Through a unique collaborative effort, CARE Housing has partnered with Hand Up Cooperative and Gordon Lane Property Services to provide employment opportunities for formerly homeless individuals.

Hand Up Cooperative is a nonprofit organization in Fort Collins whose mission is to assist people who are homeless or near homeless in gaining employment and ultimately to help them become self-sufficient. The organization, led by Daniel Covey, is actively involved in reducing homelessness in our community by providing access to employment education and career opportunities.

Gordon Lane is a full-service multifamily residential property maintenance service. Headed by Marcus Lane, Gordon Lane oversees all apartment 'turnover' for CARE Housing and assists in various capital projects, including the renovation of CARE Housing's community centers.

In 2011, Gordon Lane graciously agreed to hire two individuals through the Hand Up Cooperative program. The individuals work on CARE Housing's assets, applying their painting, maintenance and repair skills and working in a close-knit team environment. Importantly, the individuals are paid a 'living wage' by Gordon Lane that is funded in part by CARE Housing. Furthermore, while employed, Hand Up works with the individuals to ensure they are getting the help they need to stay employed and adhering to their responsibilities.

"This remarkable partnership is a great example of how a genuine collaborative spirit can bring entities together from the private sector and the non-profit sector to address a community issue", said Daniel Covey.

"We are pleased to hire these skilled individuals through Hand Up," said Marcus Lane. "Their work has allowed us to grow our business both with CARE Housing and other businesses in Fort Collins. This is a 'win – win' partnership."

Hand Up's program provides employers with access to skilled labor at a fair wage. The work performed by these individuals is very professional; we are very grateful to both Daniel and Marcus for their efforts in helping CARE maintain quality affordable housing and provide supportive services to those in our community.