Grow with Us Gala exceeds its fundraising goal | NONPROFIT REGISTER | Nonprofits
HOPE HOUSE COLORADO
Arvada
News: Records are meant to be broken, goals are meant to be exceeded, and both are why there are so many smiles at Hope House Colorado today.
On Nov. 2, a record 527 supporters of this nonprofit organization founded by former teen mom Lisa Steven gathered at the Grand Hyatt Denver for Grow with Us, a gala that raised $672,000 — $100,000 more than projected.
Steven, Hope House’s executive director, shared how excited and grateful she and the teen moms were when the numbers were revealed in the days following the gala.
“My favorite thing ever was to come to work on Monday morning” and see the teen moms in seeming disbelief over the gala’s success, Steven said. “It’s so overwhelming to them that … people believe in them,” that even perfect strangers are willing to support them in such a substantial way.
This year alone, Hope House Colorado has served 252 teen moms. Six graduates now work at Hope House, 42 moms are in college, and one serves on the Hope House board of directors. Hope House’s Early Learning Center has 104 children enrolled.
“Almost all of our teen moms are trying to overcome generational poverty and difficult life situations while building a bright future for themselves and their children,” Steven said, adding that Hope House is dedicated to being “A beacon of light and a safe space” for them.
Cindhia, a 2023 graduate and a full-time infant classroom teacher in Hope House’s Early Learning Center, and Mekhi, a 2024 graduate working as a nursing assistant, were the evening’s speakers.
Both recalled childhoods that included times spent in foster care or juvenile detention after growing up in homes marked by violence, poverty, and addiction.
“At 14, I reached a breaking point and moved out,” Cindhia said. She met her husband, Joe, at a restaurant where they both worked. Today they are homeowners and the parents of two.
“It was a normal thing for the cops to be called to our home,” Mekhi said. “At 13, I was an angry kid and was sent to juvie. At 16, my mom kicked me out.” A friend told her about Hope House, where after giving birth at 18, she attended Parenting 101, Womanhood and financial literacy classes. In addition to her current job, Mekhi is studying toward certification as a sonogram technician at Front Range Community College.
The dinner event, which also included live auctions and an after-party, was planned by a committee consisting of Emma Cable, Victoria Clark, Kayli Cooper, Connie Coyle, Sandy Greene, Lisa Eafanti, Tony Martinez, Debbie Misrack, Missy Salman, and Steph Trowbridge.
Dave Runyon, executive director of CityUnite, was the master of ceremonies, and Gary Corbett called the live auction, which contributed $82,000 to the evening’s proceeds.
The 2024 Hero of Hope Award was presented to A.J. Seastone for his longtime support of Hope House Colorado.
About the organization: Hope House, founded in 2003, was established to empower parenting teen moms to strive for personal and economic self-sufficiency and to understand their significance in God’s sight, resulting in a healthy future for them and for their children.
Website: hopehousecolorado.org
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