HOPE HOUSE COLORADO 

Denver 

News: There are 2,300 babies born to teen moms every year in Colorado, and while each set of circumstances is different there is no getting around the fact that support is critical to the well-being of both mother and child. 

And this is where Hope House Colorado comes in. The Arvada-based nonprofit, currently serving 250 parenting teen moms, is the metro area’s only resource for free programs that help put the moms, who are often homeless or in abusive relationships, on the path to self-sufficiency. 

A fundraising gala helps fund Hope House programs. The 2021 edition, “Unbreakable,” held Oct. 23 at Denver Museum of Nature & Science, raised $420,000. 

The theme, said Hope House co-founder and executive director Lisa Steven, comes from knowing that “Our mamas have an unbreakable spirit,” especially in a year where effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to upend lives. 

“In many ways, 2021 is more difficult than 2020 was,” Steven said. There’s been an uptick in domestic violence, and increased struggles with drugs, alcohol and the moms’ own mental health. 

Thus, Hope House is “Committed to realign our programs to (better) deal with mental health struggles,” Steven said. “We’re going to walk that extra mile.” 

Two Hope House moms – Kate Joy and Maddie – shared their journeys with the 400-plus attendees. 

The classes and programs in which they participated let them know there was a brighter future for them. Today Kate Joy is in school, studying to become an automotive technician; in nine months Maddie will receive her bachelor’s degree and fulfill her dream of becoming a labor and delivery nurse. 

The gala, emceed by CityUnite executive director Dave Runyon, also included presentation of the Hero of Hope awards. The first went to the family of the late Dale Brinkman, a dedicated Hope House board member who died on Feb. 9. The second went to Lindsay Bernum, a former teen mom now serving on the Hope House board of directors. 

 About the organization: Founded in 1997 by Amie Walton and Lisa Steven, Hope House offers numerous education, parenting and personal growth programs to help parenting teen mothers become economically self-sufficient and create better lives for themselves and their children. Twenty percent of Hope House graduates complete high school, compared to a national average of 2 percent. Twenty Hope House moms will receive their high school or GED diplomas this year; 54 Hope House grads currently are attending college. 

Website: hopehousecolorado.org 

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