Hope House Colorado

News: Organizers of Lights, Camera, Hope had set a fundraising goal of $635,000 for this gala dinner and auction benefiting Hope House Colorado.  

When all was said and done, however, the numbers from ticket sales, sponsorships, and live and silent auctions added up to $660,000 – a $25,000 increase over what had been projected. 

Five hundred friends of Hope House Colorado attended the event held at the Westin Westminster, a venue selected in part for its convenience: a 15-minute drive from Hope House’s Arvada resource center, where parenting teen moms participate in the organization’s free services designed to help them move toward self-sufficiency. 

The evening began with cocktails and a silent auction in the hotel’s Legacy Ballroom, where music from movie soundtracks played in the background. Volunteers led the call to dinner with Star Wars light sabers who guided everyone into the Westminster Ballroom for dinner and a program emceed by a Superman-costumed Brian Stump, vice chair of the Hope House Colorado board. 

Hope House Colorado founder and executive director Lisa Steven then introduced Hope House graduates Ashlyn and Hannah, who shared their stories of how their “Mommy motivation perseverance,” love for their children and strong desire to break the cycle of generational poverty led them to Hope House and the chance to build better lives for themselves and their children. 

Their remarks were rewarded with a standing ovation. 

Vacation getaways to cities throughout the world, Denver sports experiences, food truck birthday bashes and hunting and fishing expeditions were up for bid in a live auction called by Gary Corbett, who also led the paddle raise that brought in some $228,000. 

To close out the program, Lisa Steven announced that the 2025 Hero of Hope Award was going to the late Doris Lumsden, who over the years had made significant donations of furniture, fixtures and equipment for both the Hope House Resource Center and its Early Learning Center. She was also a supporter of multiple capital campaigns and fundraisers for Hope House. Her son, Craig Lumsden, and his family accepted the award. 

The 2025 Legacy Volunteer Award also was given posthumously. Its recipient, Diane Buckalew, a longtime champion of and volunteer at Hope House, had died a month prior to the gala. Her daughter, Lisa, was at the gala to accept the award. 

About the organization: The Arvada-based, nonprofit Hope House Colorado provides free self-sufficiency programs that are designed to transform the lives of parenting teen moms and their children: The Empower Program, the Housing Support Program, the Early Childhood Education Program and the Early Learning & School Age Program. Since its start in 2003, Hope House Colorado has served 1,003 teen moms and 1,436 children from throughout the metro Denver area. 

Website: HopeHouseColorado.org 

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