Broe Group Giving Back

Special THANKS to Broe Group, who recently gifted us with a check for $35,730!  Pat Broe did a 5 to 1 match for his employees and the results showed just how generous one company can be!  Their gift will provide nearly 143,000 meals for our neighbors in need!  Awesome.

Bill and Billy

We met Bill Sr. and Billy at Crossroads Church Pantry a couple weeks back.  Bill Sr. recently injured his back for the 3rd time working at a lumber yard and was told by his doctor that he needs a change of vocation. His wife works full time to help support the family. They've been waiting for 30 days for his workers comp to kick in, but haven't started receiving checks yet. He and his wife looked at each other that morning and realized that it was time to reach out for help. So, after a pep talk from his wife, he walked through the doors of this pantry and asked for help for the first time. He said it was the most humbling and the most difficult thing he has ever had to do.

Never did he and his wife think that they’d find themselves asking for assistance. In fact, a number of months ago, they started a foundation to help people with clothing and food. Now they’re the ones needing help and have put their foundation goals on hold. Bill holds on to his faith and is confident that someday he’ll use this humbling experience as a story of growth and hope. He is so in awe and grateful at what he was able to take home for his family as a result of FBR. Both Bills walked away with smiles and we walked away humbled by a story that is so close to home.

Watch Bill Sr.'s story below....

Paul Stastny's Take on Colorado Gives Day

Our Avalanche friend, Paul's, message to our supporters on Colorado Gives Day.....

"I’ve recently joined forces with Food Bank of the Rockies as a part of their Celebrity Council. The work this organization does to fight hunger in Colorado is remarkable. There are a ton of worthy charities in our state, but I couldn’t think of a more beneficial cause than feeding our neighbors. Everyone deserves to eat.  The food bank makes sure that folks have food on their tables for every meal.


I'm sure you've heard references to Colorado Gives Day over the past week. Community First Foundation has partnered with FirstBank again in an effort to aid local non profits. FirstBank is committing $500,000 to match donations made on December 6th. Last year, this entire campaign raised an outstanding $8.7 million. Food Bank of the Rockies pulled in over $80,000 of that total, which will provide over 320,000 meals for our neighbors in need. For one day, that’s pretty amazing.
On December 6th, Colorado Gives Day is offering the opportunity for all of us to give back to Food Bank of the Rockies and I urge you to consider a gift to this worthy charity. Every dollar donated turns into 4 meals and 96 cents of every dollar goes directly to their programs. On behalf of my friends at Food Bank of the Rockies, I want to thank you for doing your part to fight hunger and feed hope in Colorado! I’m proud to be a part of this generous and loyal community."

Click here on December 6th to donate!

Colorado Gives Day

If you've had the radio or TV on in the past couple of weeks, chances are you've heard about Colorado Gives Day.  It's a day that we, and many other Colorado non-profits, are so excited about! Read below for Denver Post journalist, Kristen Leigh Painter's summary of this on-line fundraising event. 

"Tuesday's Colorado Gives Day might be considered the blitzkrieg of do-good, online giving.  Designed to make philanthropy competitive and to make charitable donations skyrocket, the event harnesses grassroots efforts, a sense of urgency and social-media marketing.

Beginning at midnight tonight, people are encouraged visit GivingFirst.org and donate money to Colorado nonprofits before the clock strikes midnight Tuesday.  The Colorado event is among a handful nationwide.
This new trend in fundraising attempts to motivate giving through a single, concerted effort. It has gained traction during the recession and post-recession years as corporate contributions have declined.

The goal of last year's inaugural event, organized by the Arvada-based Community First Foundation, was to raise $1 million. The tally hit $8.4 million with gifts from 12,540 individuals.

"The folks here just thought there was a real need to increase the philanthropy since the economy was so bad," said Caitlin Jenney, spokeswoman for the foundation. "The generosity of Coloradans exceeded our expectations."

The second annual event has more than 900 area organizations and charities participating, up from 539 last year. 
"The whole point was to inspire and unite in supporting local nonprofits. Everyone's online these days," Jenney said.  Jenney said young adults are among the prime targets. The website is a one-stop shop that encourages transparency, with financial statements, descriptions and bar graphs.  The participating nonprofits compete against each other for prizes.

FirstBank is giving $500,000 as the event's corporate sponsor, with $300,000 going to the Incentive Fund, which will be divided among the organizations based on the success of their fundraising Tuesday.  The remaining $200,000 will cover processing fees and new "High Five" and "Bonus Bucks" prizes for hitting benchmarks, such as high performance or impressive improvements." 

Last year, Food Bank of the Rockies was fortunate enough to raise over $80,000 as a result of this one day of fundraising!  We're hoping to bring our total up to $100,000 this year, so visit http://bit.ly/uEAsLY to make your donation!