provide assist older adults in Teller County to live in their homes longer. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the Home Delivered Meal Program, which provides weekly meals to almost 50 seniors who may struggle to receive sufficient food without them. With higher fuel and food prices, the cost of the food for the Home Delivered Meal program has increased significantly. To learn more about Teller Senior Coalition, please visit tellerseniorcoalition.org.
Treeline Pass – $15,000
Treeline Pass is committed to empowering adults with autism and developmental disabilities to cultivate lives rooted in purpose, joy, and growth in an inclusive community environment. When people with disabilities turn 21, the loss of school often means skill regression and lost access to socialization, transportation, physical activity, and healthcare. As a result, this population is at increased risk of preventable, chronic mental and physical illness and more than 80% are unemployed. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will help provide an accessible home base for adults with autism and developmental disabilities in which to acquire the skills needed to achieve increased independence, community immersion, employment, health, and well-being. To learn more about Treeline Pass, please visit www.treelinepass.org.
United Neighbors / Vecinos Unidos - $10,000
United Neighbors / Vecinos Unidos’s mission is the preservation of Parklane Mobile Home Park in Larimer County, CO and to maintain its affordability, and establish a resident governance/ownership model. Mobile home park residents nationwide are encountering increased vulnerability to new ownership by investors and increased rent, or redevelopment and displacement. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the establishment of their sustainable community governance model. They are committed to following and centering resident voice and leadership in the process, while educating and informing the community of the available options for resident governance and ownership. To learn more about United Neighbors / Vecinos Unidos, please see this article in the Denver Post.
Veterans Community Project of Longmont - $15,000
Veterans Community Project (VCP) of Longmont provides one-on-one case management through evidence informed tools, connecting Veterans and their families to a network of more than 45 service partners, and builds pathways to self-sufficiency and stable housing. Additionally, VCP distributes Emergency Assistance Funds for rent and utilities and other necessities. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will ensure that VCP’s budget for emergency funds remains large enough to match the community need, that Case Managers can continue to effectively make resource connections and monitor Veteran progress, and that all Veterans in need receive both population and individual specific support services for housing and financial stability. To learn more about Veterans Community Project of Longmont, please visit veteranscommunityproject.org.
Victory Service Dogs - $10,000
Victory Service Dogs is assisting veterans, first responders, and children through gaining an improved quality of life with the partnership of a loving service dog. Victory Service Dogs are saving lives and providing second chances, for both the client and the dog by providing clients with an affordable service dog without having to sacrifice high quality training. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the training of a client-dog team. The impact realized, through this program, includes considerable implications for individuals with disabilities, society and the economy by promoting independence, learning and working abilities. To learn more about Victory Sevice Dogs, please visit VictorySD.org.
Village Exchange Center, Inc. - $10,000
Village Exchange Center (VEC) is a community center and multi-faith worship space that celebrates religious and cultural diversity by creating an inclusive environment where residents from all backgrounds can practice, interact, share, and develop together. VEC provides a hub for programs and services including small business supports, job development training, and pandemic-relief assistance programs. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will be used to support the Village Farm’s Urban Farming Immersion training program, which is on the Eligible Training Provider List as a certified and recognized training program with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for Adams County. This six-week training program creates opportunities for supplemental income, exposing participants to agriculturally related career paths, and facilitates workforce development training. In addition to teaching the basics of farming and food growing, the program offers support for participants to increase their food sovereignty and career opportunities. To learn more about Village Exchange Center, please visit villageexchangecenter.org.
Vivent Health - $20,000
Vivent Health is a nonprofit HIV Medical Home that provides a comprehensive roster of health and social services to people living with HIV, including medical, dental, behavioral health, case management, HIV prevention, pharmacy, food pantry, legal, and housing services. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support the provision of Tennant-based rent assistance to low-income people living with HIV in Denver for up to five months. This assistance will alleviate the threat of homelessness and prevent eviction, allow people living with HIV to remain in established, long-term, stable housing, and prevent the further disruption, stress, and emotional and financial burden of finding other housing arrangements. To learn more about Vivent Health, please visit viventhealth.org.
Women's Resource Center in Durango - $15,000
The Women’s Resource Center in Durango advocates for the personal empowerment and economic self-sufficiency of women and girls in La Plata County. CHFA’s Direct Effect Award will support their core program, resource and referral. This program empowers clients to take control of their lives and creates action steps for change by helping them locate and navigate appropriate resources in the community. Whether a client comes with basic needs like food, housing, or employment; is in crisis due to tragic events such as domestic violence and sexual assault; or is pursuing their dream in areas like education and entrepreneurship, the resource and referral program opens the door to opportunities that improve their health, safety, self-sufficiency, and success. To learn more about Women's Resource Center in Durango, please visit wrcdurango.org.