<![CDATA[Neighborhoods United, Inc. Fort Collins Colorado - Blog]]>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 21:14:39 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Neighborhoods United Yearend Report 2025]]>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 17:11:14 GMThttps://www.neighborhoodsunitedfc.org/blog/neighborhoods-united-yearend-report-2025As we close another successful 2025 year, I am pleased to share this year-end report highlighting the accomplishments of Neighborhoods United.

I want to express my deepest gratitude for your unwavering support and dedicated service as a board member and officer of our organization. Your commitment, expertise, and generosity have been instrumental in our continued success.
Neighborhoods United has proudly served our community since our founding in 1996. In 1998, with the steadfast efforts and contributions of dedicated individuals like each of you, we achieved 501(c)(3) nonprofit status—a milestone that has enabled us to expand our impact and sustain our mission over the decades.
​
Thank you once again for your leadership and partnership. It is because of supporters like you that we continue to thrive and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.
​
We had another great year with our major support going to:
1.          We distributed 100 School backpacks for kids in August.  
2.         In December we distributed approximately 1000 pairs of socks, winter caps, and gloves for families/homeless people.    
3.         We did a special distribution of 100 bags drawstring, backpack type each bag contained a winter cap, winter gloves, winter socks, various toiletries, including toothbrush, toothpaste, underarm deodorant, and hand warmers. I and four other volunteers helped distribute them in Old Town Fort Collins.
4.         People dropped off items at my doorstep, or some did a direct delivery from Amazon.  My goal was to reach 1100 items, which we distributed two years ago. 
5.          We did purchase eight $25 gift cards from King Soopers for those who needed groceries as well.
6.          We spent $4,691.34 at Walmart Store to re-implement the “superhero undies” program for the elementary schools in Poudre School District. consequently, over 3000 pairs of under garments were distributed to the various PSD elementary schools.
7.          We received $2000 donation from the Downtown Club of Fort Collins in November 2025
8.          In November 2025, we received a $1000 donation from the Kiwanis Club. 
9.        There were other expenses such as zoom annual fee, website update annual fees, Secretary of State yearly report fee. For 2026, we discontinued the Zoom annual fee.
10.       We did provide $1,250 worth of food boxes through The Museo de las Tres Colonias.  Their volunteers distributed fifty food boxes to the family’s homes.  The following is a letter from the Museo de las Tres Colonias:

A letter from Museo de las Tres Colonias:
Dear Neighborhoods United 
C/O Ray Martinez, 
 On behalf of the Board of Directors for the Museo de las Tres Colonias, we would like to express our sincere thank you for the financial support for the Back Packs and funds for our Thanksgiving basket distribution for 26 needy families. 
 We have identified 26 families that may not have a full filling Thanksgiving due to being elderly and having financial struggles. This will be our second year in helping to provide Thanksgiving baskets. 

 We plan on having provided a turkey, dry canned foods and pumpkin pie.  The families will have an option of picking up the baskets or having the baskets delivered if they are unable to pick them up. 

 We were able to have this distribution event on November 22, 11 to 1 PM. We have received a number of comments of sincere thank you from families that would not have had a meaningful Thanksgiving.  We hope with your organization support, we can continue this program for the coming years. 
​
 I have sent under separate text a few photos from our day of Thanksgiving distribution. We sincerely want to thank you and your organization for this wonderful support and sponsorship. 
 Sincerely Kind Regards, 

Jerry 
 Jerry Gavaldon, 
On behalf of the Board of Directors for the Museo de las Tres Colonias
970-222-4673
JJG1973@Aol.com]]><![CDATA[2024 Yearend Report!]]>Tue, 04 Feb 2025 21:17:36 GMThttps://www.neighborhoodsunitedfc.org/blog/2024-yearend-reportNeighborhoods United Annual Report 2024​

Overview
We are pleased to report another successful year at Neighborhoods United. Thanks to the dedication of our members, donors, and community partners, we have continued to provide vital support to organizations and families in need. Below is a detailed summary of our activities, expenditures, and funding for 2024.
Major Activities and Support Provided
1. School Backpacks Distribution
  • Date: July 5, 2024
  • Details: Distributed 100 school backpacks for children.
  • Expenditure: $199.95 (H&M store clearance sale).

2. Winter Supplies Distribution
  • Date: December 2024
  • Details: Distributed approximately 500 pairs of socks, winter caps, and gloves to families and homeless individuals.
  • Expenditure: $229.04 (purchased from Amazon). Additional items were donated by community members via doorstep drop-offs and direct deliveries from Amazon.

3. Grocery Assistance
  • Dates:
    • March 25, 2024: Purchased four $25 King Soopers gift cards for individuals in need.
    • February 2, 2024: In partnership with the Downtown Club of Fort Collins, provided a $250 King Soopers grocery card to a family identified by Lee Cord.
  • Expenditure: $350.00 (total).

