Growing Home

Background Statement

Growing Home began 25 years ago when founder Kathleen Drozda met a woman living in her car, parked at the hospital where she worked. This chance encounter awakened her to the problem of suburban homelessness in North Denver and sparked GH’s inception. Over time, the organization has evolved from an initial shelter program to a multiprogram offering that addresses immediate needs like food access and housing stability and then focuses on longer-term goals toward self-sufficiency and economic mobility. This is the result of understanding that it is more effective to keep families housed and stabilize them in the first place. Stabilization allows individuals and families to move beyond immediate needs to focus on understanding and addressing challenges in longer-term programs with coaching and case management. In this manner, Growing Home takes a broader approach toward helping families succeed, become self-sufficient and resilient, and achieve positive community impact.

Who we serve: Our program participants are low-income individuals and families. 90% are women, 81% are people of color (BIPOC), and 67% are Latinx. Growing Home also integrates the organization's advocacy and community organizing work with its direct service work in the impact areas of food, housing, parenting education, and lifelong stability. All work is grounded in a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.