THORNTON, Colo. — Almost Home, an Adams County nonprofit serving unhoused people and families at risk of homelessness in north metro Denver, is raising money through a 5K race on Saturday after the organization said federal funding cuts have forced it to stop some programs.
Federal support enables Almost Home to provide low-barrier emergency housing, financial assistance, and vital resources for families and individuals in Adams, Broomfield, and southern Weld counties. Executive Director Jessica Fiedler said significant recent funding cuts have sharply limited the number of people they can serve.
On Saturday morning, dozens of people and families dressed up in their Halloween costumes for the organization's first-ever Spooky Sprint 5K at Margaret Carpenter Park in Thornton. Almost Home said it raised around $12,000 from the race, which will support programs for two families.
"There’s nothing better than helping people out. And for a great cause? It’s the perfect thing to do on a Saturday morning," said runner Lynette Day.
Fiedler said the nonprofit received $1 million from TANF in Fiscal Year 2025, dropping to $290,000 for July–December 2025, with no TANF funds in 2026.
"We believe that if people are housed, that allows them to focus then on other things, such as being employed and perhaps addressing some issues that they may have with mental health or with addiction," said Fiedler.
The nonprofit faces $2 million in funding cuts this fiscal year due to more competitive grants, leading to a 25% reduction in services for families and employee layoffs, Fielder said.
"We're just trying to find new and creative ways to bring funding in to support our programs," she said.
"Just in general, I think this is a big issue that we need to fix and solve. People are dressing up, they’re running, wearing costumes, and then in the end we’re just spreading awareness about this," said Kiley Haberstoh, who ran in the 5K with her sister and boyfriend.
In FY25, Almost Home served over 3,500 people with homeless prevention and shelter, including 40 families with children and 10 families fleeing domestic violence.
Denver7 reached out to Adams County to understand how the federal TANF cuts are impacting other nonprofits and whether the county is working on solutions to fill the gaps.
Commissioner Lynn Baca, Chair of the Adams County Board of Commissioners, said federal TANF funding hasn't increased in nearly 30 years, but the real value of the money received through the program has decreased by more than 50% due to inflation and lack of federal adjustments.
Commissioner Baca also said a new state law increases the amount of direct cash assistance counties must provide to community members, reducing funds available to nonprofits. She said because of this, the county extended its TANF contracts with nonprofits through Dec. 31, 2025, but said they're working to find a long-term solution.