4. Superhero Undies Program
  • Details: Re-implemented the "Superhero Undies" program to provide elementary school students in the Poudre School District with over 3,000 pairs of underwear.
  • Expenditure: $3,437.64 (purchased at Timnath Walmart with a 15% discount).
5. Direct Organizational Support
  • Peace With Christ Church: Supported a youth event and provided food supplies for Rocky Mountain High School students.
    • Expenditure: $221.33.
  • Poudre School District Family Coordinators: Provided clothing and home bedding for specific families in need.
    • Expenditure: $620.62.

Fundraising and Grants
1. Disc Golf Tournament Fundraiser
  • Event: “Hucks for Hope” hosted by the Downtown Club of Fort Collins.
  • Date: October 4, 2024.
  • Amount Raised: $2,145.00 (donated to Neighborhoods United).
2. Grants Received
  • Kiwanis Club of Fort Collins: Total of $3,000.00 (awarded in February and November 2024).
  • Bob and Joyce Everitt Fund: $1,500.00.
3. Donations
  • Houska Family: $2,000.00 toward the “Superhero Undies” program.

Administrative Expenses
Other expenses incurred during the year include:
  • Zoom annual subscription fee. ($159.90)
  • Website update annual fee. ($0)
  • Secretary of State annual report fee. ($10.00)
  • Replacement of laser printer ($299.00) and printer toner ($191.88).
  • Other miscellaneous office supplies ($34.87)

Financial Summary
A detailed financial ledger has been attached for review, outlining all expenditures and funding received. Highlights include:
  • Total Expenditures: Reflecting the above activities and administrative costs.
  • Total Revenue: Contributions from fundraisers, grants, and donations.

Acknowledgments
We extend our deepest gratitude to all our partners, donors, and volunteers who made this year’s success possible. Special thanks to the Downtown Club of Fort Collins, the Kiwanis Club of Fort Collins, the Houska Family, and the Bob and Joyce Everitt Fund for their generous contributions. Additionally, we appreciate the ongoing support from community members who donated items and participated in our initiatives.
Together, we continue to make a positive impact on our community. Thank you for your unwavering commitment and support.
Sincerely,

Ray Martinez, Treasurer/Adminstrator

]]><![CDATA[2023 Yearend Report!]]>Mon, 01 Jan 2024 22:54:46 GMThttps://www.neighborhoodsunitedfc.org/blog/2023-yearend-reportI am pleased to provide you with Neighborhoods United's comprehensive year-end report for 2023, outlining our impactful initiatives and financial expenditures. Throughout the year, our commitment to community service remained steadfast, leading to another successful period of giving.

In August, we distributed 100 school backpacks to children in need, incurring an expenditure of $903.64. Following this, December saw the distribution of approximately 1200 pairs of socks, winter caps, and gloves to families and homeless individuals. This effort, totaling $339.32 in expenses, was supplemented by a $500 cash donation and additional contributions from community members, surpassing last year's goal of 1100 items.

On April 26, 2023, we purchased four $25 gift cards from King Soopers, providing much-needed grocery support. Responding to a request from the Salvation Army on February 14, 2023, we ordered winter coats for families at a cost of $258.27 through Amazon.
In August 2023, we allocated $2,000 to support the Poudre River Library District's reading skills packages for low-income neighborhoods. Another initiative involved supplying snacks for Colorado Early College students, incurring an expenditure of $532.75.

Our collaboration with Kohl's Store enabled the re-implementation of the "superhero undies" program for elementary schools in the Poudre School District. A total of $3,147.77 was spent, and over 3000 pairs of undies were distributed, benefiting from a generous fifty percent discount from Kohl's.  Additionally, we have helped PSD Family Liaison coordinators with personal family crisis incidents that needed clothing, bedding, food, etc.
Throughout the year, we received valuable support from external partners. The Rotary Club generously donated $1,000 on August 2, 2023. In October, the Downtown Club of Fort Collins organized the "Hucks for Hope" disc golf tournament, resulting in a substantial donation of $4,030.00 to Neighborhoods United.
Additionally, through a PayPal transfer, we successfully collected and transferred $489.56 to our account. In November 2023, the Kiwanis Club of Fort Collins granted us $1,000.

Finally, we managed various operational expenses, including the Zoom annual fee, website update annual fees, and the Secretary of State yearly report fee.
Neighborhoods United expresses its gratitude for the continued support of the Board of Directors, officers and the community at large. We look forward to building on these successes in the coming year, furthering our mission to make a positive impact on the lives of those we serve.
If you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to reach out.

]]><![CDATA[PSD Family Liaison supported with family needs]]>Mon, 13 Feb 2023 01:34:24 GMThttps://www.neighborhoodsunitedfc.org/blog/psd-family-liaison-supported-with-family-needsPoudre School District Family Liaison coordinator asked for our help to supply clothing and other essentials for a few families this past December 2022.  Together, we went on a shopping spree to meet their needs.  We are looking forward to future connections/support for students and their families.

