Shop Local, Round Up, Create Change

Downtown businesses invite customers to support local this Fall 

In its third year, All for Fall is a month-long promotional campaign running through October 31.  All month, the eighteen participating businesses invite customers to ‘round up’ their purchases to the nearest dollar to support four local nonprofit organizations.  The promotion was started by the Downtown Development Authority in 2020.

Participating businesses include: Akinz, Alpine Arts – The Colorado Showcase, Bloom Floral Boutique, Clothes Pony & Dandelion Toys, Dandelions & Rust, Downtown Ace Hardware, EsScentuals, FoCo Cafe, Fort Collins Tours, LLC, Hearne’s Footwear and Clothing, Juszak Realty, Kansas City Kitty, Old Firehouse Books, Peacock’s Perch, Pinot’s Palette, Rocky Mountain Olive Oil, Stuft Burger Bar, and Wagz Pet Market and Grooming.

The promotion has raised over $16,000 and there is excitement about what will be raised this year.  Donation totals are split evenly between four local nonprofit recipients. The participating businesses selected the following recipients for this year’s promotion: Animal Friends Alliance, FoCo Cafe, Food Bank for Larimer County, and Sexual Assault Victim Advocate (SAVA) Center.

“We are so excited to be a part of the All for Fall promotion once again.  We have the most remarkable partners and are grateful they have chosen us to be a recipient of this amazing event.  For many, the pandemic exacerbated the issues and challenges that people facing hunger were already experiencing.  Add to that rising food costs, gas prices, and inflation, and it becomes exceedingly difficult to stretch your dollars.  We believe that food shouldn’t be an impossible choice so again, we are so thankful to everyone who is coming together to be part of the solution and feed our community,” said Food Bank Chief Development Officer, Heather Buoncinonti.

Animal Friends Alliance, a new All for Fall recipient, expressed the impact this would have on their organization, “ With the support of donors we are able to help animals like Cocoa Puffs,” said Becca Averitte with Animal Friends Alliance.  “Cocoa Puffs was a stray living in a trailer park before he came to Animal Friends Alliance.  During his time living there, he developed a terrible ear infection that caused long-term damage to his ear drum.  This caused him to have a permanent head tilt.  We got him all cleaned up and healthy, but he was still fearful around humans.  With a little patience and love he was able to find his home!”

Animal Friends Alliance

Animal Friends Alliance emerged in January 2020 from the union of Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic and Animal House Rescue & Grooming.  The two joined forces to amplify the organization’s community impact and allow programs and services to benefit more people and animals.  Animal Friends Alliance is a “limited admission, adoption guarantee shelter” for cats and dogs.  They limit how many animals they take in due to space and financial restrictions, but guarantee that every animal they take in will stay with them until they find a good home.  They provide subsidized spay and neuter for both dogs and cats, and provide preventative health care.

FoCo Cafe

FoCo Cafe’s mission is to build community by providing nutritious and delicious meals to the people of Fort Collins regardless of their ability to pay while using mostly local, organic, and sustainably grown ingredients.  FoCo Cafe is the first nonprofit restaurant in Fort Collins.  Cafe patrons set the price for cafe cuisine in this pay-what-you-can setting.  It is the intent of the FoCo Cafe to build a healthy community and have built their concept on the following values: every human innately has dignity and should be treated as such; every duty, volunteer or otherwise, has value; participating in a community nourishes the soul; everyone deserves to eat nutritional food; all people need a hand-up at some point(s) in their lives.

Food Bank for Larimer County

The Food Bank for Larimer County believes no one should be hungry. Their dream is to deliver health, hope, and humanity to stabilize the lives of our clients and build a vibrant community. The Food Bank is a private non-profit organization and the only Feeding America clearinghouse for donated food in our county. Each year, they provide food to an estimated 37,500 people in need through community partnerships and hunger-relief programs.

Sexual Assault Victim Advocate (SAVA) Center

The SAVA Center provides crisis intervention, advocacy, and counseling for all those affected by sexual violence in Northern Colorado while also offering prevention programs through community outreach and education.  They envision a culture change that results in the end of sexual violence.

Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority

Created in 1981, the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority uses tax increment financing to stimulate redevelopment in the central business district and focuses on projects that have benefits for the entire community.  In 2020, the DDA developed a Business Marketing Communications Program; this program continues and evolves traditional promotions that add vibrancy and vitality to the Downtown district.