How We Got Here: HomeAhead Origin Story

HomeAhead’s story began in 2018 when an elderly woman experiencing homelessness started attending church services at St. Andrew Presbyterian in Boulder. Rebecca had been unhoused for decades but was about to receive housing through a local nonprofit. When St. Andrew members discovered she had no resources to furnish her new apartment, they joined forces—contributing a sofa from one household, a mattress from another, kitchen items from a third, linens from a fourth. Almost immediately, Rebecca had a comfortable place to live.

Convinced others were in the same situation, volunteers from St. Andrew, Congregation Har HaShem, and the community created an informal group to collect and distribute used home furnishings to people in need. Together they furnished nearly 400 homes between 2019 and 2021. As demand grew, the team made a strategic decision to transform the volunteer organization into an independent 501(c)(3). With seed money from St. Andrew, HomeAhead incorporated in late 2021, hired a part-time Executive Director in 2022 and added a part-time Operations Manager in 2023. To date, we have furnished nearly 700 homes—offering a fresh start to individuals and families who are exiting homelessness, fleeing violence, aging out of foster care, and starting over after incarceration.