Give
The Act Locally Golden Team is selecting one grant recipient each year.
If you are a nonprofit in the Golden area and would like to be included in our voting for next year,
please reach out to us during the open nomination period each January.
Act Locally Golden's
2025 Sponsorship Recipient
Jeffco Prosperity Partners (JPP) is a nonprofit, community-based organization that helps Jeffco families break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient. JPP works to change policies that make it hard for low-income and underserved families to access quality education, health care, and livable-wage employment opportunities. The JPP Program combines a two-generation approach with personalized coaching to stabilize families and create pathways to economic freedom. They collaborate with more than 60 community partners to provide wrap-around support services in five key areas: education, employment, financial literacy, mental health and wellness, and social capital.
Some ways JPP uses donations:
· $25- Gives Relief: Provides emergency assistance for diapers or gas in times of need. Families should not have to choose between paying a utility bill and getting groceries for their house.
· $50- Gives Confidence: Provides tutoring services to ensure on-time graduation or the confidence to pass that one class standing in the way of completing a degree.
· $75- Gives Comfort: Provides a family with utilities, such as electricity and water, alleviating financial stress and ensuring they have a safe and comfortable living environment.
· $100- Gives Education: Provides new school clothing and school supplies for kids. We understand that as parents, buying new clothes and school supplies is an annual expense.
· $250- Gives Wellness: Provides JPP youth with extracurricular activities like summer camp or joining a club sports team. As the cost of living rises, families often sacrifice extra activities for their children.
· $500- Gives Education: Provides car maintenance such as winter tires, brakes, and other safety requirements to ensure individuals can maintain employment or get a child to school on time.
· $1,000- Gives Security: Provides rental assistance to ensure that no family will ever lose their house due to an unexpected crisis like the loss of a job, a sick child, or a life circumstance that any one of us could face.
· Donations also support celebrations and events for JPP families, such as Job Searching & Shopping, Back to School Bash, Fall Pumpkin Patch, Thanksgiving & Gratitude, Gingerbread House Contest, High School Graduation Celebration and more.
Past Recipients
2024: Golden's Homeless Navigator Program
In 2024 we sponsored the City of Golden's dedicated Community Resource & Housing Navigator who assists people experiencing a housing crisis by helping them navigate resources. The Navigator works with all unhoused individuals in Golden, most of whom are local residents who have lost their housing, to connect them with services, help them get vital documents, connect them with housing and employment opportunities, and provide access to resources they're eligible for but may not know about. As of 2024 the program had gotten 80 unhoused people into stable housing over an 18 month period. The Program largely focuses on eviction prevention. https://www.cityofgolden.gov/services/housing_assistance/index.php
Over the course of 2024 we collected RTD bus passes and grocery/gas gift cards, hosted a silent auction and held a boutique shopping event to benefit The Navigator Program, for a total donation of over $1,200.
“The City of Golden’s navigation program for people experiencing homelessness has benefited significantly from the generosity of Act Locally volunteers and contributors. Getting people into sustainable housing takes time. Supporting basic needs such as gift cards for food and gas, bus passes, clean socks and winter boots, prescriptions, simple mobile phones, etc. helps people stay safe and engaged until housing can be secured. We are grateful to live in a community where residents support each other, particularly the most vulnerable."
-Sarah Vaine, Thriving Communities Director, City of Golden
2023: Golden Pantry & Thrift (Formerly Christian Action Guild)
In 2023 we circled back to Golden Pantry & Thrift (formerly Christian Action Guild) a nonprofit we sponsored in 2019.
Serving the Golden community since 1965, Golden Pantry & Thrift (GPT) is a non-profit organization that provides a sustainable food pantry, financial assistance and several other services to our community members in crisis and/or experiencing hardship. https://goldenpantryandthrift.org/
Between dues from 19 Voting Members and 2 boutique shopping fundraisers, we raised close to $3,000 for GPT. In addition we hosted a March Madness Food Drive, collecting 213 pounds of non-perishable food for their pantry. We also donated hundreds of dollars worth of clothing and items for sale in their thrift shop and adopted two families for the holidays through their Christmas Under the Tree program, donating gifts for three adults, four children, and two family dogs. Some of our members also volunteered at GPT during the USPS Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive and at other times throughout the year to help sort donated food.
