Lisa Isom with the Colorado Mountain College Foundation said she was proud to wear used clothing to breakfast at 4 Eagle Ranch on Thursday.
The Colorado Mountain College Foundation was one of more than 70 charities represented at Thursday’s event, in which the Vail Valley Cares Thrifty Shops shared its profits from last year with the community.
All told, the Vail Valley Cares Thrifty Shops gave out more than a half million dollars at the event.
“Every single time you drop something off at the Thirfty, or pick something up from the Thirfty, you are helping everyone in this room, and not mention so many students at CMC and around the valley,” Isom said.
The Vail Valley Cares has been distributing the Thrifty Shops’ excess profits to nonprofits around the valley since 2000, providing more than $6 million in grants in that time.
At 4 Eagle Ranch, where Thursday’s breakfast was held, a similar model is in place, said Julie Barry with the 4 Eagle Ranch Foundation, allowing it to purchase something it’s calling “The Hub.”
“The foundation just acquired a 10,500 square foot office building in EagleVail, and we are dedicating it 100% to nonprofit office space,” Barry told the crowd on Thursday. “Average office space in Avon rents for $50 per square foot, office space at The Hub is $17 per square foot.”
Several of the nonprofit representatives in attendance on Thursday said they will be using the grant money they received from Vail Valley Cares to acquire office space in The Hub.
Among those looking to move to the Hub are TreeTop Child Advocacy Center, which currently has offices in Breckenridge and is a first-time grant recipient from Vail Valley Cares.
Child advocacy centers like TreeTop provide specially trained interviewers for children to work with after an abuse allegation has been disclosed, ensuring those juvenile victims don’t have to repeatedly tell their stories to multiple agencies — a process that can compound trauma.
But without an office in Eagle County, conducting those interviews can be a challenge. TreeTop currently uses a mobile forensic interview unit to visit Eagle County; it has made five trips from Breckenridge so far in 2025.
The new offices will put less strain on TreeTop’s staff to mobilize that forensic interview unit, said Amy Oliveira, the executive director of TreeTop.
“This will help us keep the lights on, the doors open, and provide a safe space for children to start their healing process,” Oliveira said.
