The Outreach United Resource Center (OUR Center), a community-based nonprofit in Longmont, is set to expand its programs by repurposing its Community Closet, which was once a vital resource for clothing assistance. The move aims to better meet the evolving needs of local families facing economic challenges or food insecurity. The organization will transform the space to provide expanded childcare, increased food distribution capacity, and additional classroom space for internal and community-partnered programs.
Founded in 1986, OUR Center provides essential support to individuals and families through food assistance, financial aid, classes, referrals, and other resources. The nonprofit also operates the Aspen Center for Child Development, which offers early childhood education and childcare services, particularly for parents who cannot afford market-rate daycare.
The decision to reconstruct the Community Closet comes as the nonprofit continues to adapt to changing community needs and funding availability. The closet has seen a significant decline in use, with daily participation dropping by 86 percent from 2004 to 2024. Currently, only about six families utilize its services daily.
“Our Closet visits have been steadily decreasing over the years to usage of only about six people per day,” a spokesperson for the organization said. “Additionally, there are multiple other sources for people to get clothing, and we are working with our community partners to make sure needs are met.”
Executive Director Marc Cowell said the changes reflect a broader effort to align programs with current community needs. “The OUR Center is actively making strategic programmatic adjustments to better fulfill our mission and respond to the rapidly evolving needs of our community,” Cowell said. “As part of this effort, we have conducted a thorough evaluation of our space to ensure we are utilizing our footprint in the most effective way to serve those who rely on our support.”
By reallocating space within its facility, OUR Center hopes to enhance its capacity for food distribution, create a flexible multi-use area for classes and partner meetings, and expand its childcare space within the Family Resource Center.
“This change will, first of all, allow us to expand our Community Market (Grocery Program), which is a growing and daily need,” the spokesperson added. “As a Family Resource Center, one of the principles of our work is to provide wrap-around, holistic services to families and individuals working on self-sufficiency. This space will also allow us to expand our programs and classes to help meet our mission, in conjunction with many other service providers.”
Expanded childcare is also part of the plan. “We also plan to expand our childcare space in our Family Resource Center for those participants taking classes and getting support,” the spokesperson said.
Cowell emphasized that the organization’s long-term focus remains on helping families build stability. “These changes will provide us with greater flexibility to better fulfill our mission,” he said.
A member of OUR Center’s leadership team added, “The key to this is education. This change allows us to build upon and expand our services and programs to participants in keeping with our mission.”
As part of the transition, OUR Center will refer donors and families in need of clothing assistance to other community partners that provide similar services.
