Realities For Children: Serving Our Community for 25 Years

Elevations is proud to support organizations that give back to our community by helping the most vulnerable among us. One of these phenomenal organizations is Realities For Children, which provides for the unmet needs of children who have been abused or neglected, or are at-risk, in northern Colorado. Last year, Larimer County received 6,883 new referrals of child abuse and neglect. This work is more important now than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders have made it even more challenging for these children and their caretakers. 

Making sure no child is forgotten since 1995 

Realities For Children helps with immediate needs and the entire healing process for children and families struggling with domestic violence, sexual and physical abuse, or abandonment. Founded in 1995, Realities For Children is celebrating 25 years of hope and healing in service to children in northern Colorado this year.  

Craig Secher, a Larimer County Child Protection Case Manager, founded Realities For Children after he saw that kids were not receiving all the resources or services they needed. Craig wanted to create an organization that would help make sure no child in need is forgotten.  

Impact today through core services 

While founded in Larimer County, Realities For Children has expanded over time to serve youths in Weld and Boulder counties, as well. The organization offers six core services for the children and partner agencies they help. 

1. Emergency Funding — In 2019 alone, Realities For Children provided emergency funding for 3,458 children in Larimer County. The organization can respond to these needs when all other resources are exhausted or unavailable within 60 minutes of a request. 

2. Youth Activities and Special Programs — In 2019, Realities For Children provided needed items to 4,191 children, along with special youth activities and programs attended by 5,765 children in our community.  

3. Community Awareness — The organization is dedicated to educating our community about the problems of child abuse, the support available to these children through local services and organizations, and the ways individuals in our community can get involved. 

4. Event Sponsorship — Realities For Children helps promote and sponsor their partner agencies’ fundraising events.  This support helped to raise a combined net of $1,516,310 for Partner Agencies and shared their mission and message with over 13,000 attendees. 

5. Facilities Space — The Realities For Children Homebase Facility and Youth activities campus provides an item distribution center, agency hall, child care building, park and playground on a 4-acre campus. This campus is exclusively for the benefit of children in need. It hosted 8,232 children, guardians and partner agency leaders in 2019.  

6. Item Distribution — Managed throughout the year, item distribution is based on specific youth needs requested on a case-by-case basis. The organization provided needed items to 4,191 children in 2019.  

A collaborative approach 

What makes Realities For Children so unique is not only their services but also how they unite our community. They have created a collaborative network of 39 partner agencies, including Larimer County Child Protection, that all work together to provide a continuum of services for children in need. This network has access to the core services of Realities For Children so that virtually every child facing challenges can get the resources and programs they need.  

Along with this network, Realities For Children has built social partnerships that engage local businesses to become members of the organization. These business members collectively cover all the administrative costs of Realities For Children, with 100% of every donor and fundraising dollar received directly benefiting the children served by the organization.  

Elevations Credit Union is proud to be a Realities For Children business member, helping to make every service, activity, program and emergency resource available to at-risk children. We also sponsor fundraising events, our employees volunteer with Realities For Children, and we have a representative on the organization’s Board of Directors. 

Realities For Children has been improving lives in northern Colorado for 25 years through their unique model of community engagement to help children. We are proud to support their work to ensure no child is forgotten.  

You can find out more about Realities For Children and ways to get involved by visiting their website.