For more than 50 years, Cultivate has been helping older adults stay connected, supported and independent in their homes and communities.
Founded in 1972, Cultivate began as a volunteer program connecting older adults with opportunities to give back to their community. Along the way, volunteers and staff recognized another important need: older adults themselves needed support. That realization helped shape the organization into what it is today, a nonprofit providing free services to adults age 60 and older across Boulder, Broomfield and Weld counties.
“We help seniors flourish by connecting them as recipients and contributors with their surrounding communities,” said Chrysti Laceby, Executive Director, Cultivate.
Cultivate’s five direct service programs address some of the everyday challenges that can make aging independently difficult. VetsGo provides medical transportation for senior veterans and their senior family members. Carry-Out Caravan provides weekly grocery shopping and delivery. Fix-It helps with minor home repairs and safety needs, while SnowBusters and YardBusters provide seasonal snow removal and yard cleanup.
Together, these programs help older adults stay safe in their homes while maintaining a sense of independence and connection. Cultivate serves some of the most vulnerable members of the community. Many of its clients live alone or are “solo aging,” and the majority are at or below the federal poverty level. About 77% are women.
At the heart of Cultivate’s work is an impressive network of 800–850 volunteers each year. Some volunteer once for a yard cleanup, while others participate several times a week, providing rides, shopping for groceries or helping coordinate services.
For Program and Outreach Specialist Cam Low, the relationships that develop between staff, clients and volunteers are one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
“They are not just volunteers, they’re my friends,” Low said. “Working with our volunteers is so rewarding. It is so fulfilling.”
The flexibility of Cultivate’s volunteer opportunities is another important part of its model. Volunteers can choose assignments based on their interests, skills and availability, whether that means committing to a regular schedule or simply helping when they have time.
“Everything is like working for Uber,” Low said. “You can do as much or as little as you want.”
That approach has helped Cultivate build a remarkably dedicated volunteer community. Some volunteers have been with the organization longer than members of the current staff, and many who first got involved during the pandemic have continued volunteering.
Cultivate’s work is also evolving in response to the challenges older adults are facing today.
Food security has become an increasing concern as the cost of groceries continues to rise. Cultivate has seen a decline in participation in its grocery program, and staff believe affordability is a significant factor.
“We’ve seen a decline, and for many of them, anecdotally, it’s the cost of groceries,” Laceby said. “They can’t afford it.”
The organization is also seeing increased demand for its Fix-It program, which helps older adults maintain aging homes. The program currently has a waitlist of around 50 people.
For many older adults, owning a home doesn’t necessarily mean having the resources to maintain it. As Laceby explained, some clients may have significant equity in homes they have owned for decades while living on a fixed income.
“It’s the cost of aging,” Laceby said. “And that’s something we’re really looking at, how do we reach more people who need us?”
Cultivate is also navigating the broader funding uncertainty facing nonprofits, while working to raise awareness about the services it provides.
“Until you need our services, so many people don’t know about them,” Laceby said. “We still have people say, ‘Oh my gosh, are you guys new?’—and we’re over half a century old.”
Cultivate works closely with other organizations and agencies throughout the region, including Meals on Wheels, Boulder Housing Authority, local chambers of commerce and county agencies. These partnerships help Cultivate connect clients with additional resources and ensure that older adults have access to the broader network of support available in their communities.
However, Laceby emphasizes that community care doesn’t always have to happen through a formal program.
“Just connecting and checking on the seniors in your neighborhood,” she said. “If it’s reading this and realizing, ‘I should check on my neighbor and see if they need me to run to the store,’ then that’s also part of it.”
Cultivate was an SVP Boulder County Catapult program investee in 2015, and Laceby says that support helped the organization strengthen its board, programs and internal structure. More than a decade later, Cultivate continues to grow its impact across the community.
Today, the organization provides more than 1,000 older adults with free direct services each year and reaches approximately 7,000 people through its direct and community services.
For Laceby, the impact goes beyond any single program.
“What I love and what keeps me doing this is really just being able to know that the work we do changes lives,” she said. “We literally change lives on a daily basis.”
Interested in getting involved? Cultivate is always looking for volunteers to help with transportation, grocery delivery, home repairs, yard cleanup and snow removal. Learn more at cultivate.ngo.
