As Broomfield FISH faces the highest demand in its more than 60 years of service, the nonprofit is inviting the community to come together for its annual Embracing Hope luncheon, a celebration of the people, partnerships and generosity that help ensure Broomfield neighbors have access to food and other critical resources to help meet their basic needs.
The free event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Delta Hotels by Marriott, 10 E. 120th Ave. in Northglenn. Advance registration is required.
Broomfield FISH is both a food pantry and a family resource center, offering a self shop marketplace and connections to additional support when neighbors need help getting back on stable ground.
Embracing Hope is FISH’s signature fundraising luncheon and the organization’s largest community event of the year. The program will feature stories from the heart of FISH’s mission, the premiere of its annual mission video, and reflections on what can be accomplished when community members come together to support one another.
This event recognizes the many people who contribute to FISH’s work, including volunteers, donors, community partners, and the residents who support one another through difficult times.
The luncheon will be emceed by longtime FISH volunteer Lucia Fang, who began volunteering at FISH when she was in the third grade and continued returning as a teen and young adult to deepen her involvement. Fang was also one of the speakers at last year’s Embracing Hope. FISH Executive Director Dayna Scott will speak as well, alongside volunteer and participant speakers whose experiences reflect the organization’s wide ranging impact.
“We’re best known for the food pantry, but the wraparound services and the way we support people to move up and out of poverty are really important,” said Crystal Egli, community engagement manager for Broomfield FISH.
In addition to its food pantry services, Broomfield FISH provides two housing stability programs, Keeping Families Housed and Keeping Seniors Housed, along with limited emergency assistance such as help with utilities and transportation when available. FISH also connects neighbors to additional resources through its family resource center model, helping people navigate support systems and find community partners that can assist with other needs.
The need for those services continues to grow. In 2025, FISH served 15,910 individuals, which is roughly one in five people living in Broomfield, and over half of those served were children. The organization also distributed more than 1.7 million pounds of food and assisted 688 residents with housing support.
Egli said rising housing costs are the number one driver of need in the community, while inflation and changes to public assistance programs have created additional challenges for many families.
“We try to think of ourselves as a bridge,” she said. “We want to make sure people move up and outgrow needing our services, that’s our ultimate goal.”
Funds raised through sponsorships and donations during Embracing Hope help support that work throughout the coming year. “I really appreciate all the hard work and effort so many people have put in to make Broomfield FISH what it is. I want to say thank you for everything you have done. It sure makes a difference in my life,” said a Broomfield FISH participant.
For Egli, one of the most meaningful aspects of the luncheon is the opportunity to put faces to the stories behind the statistics.
“These are people just like you and me. It has been me,” she said. “Situations can happen to anybody, and we’re all pitching in on this together.”
To learn more or register for the event, visit broomfieldfish.org/embracing-hope.
