Struggle of Love Foundation

What Struggle of Love Foundation does

Struggle of Love Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Colorado-based nonprofit organization headquartered in Denver, founded in 2000 and formally launched as a nonprofit in 2008 by Dr. LaKeshia Hodge and Dr. Joel "Coach Eye" Hodge, who created the organization based on their personal experiences with homelessness. The foundation operates from its Love Center facility at 12005 E. 45th Ave in Denver, serving underprivileged youth and families in the Montbello and Green Valley Ranch communities through a multi-program portfolio that includes the Sacks of Love Food Pantry, Mental Health Support (individual, couples, and family/group therapy), Spreading Our Love Mentor & Leadership Program, Sports Wellness Program, Out of School Time day camps for children aged 3-14, Workforce Development for ages 16-24, Gun Violence Prevention education, and a partnership with the STAR (Support Team Assisted Response) Program. The organization co-chairs the RISE Network in Denver for community violence interruption.

The foundation's revenue model is multi-stream and dominated by philanthropic contributions. Its primary financial backers include Colorado Health Foundation, Gates Family Foundation, Caring for Denver Foundation, City of Denver, Adams County, Rose Community Foundation, The Denver Foundation, Latino Community Foundation of Colorado, Comcast, Gary Community Ventures, and Food Bank of the Rockies. The foundation supplements donations with two modest revenue-generating lines: Love Center Space Reservations (conference rooms, open space, warehouse banquet area, music studio, and parking lot rented at hourly tiered pricing from $30 to $720) and a merchandise store (SOLF Gear) selling branded items at $3 to $150 per unit. Mental health services, mentorship, and youth programs are provided free of charge to underserved populations.

The organization operates through community-led go-to-market motion, reaching families via word-of-mouth, community events (Reach 4 Peace Picnic, Backpack Giveaway, Thanksgiving food basket giveaway, Toy Drive), social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn), the Love's Journey email newsletter, and partnerships with local nonprofits and schools. The board of directors includes an Interim Board Chairwoman (Chartashia Miller), Board Secretary, Board Treasurer, and additional members. The founders have stated they do not receive salaries from the organization. In 2024, the foundation reported serving 18,150 families, 72,249 individuals, and distributing 519,600 pounds of food through its food pantry operations alone.

Name

Struggle of Love Foundation

Legal name

Struggle of Love Foundation

Website

https://www.struggleoflovefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Struggle of Love Foundation is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the Love Center in Montbello, providing free food pantry, mental health therapy, mentorship, sports, violence prevention, and workforce development services to underserved youth and families in the Denver metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Youth mentorship programs
• Food pantry assistance
• Community mental health
• Violence prevention education

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the organization relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and government grants. Sponsors include Colorado Health Foundation, Gates Family Foundation, Caring for Denver Foundation, City of Denver, Adams County, and others.
2. Space Reservations and Rentals: The Love Center generates revenue through renting out various spaces including conference rooms, open space, warehouse banquet area, music studio, and parking lot. Rental durations range from 2 to 9 hours.
3. Merchandise Sales: The organization sells branded merchandise including SOLF Gear, letterman jackets, water bottles, pens, coffee cups, and notepads through their online shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Struggle of Love Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Colorado-based nonprofit that delivers free community programs to underprivileged youth and families in Denver's Montbello and Green Valley Ranch neighborhoods. Its core offerings include a community food pantry (Sacks of Love), in-person mental health therapy, a youth mentor and leadership program, a year-round sports wellness program, gun violence prevention education, the STAR Program partnership, out-of-school-time day camps, workforce development for ages 16–24, and love Center facility rentals and branded merchandise.