Family Liaisons in PSD schools bridge home to school communication for families of English Language Learners. Liaisons assist with:
  • Spanish/Arabic language oral interpretation 
  • Spanish/Arabic language written translation of educational information sent home
  •  Assistance in resource referral for student, staff, and families
  • Parent/Family education and engagement in their child's learning

]]><![CDATA[Colorado Early College support]]>Mon, 13 Feb 2023 01:21:45 GMThttps://www.neighborhoodsunitedfc.org/blog/colorado-early-college-supportLast month, Colorado Early College asked for our help in providing essential needs, i.e. toiletry, snacks, hand sanitizer, personal hygiene products, and dental products.

Our friends/employees from Elevations Credit Union #elevationscu helped us prepare 100 bags with all of these needs.  Not only did they pack the bags, they provided the bags,  hand sanitizer, and bicycle headlights.

Additionally, our friends from Project Smile #projectsmile provided all of our dental products, i.e. toothbrushes, floss, and toothpaste.  

​It's awesome when people come together and work as a team.  So much is accomplished with partnerships!
Picture
]]><![CDATA[Our socks, hats, and gloves drive!]]>Mon, 13 Feb 2023 01:12:17 GMThttps://www.neighborhoodsunitedfc.org/blog/our-socks-hats-and-gloves-driveFor the third year in a row, we have asked the community to donate socks, winter caps, and gloves for needy families, homeless people between November and December 2022.  Their first year we collected 400+ articles.  In our second year we collected 700+ articles.  Before the end of December 2022 (our third year) we collected 1,100+ articles.

We are very proud of our community that took the extra step to donated via drop shipments via Amazon, front door drop offs, and cash donations.  The inflation and economy is tough while coming out of this pandemic, but that didn't stop people from giving out of the spirit of love.
]]><![CDATA[2022 Gloves, Socks, Caps for Winter drive starts now!]]>Tue, 18 Oct 2022 23:16:03 GMThttps://www.neighborhoodsunitedfc.org/blog/2022-gloves-socks-caps-for-winter-drive-starts-nowWe are happy to announce that our 2022 Winter season has started for collecting donations for gloves, socks, and caps.  We are asking for new items for people so we are not in the repair business of used items and for sanitary reasons for all.  
Please send your donations to Neighborhoods United, c/o Ray Martinez, 4121 Stoneridge Ct, Fort Collins, CO  80525.  You can drop your items off at the front door step where the container is provided.

Others have done direct purchases through Amazon and drop-shipped their donation to the same address.
Some people have chosen to donate through this website with their credit cards, or mail us a check to the same address.
These are the 3 options available previously mentioned.  

We share/give these donations to families in need. Some are homeless folks, and others in schools. Referrals that are made from other people are welcomed.  Last year our goal was for 400 items, but the love of this community exceeded that and we received over 700 articles/items for people in need!  That excites us!  Our goal this year is to exceed the 700 articles needed.  We will never run out of people who need these items.

Visit our Facebook page...]]><![CDATA[Backpacks for families displaced by wildfires]]>Thu, 12 Nov 2020 15:57:13 GMThttps://www.neighborhoodsunitedfc.org/blog/backpacks-for-families-displaced-by-wildfiresThe Larimer County Library District family outreach program asked Neighborhoods United for support of the families that are displaced from their homes because of the recent wildfires in our area.  We joined forces with Elevations Credit Union that fully funded some supplies and 288 backpacks for emergency distribution.  The employees of Elevations Credit Union volunteered their time to help prepare the backpacks as well.  We also appreciate the United Way for helping with the distribution of backpacks to the families they identified with needs.]]><![CDATA[Walmart of Timnath Helps Neighborhoods United]]>Sat, 25 Jul 2020 19:55:23 GMThttps://www.neighborhoodsunitedfc.org/blog/walmart-of-timnath-helps-neighborhoods-unitedA huge thanks to Walmart in Timnath, CO, for the donation of schools supples!  We were able to fill 63 backpacks for kids. We appreciate the staff and management for shopping for us during this Covid-19 crisis in our country.  All we had to do is pick them up.  

​Neighborhoods United have been buying groceries and schools supplies from Walmart for years, and we will continue to shop there, because we know they care.]]><![CDATA[COVID-19 Pandemic Supplies]]>Thu, 07 May 2020 15:08:06 GMThttps://www.neighborhoodsunitedfc.org/blog/covid-19-pandemic-suppliesThanks to Old Elk of Fort Collins, we were able to distribute 50 bottles of hand sanitizers to La Familia, and other families in need.

Juanna Jackson, a PFA volunteer firefighter, prepared us with 50 homemade face masks for distribution--free of charge!

Elevations Credit Union provide Neighborhoods United with 50 pocket size hand sanitizers for distribution.

We are also providing food cards for families that need groceries.  
]]>