Grant awarded to BeyondHomes

The Foundation is pleased to support the efforts of BeyondHomes.  In 1986 Connie Zimmerman was moved by a co-worker at an assisted living facility who lost his home despite having a job. She responded by beginning the journey to raise money and get him and his family house. In 1988 she created a 501c3 to help working families obtain housing and secure a career which allowed them to stay housed. BeyondHome has three main goals: economic self-sufficiency, career development, and family stability for Colorado Homeless.

BeyondHome works to address the problem of homelessness facing working families, most of whom are single moms who have overcome domestic violence. BeyondHome solves the problem through affordable housing and programming that leads to a livable wage career, allowing these families to become able to provide housing and take care of their needs upon graduation from the BeyondHome program. BeyondHome serves an average of 47 working families that were formally homeless or on the verge of becoming homeless each year. This is done through the BeyondHome SelfSufficiency Program and the WWAC Scholar program that has an additional 14 single mom scholars. Five of our WWAC Scholars also live in BeyondHome housing. While 80% of the families at BeyondHome are single moms, BeyondHome also works with refugees, immigrants, and other two parent households who need a second chance at life. BeyondHome will use  funds received from the Kathryn B. McQuade Foundation to help their single moms in both the Self-Sufficiency Program and WWAC Scholar Program. While they care deeply for all the families that they work with, they know that single moms have many added challenges to overcome. BeyondHome’s Self-Sufficiency Program and WWAC Scholar Program take on a comprehensive, relational approach to allow families to heal from past wounds and to prepare themselves financially for a successful, self-sufficient future. There are currently 165 individuals in the program, all of whom were classified as low-income upon entering their programs