Home fires devastate families every single day, right here in our community. While wildfires grab headlines, these individual tragedies often go unseen, leaving families to face the long, arduous road to recovery alone. Think of the help you'd offer wildfire victims – now imagine a neighbor facing the same devastation, without the same widespread support. Your donation today makes a real difference for local families struggling to rebuild after a home fire.
Did you know that more people are affected by a house fire than any other type of disaster? Our Front Porch has responded to wildfires that affect thousands, and home fires that affect one family. Both face the same challenges: lasting trauma, overwhelming financial burdens, and a long, uphill battle to recovery. But in our experience, those impacted by individual home fires often struggle even more, lacking the built-in support and resources available after larger disasters.
Losing everything in a fire is devastating, but the aftermath can be just as overwhelming. Families face a mountain of challenges: confusing insurance claims, the search for new housing, emotional trauma, and the daunting task of rebuilding their lives. Your support directly addresses these challenges. It provides the essentials – like new undergarments and socks – that offer a small measure of comfort in a chaotic time. It empowers families to navigate the complexities of recovery, providing expert guidance on insurance, housing, and access to mental health support. It connects them with a community of fellow survivors who understand their struggles. And it provides a trusted advocate who will be there every step of the way, for as long as it takes. All of this is possible because of your generosity, and it's all provided free of charge.
Our Front Porch helps Colorado home fire survivors navigate the ups and downs of the recovery journey so they don't have to go it alone. We provide long-term disaster recovery in the form of disaster case management, trauma recovery services, and housing navigation. We utilize a holistic approach to address the cascading effects one experiences following a disaster.
Our Front Porch started as a collaboration between a social worker and an architect who saw a huge gap in long-term disaster recovery, especially with respect to home fires. The recovery from a house fire is no different than that of a large scale disaster, like a wildfire or a flood, but home fire survivors don't have access to the same state and local resources. Home fires affect more people than all other disasters, and Denver has no shortage of home fire survivors.
OFP began as an idea in 2013 and shortly thereafter started providing disaster case management, housing navigation, and trauma recovery services to clients and obtained 501(c)3 status in 2019. The American Red Cross Mile High Chapter has always been a great partner of Our Front Porch, providing short-term crisis response work to home fire survivors and then referring families to OFP for long-term recovery support. We also provide free underwear and bras, as it is one thing everyone needs but doesn't want to ask for after losing everything in a fire.
No other organization addresses the cascading effects of long-term disaster recovery for as long as it takes. We have adapted and added to our programs over time to reflect the needs of our clients, including insurance claim navigation and rebuilding guidance for homeowners. Home fire recovery support may not make the daily news, but with no other organization serving this population, it is a much needed service and one that OFP is proud to fill.
Organization name
Our Front Porch
other names
OFP
2018
Tax id (EIN)
83-1866231
Category
Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness & Relief
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
789 Sherman St Suite 360Mailing
789 Sherman St. Suite 360Denver County, CO, US