Product overview

Struggle of Love Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Colorado-based nonprofit organization offering a diverse portfolio of community programs and services. The organization operates primarily as a social service provider with multiple program categories: (1) direct service programs including the Sacks of Love Food Pantry, Mental Health Support services with in-person therapy, and Out of School Time day camps for children; (2) youth development programs including the Sports Wellness Program, Spreading Our Love Mentor & Leadership Program, and Workforce Development Program for ages 16-24; (3) violence prevention initiatives including Gun Violence Prevention and the STAR Program partnership; and (4) community facility rentals through Love Center Space Reservations. The organization also operates a merchandise store (SOLF Gear) and has a separate PC's for the People refurbished computer sales operation. Annual outreach events round out the service portfolio. These programs are offered free or low-cost to underserved youth and families in the Denver metro area, particularly Montbello and Green Valley Ranch communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sacks of Love Food Pantry Community food pantry in Montbello providing nonperishable food items as well as fresh produce, meat, and bread to those in need every Monday through Friday starting at 1:00 PM. Open to underprivileged families in the Denver metro area.
• Spreading Our Love Mentor & Leadership Program Mentorship and leadership program for youth in Montbello and Green Valley Ranch areas, offering classes on music wellness, videography, professional development, affirmations, and anger management.
• Sports Wellness Program Year-round competitive sports and mentoring program for underprivileged youth providing basketball and other sports activities with mentorship sessions to develop youth athletically, mentally, and physically.
• Mental Health Support Free in-person therapy sessions at the Love Center including one-on-one, couples, and family/group therapy services for community members in need of mental health support.
• Gun Violence Prevention Program Community education initiative focusing on safety awareness, safe storage practices, and distributing free gun locks to prevent unauthorized access to firearms.
• STAR Program (Support Team Assisted Response) Community-focused alternative to traditional emergency response dispatching trained behavioral health clinicians and paramedics to respond to non-violent 9-1-1 calls involving mental health challenges or emotional distress.
• Out of School Time Program Summer and winter day camp program for underserved and at-risk children aged 3-14 featuring arts & crafts, field trips, quiet reading time, outdoor activity, physical challenges, and behavioral health exercises.
• Workforce Development Program Program designed to empower individuals ages 16 to 24 by providing comprehensive training, mentorship, and hands-on experience to prepare them for a successful transition into the professional world.
• Love Center Space Reservations Rental of Love Center spaces including conference rooms, open space areas, warehouse banquet area, music studio, parking lot, and DIY BeautyMat salon for community events and gatherings. Rental durations range from 2 to 9 hours.
• SOLF Gear (Merchandise Store) Branded merchandise including Love Team Letterman Jackets ($150), SOL Water bottles ($5), SOL Pens ($3), SOL coffee cups ($5), and SOL Notepads ($12). Also includes bulk T-shirt orders for organizations.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• STAR Program (Support Team Assisted Response)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOLF is a proud partner of the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) Program - an innovative, community-focused alternative to traditional emergency response. The program dispatches behavioral health clinicians and paramedics to non-violent 9-1-1 calls involving mental health challenges, substance use crises, or emotional distress.
• RISE NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOLF co-chairs the RISE Network in Denver, leading efforts as violence interrupters in the community.
• Families Forward Resource CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the annual Need to Feed Thanksgiving food basket giveaway event.
• Montbello Organizing CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Thanksgiving food basket giveaway and community events in the Montbello area.
• Food Bank of the RockiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for food pantry operations, providing food resources to distribute to the community.
• MontbellocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partner serving the Montbello neighborhood.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Denver Rescue Mission: Established Denver social-services nonprofit providing food, shelter, and recovery services; comparable breadth to SOLF's wraparound services for underprivileged families.
• Denver Health's Center for Addiction Medicine / Mental Health Services: Larger institutional provider of mental health and crisis services in Denver, serving as a likely referral partner and comparator for SOLF's free in-person therapy program at the Love Center.
• SafeHouse Denver: A larger Denver nonprofit addressing interpersonal violence through shelter, counseling and prevention — overlapping with SOLF's gun violence prevention, RISE Network, and STAR-aligned crisis-response work.
• YMCA of Metropolitan Denver: A larger regional incumbent providing youth sports, after-school care, and family services across multiple Denver locations; comparable to SOLF's OST and Sports Wellness programs but at a much broader scale.

Direct peers

• Denver Urban League: Community-based nonprofit serving Denver's underserved populations with workforce development, youth services, and social support — directly comparable to SOLF's community/holistic services approach.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver: Operates multi-site youth development programming (after-school, sports, mentorship) for underprivileged Denver kids — directly comparable to SOLF's mentorship, sports wellness, and OST program mix.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado: Mentorship-driven nonprofit for at-risk youth in Colorado, closely mirroring SOLF's Spreading Our Love Mentor & Leadership Program model and youth-segment focus.
• Center for African American Health (CAA Health): Denver-area nonprofit providing culturally responsive health, mental health, and youth programming to African American families — closely aligned with SOLF's community-rooted, peer-network service model.
• Food Bank of the Rockies: Direct operating partner of SOLF's Sacks of Love Food Pantry and a peer in Denver-area food distribution; comparable mission of alleviating regional food insecurity through partner-network food distribution.

Regional players

• Mental Health Colorado: Statewide advocacy and grantmaking organization for mental health in Colorado — partially overlapping with SOLF's counseling and crisis-response work and a likely funder/peer relationship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/StruggleOf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@StruggleofLoveFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/SOLFoundation1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lakeshia-hodge-70a49923
• Instagraminstagram.com/struggleoflovefoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Struggle of Love Foundation