2022: Home in Golden
Home in Golden is a volunteer-run program that provides many services for people in need. Their Safe Parking Program serves people who have lost their housing and are temporarily living in their car. After a background check and registration review, applicants are allowed to join the program and are given food, clothing, access to showers, and a safe place to park at the First United Methodist Church of Golden. Program participants can also work with a caseworker on job training, job searches, physical and mental health issues, and housing placement. In addition to these services, Home in Golden serves several hot meals a week to community members in need and runs a food pantry. https://goldenfirstumc.org/news-more/home-in-golden/
With 19 Voting Members in 2022 we were able to raise close to $2,000 for Home in Golden. Some of our members also volunteered with Home in Golden, preparing and serving meals and assisting with the Safe Parking program.
“Act Locally made a significant impact on those living in the Golden community who are living unsheltered. In the year they sponsored Home in Golden, we received funds to purchase sleeping bags that keep people warm in temperatures down to 20 degrees. That was such a blessing to many of our guests. The funds they raised also helped us purchase long underwear and coats when we ran out of donated coats. Another gift of working with Act Locally was the exposure it gave Home in Golden to our community members. Home in Golden is reliant on volunteers and having more people in the community knowing the good work we are doing, helps us find new volunteers and build stronger, more connected, community. We are so grateful to Act Locally for their partnership with Home in Golden.”
-Rev Susan Otey, Home in Golden
2021: Golden United
Golden United uses public education, civil dialogue, and grassroots organizing to develop and support collaborative solutions for community issues. Some areas of focus for Golden United are affordable housing, homeless assistance, antiracism education/outreach, and community building. https://www.goldenunited.org/
With 22 Voting Members in 2021 we held two silent auctions and several additional fundraisers, including a Wine & Cheese tasting with Cheese Ranch Artisan Deli. Through these efforts we were able to give close to $5,000 to Golden United, which went toward emergency rent/utility assistance for Golden residents during the COVID19 pandemic, and helped sponsor the Celebration of Golden at the Colorado School of Mines, Home in Golden's Safe Parking Program, and other Golden United charitable endeavors.
We also hosted a lemonade and flower stand for Home in Golden and raised $500 to purchase sleeping bags, tents and backpacks for Golden's homeless population.
“Act Locally played an instrumental role in addressing key community needs and advancing Golden United's mission. Through member outreach and several fundraising events, Act Locally supported critical Golden United activities to protect existing affordable housing in Golden, provide emergency rent and utility assistance, and build support from city leadership and community groups to expand available affordable housing. It has been a true pleasure to work with the inspiring, dedicated, and passionate Act Locally leaders and members.”
-Ron Benioff, President, Golden United Board
2020: BGoldN (The Golden Backpack Program)
The Golden Backpack Program was founded in 2008 to provide food to underserved children in Golden, Colorado. In 2020, to meet the additional needs of our community during the COVID pandemic, the Golden Backpack Program expanded their mission, becoming BGoldN. BGoldN serves students just as The Golden Backpack Program did, while continuing to confront food insecurity for people of all ages throughout the community, and also supporting local businesses. https://bgoldn.org/
With 22 Voting Members in 2020 we held two silent auctions and partnered with Cannonball Creek Brewing Company for an additional fundraiser. Through these efforts we were able to give over $5,000 to BGoldN and also volunteered at the Golden Rotary Peach Sale and at some of the BGoldN food distribution days.
"Act Locally helped support BGoldN during Covid in a critical time of need. Not only did they help raise money and volunteer, they also let others in the community know about our efforts. The model with determining local critical needs each year is a refreshing approach and a true representation of their name 'Act Locally.' Act Locally's intentions are great and, more importantly, their results are even greater."
-Tyson Noeth, Executive Director, BGoldN
2019: Christian Action Guild (Golden Pantry & Thrift)
Christian Action Guild (CAG), now doing business as Golden Pantry & Thrift, is a non-denominational, non-profit built to serve the needs of those in our community who are experiencing hardship. https://goldenpantryandthrift.org/
With 10 Voting Members in 2019 we were able to give CAG/Golden Pantry & Thrift $690 for their Emergency Fund. We also hosted drives for food, clothing, back-to-school supplies/backpacks, and Santa Shop gifts for their clients. Members also volunteered in various capacities for CAG/Golden Pantry & Thrift throughout the year.
"The CAG is so honored to have been Act Locally's first organization they chose to support. Between monetary donations, back to school supplies, Santa shop toy donations, hosting food drives and time volunteered, we are very blessed by your generosity. Thank you for all you do for the Golden community."
-Kelly Ivan, Director of Operation, Christian Action Guild (CAG)
2018
We were not quite a Giving Circle yet in 2018, but we participated in several community-benefiting events such as hosting a food drive, snack bag assembly party and clothing drive for The Action Center, collection and distribution of used books for The Little Library locations around Golden, and we painted Kindness Rocks with You Matter.