Food for Hope

What Food for Hope does

Food for Hope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 and incorporated as an independent entity in 2015, headquartered in Thornton, Colorado. It addresses childhood food insecurity in Adams County, Colorado through three core programs: Weekend Food Bags (weekly nutritious food packages delivered to participating schools for student take-home), School Fuel Snack Program (in-school snacks distributed to 17 schools), and In-School/District Food Pantries (9 embedded locations across 6 school districts where families can shop for fresh and shelf-stable food). The organization also operates specialized programs including Feed 5000 Thanksgiving (annual holiday meal boxes), Unhoused Student and Family Food Boxes in partnership with Westminster Public Schools, and a Virtual Food Drive service for corporate engagement.

In the 2025-26 school year, Food for Hope distributed 27,000 weekend food bags, 128,900 snacks, and 270,000 pounds of food through pantries, serving approximately 4,000 individuals monthly. Operations are supported by 894 volunteers contributing 4,271 hours annually, with a paid staff of 1-10 employees led by Executive Director Emily Stromquist.

The organization is funded through individual donations, corporate giving plans, and event-based fundraising (Bike N Brew, Mudapalooza, restaurant give-back nights), processed via Qgiv, Bloomerang, Eventbrite, SurveyHero, and Shopify. Founding support came from ThornCreek Church and a community initiative led by Thornton Mayor Heidi Williams. The organization holds a GuideStar Transparency Seal (EIN 47-3117111) and does not employ proprietary technology platforms.

Name

Food for Hope

Legal name

Food for Hope

Website

https://foodforhope.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Food for Hope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Adams County, Colorado that combats childhood food insecurity through school-embedded food pantries, weekend nutrition bags, and in-school snack programs, serving approximately 4,000 individuals monthly across 17 schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Food Assistance

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Educational Support Services (611710), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

School Feeding & Social Protection Partnerships (Conditional Cash Transfers, etc.) (EDADALAL), Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)

Keywords

• Childhood hunger relief
• School food pantries
• Weekend food bags
• Nonprofit food programs
• Food insecurity services

Headquarters

HQ city

Thornton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute financial support through the organization's website. Donations support all Food for Hope programs including weekend food bags, school fuel snacks, and food pantries. The organization emphasizes that every dollar empowers a student experiencing hunger.
2. Corporate Giving: Food for Hope offers a Corporate Giving Plan where businesses can partner with the organization. Corporate partners include local businesses that host give-back events where a percentage of sales are donated.
3. Event-Based Fundraising: Food and Hope organizes fundraising events including Bike N Brew, Mudapalooza volleyball tournament, Pilates classes, and restaurant give-back nights where local businesses donate a percentage of sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Food for Hope is a nonprofit organization that operates school-based childhood hunger relief programs in Adams County, Colorado. Its core offerings include weekend food bags with nutritious items for enrolled children, an in-school/district food pantry network, and a school fuel snack program providing high-protein snacks to underfed students. The organization partners with school districts to embed food resources directly within schools and reaches children and families experiencing food insecurity through volunteer-driven operations.

Product overview

Food for Hope is a non-profit charitable organization offering a portfolio of childhood hunger relief programs in Adams County, Colorado. The core offerings consist of three interconnected programs: Weekend Food Bags (weekly nutritious food deliveries), School Fuel Snack Program (in-school snacking support), and In-School/District Food Pantries (on-site food distribution at schools). Additional programs include seasonal initiatives like Feed 5000 Thanksgiving and specialized services for unhoused students. The organization also provides Virtual Food Drive services for corporate and community engagement, and operates a merchandise store. All programs are supported by volunteer operations and financial donations processed through integrated platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekend Food Bags Weekly food assistance program where volunteers assemble bags containing vegetables, fruits, whole grains, protein items, and breakfast/snack items for enrolled children to take home for the weekend. Bags are delivered to participating schools on Thursdays for distribution before students leave for the weekend.
• School Fuel Snack Program Program providing high-protein snacks to students at schools who are underfed or come to school hungry, distributing over 4,000 snacks weekly across 17 local schools and alleviating the financial burden from teachers who previously purchased snacks with personal funds.
• In-School/District Food Pantries School-based food pantries providing fresh and shelf-stable food to students and families. Pantries are located at Adams 14 Hope Center, 27J Brighton Family Resource Center, Pinnacle Charter School, McElwain Elementary, STEM Launch, Northglenn High School, Coronado Elementary, and Mapleton Public Schools, with approximately 4,000 individuals served monthly.
• Feed 5000 Thanksgiving Annual food distribution program providing full Thanksgiving meals to families in Adams County, distributing approximately 2,500 food boxes with the help of 300+ volunteers each year.
• Unhoused Student and Family Food Boxes Partnership with Westminster Public Schools providing easy-to-open and prepare shelf-stable and fresh food boxes for unhoused students and their families.
• Virtual Food Drive Virtual food drive program allowing companies, groups, or individuals to hold a virtual food drive with personalized QR codes and food item or student sponsorship costs.
• FFH Merch Store Online merchandise store selling Food for Hope branded merchandise via Shopify.

