Serving our local communities has been a focus since our founding. It’s core to our culture. This commitment to our communities reflects the shared values of our employees. Through our Uplift program, we leverage our business acumen, problem-solving skills, and time and resources to support nonprofit organizations.
As we approach the end of the year, when many focus on giving, we reached out to a few of our Uplift partners to learn more about their mission, their work, and what seasonal giving means to them.
Here’s a conversation with LaKeshia Hodge, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at Struggle of Love Foundation in Denver, Colorado.
Q: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us! Can you tell us about the mission of Struggle of Love and your role within the organization?
The Struggle of Love Foundation (SOLF) is a 501(c)3 Colorado non-profit organization whose mission is to provide community awareness, involvement, togetherness, and positive social activities for youth, adults, and families through a variety of essential programs and resources.
As Co-Founder and CEO, my role in the organization spans across all programs, teams, and departments to grow, sustain and maintain efficient operations, budgets, schedules, and quality programming.
Q: Where can the community see your team’s work in action?
We have a small footprint in the Denver Metro area. Our team supports many communities in the Denver and Aurora communities. Our mentors support 10 Denver Public Schools and DSST Public Schools year-round, engaging students in positive activities for more than 300 hours per semester.
Our Sacks of Love Food Pantry Team distributes more than 20,000 pounds of food to more than 1,500 individuals at our headquarters at the Montbello Community Building every Monday through Friday.
We also have a Boots on the Ground team that partners with the STAR Program to provide non-emergency responses to community members in need of mental health services, housing, food, clothing, and more.
In addition, our Violence Interruption Team works hand in hand with Denver Public Schools DPD to respond to violent crimes in our community and provide grief support and mental health support for all parties involved.
Lastly, in 2021, we opened the doors to our first Love Center, which provides a safe place for youth and families to engage in programs and activities such as 1:1 mental health sessions, a podcast and recording studio, t-shirt printing stations, a gaming area, computer lab, learning lab, workshops, and free acupuncture therapy every Thursday night.
Our mental health team is dedicated to assisting hundreds of clients each year by offering 20 free sessions to individuals, couples, families, and groups.
Q: This year, Uplift sought partnerships with nonprofits addressing inequality. Could you share a little on how your organization is working to reduce inequality and some of the key programs or initiatives you’ve implemented to support that mission?
The Struggle of Love Foundation strongly believes in equal opportunities for all regardless of age, race, gender, religion, and nationality. One of the ways we address equity is through our internal staff hiring process. We believe the best way to connect with the communities we serve is through individuals with lived experiences who can relate to the challenges they are faced with everyday. This allows us to provide culturally responsive resources and services to youth and families without them feeling out of place or judged. Our programs and resources also address disparities in our community such as access to health food options, mental health resources and services, workforce development and training. Our Board of Directors reflects the diversity of the community we serve, and we provide our staff with regular opportunities for bias and equity training.
Q: We know many nonprofits are supported by individual donors. Can you tell us the impact seasonal giving has for Struggle of Love?
The Struggle of Love Foundation is supported by several community, city, state, and federal grants; however, during the giving season is where we are able to raise unrestricted funds to support general operating costs that grants do not cover. We rely on individuals, businesses, and community support to fund our general operating costs which allows us financial flexibility.
Q: Anything else you think our readers should know?
We recently expanded our services to reach the Aurora community and opened a mini Love Center in the Aurora area. We are pleased for the opportunity to grow and expand; however, we are in need of our own facility that can support all of our programs and services under one roof. A place we can call home for our team and the communities we serve. Visit our website for more information about the organization at struggleoflovefoundation.org.
# About Uplift
Serving our local communities has been a focus since our founding. This commitment to community and corporate responsibility reflects the shared values of our employees. Through our Uplift program, our people can do good work in their communities and make a lasting impact by leveraging their business acumen and problem-solving skills to support nonprofit partners. We uplift organizations through pro bono strategy, professional development, and direct service.
We’re always seeking ways to engage with our local communities. Whether you need help solving a complex problem with pro bono project support, seek volunteers for a project or event, or would benefit from brief mentorship — the Uplift team is devoted to supporting our communities.