Quantifiable outcome

• 27,000 weekend food bags distributed during 2025-26 school year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and founding.

• Satire Brewing CompanycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 September 2026Satire Brewing Company partners with Food for Hope for the annual Bike N Brew event. They host the event at their Thornton location and 10% of adult beverage sales are donated. Also partners for Eastlake Railyard Front Porch and Mudapalooza events.
• Rush Bowls ThorntonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 August 2026Rush Bowls Thornton location at 13762 Colorado Blvd is hosting a 3rd Anniversary Weekend Give Back Event. 20% of all purchases during the event (August 14-16, 2026) will be donated to Food for Hope to support food programs for Adams County students.
• ThornCreek ChurchfoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Food for Hope originated in 2004 as a ministry of ThornCreek Church in Thornton, CO. The church was feeding the hungry but wanted to do more. Pastor Ruben Villarreal initiated the Food for Hope concept in 2014 after Mayor Heidi Williams called community leaders to address hunger. The church provided the founding vision and initial support.
• Orchard Town CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHost venue for Bubble Bash community event on August 9, 2026. Event includes interactive bubble stations, foam fun, DJ, and family activities at the Sunken Plaza location.
• Adams 14 School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partnership for in-school food pantry operations. Food for Hope operates the Hope Center food pantry at Adams 14, providing fresh and shelf-stable food to families who attend school in the district.
• 27J School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict-wide food bank partnership. Food for Hope operates the Brighton Family Resource Center and district-wide food bank, with a volunteer video and overview materials for volunteer engagement.
• Adams 12 Five Star SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partnership for food pantry operations. Food pantries are currently located in the Adams 12 district as part of Food for Hope's distribution network.
• Mapleton Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district partnership for in-school food pantry operations. Food pantries are currently located in Mapleton Schools, providing fresh and shelf-stable food to families.
• Pinnacle Charter SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharter school partnership for in-school food pantry operations. Food pantries are currently located at Pinnacle Charter School.
• Westminster Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for unhoused student and family food boxes. Food for Hope provides easy-to-open and prepare shelf-stable and fresh foods to unhoused students and their families.
• Blessed BBQminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood vendor partner for Eastlake Railyard Front Porch event. Blessed BBQ provides BBQ offerings at the community event which benefits Food for Hope.
• City of NorthglennminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMunicipal partner for Mudapalooza volleyball tournament event at Northwest Open Space. City partners with Food for Hope and Satire Brewing for this community event.
• The Body RefineryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFitness studio partner hosting Summer Mat Series Pilates event benefiting Food for Hope. Event includes Pilates class, after-class beverage, and massage services. Participants can support Food for Hope by donating snack items or contributing $20/month to support a student.
• Guidestar (Candid)minorOthersFood for Hope maintains a GuideStar Transparency Seal, demonstrating nonprofit accountability and financial transparency. The seal indicates the organization meets Candid's standards for nonprofit reporting.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• No Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength): Large national campaign focused on ending childhood hunger through school meal programs, summer feeding, and advocacy. Operates broadly across the same mission space as Food for Hope but at a national advocacy and grantmaking scale.
• Feeding America: National network of 200+ food banks operating the dominant U.S. food assistance infrastructure. Operates in the same broad category of community food distribution but at vastly larger scale and geographic scope.

Regional players

• Denver Food Rescue: Denver-based organization recovering and distributing healthy food to communities facing food insecurity. Operates in the same Colorado Front Range geography and targets overlapping low-income family populations.
• Weld Food Bank: Regional food bank serving Weld County, Colorado, adjacent to Adams County. Comparable as a regional food-distribution backbone with overlapping service geography that could partner with or expand Food for Hope's footprint.
• Care and Share Food Bank: Southern Colorado regional food bank distributing food through partner pantries and programs. Operates the same regional food-distribution model within Colorado and serves overlapping beneficiary populations.
• Food Bank of the Rockies: Regional food bank serving Colorado and Wyoming, including many of the same Adams County communities. Comparable as a regional food distribution backbone that Food for Hope school pantries could source from or partner with.
• Community Food Share: Colorado-based food bank serving Boulder and Broomfield counties, providing food to pantries and directly to families. Comparable as a Colorado-region community food bank with overlapping beneficiary population in the Denver metro area.

Direct peers

• Kids Against Hunger: National nonprofit packaging and distributing meals for malnourished children and families, with a comparable focus on direct-to-family food distribution for food-insecure households.
• Blessings in a Backpack: National nonprofit providing weekend food bags to food-insecure schoolchildren, directly comparable to Food for Hope's Weekend Food Bag program in both model (school-embedded, weekly food sent home) and beneficiary type.

Emerging players

• Hunger Free Colorado: Statewide nonprofit advancing food access through advocacy, SNAP outreach, and school programs in Colorado. Comparable mission and Colorado operating footprint, but with an advocacy/policy focus rather than direct food distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/foodforhopeCO

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Food for Hope