Gilmore is proud to support Bud’s Warehouse, Denver’s Home Improvement Thrift Store selling many donated building items and is also host to a not-for-profit job training program for its employees.
In 1995, Bud’s created the Belay Enterprises, a group of Denver-area business owners, builders, pastors and community leaders to create a combination home-improvement thrift store and job-training/employment program for the disadvantaged. Bud’s stands for Building Unity and Dignity through Service.
“The stated mission of Belay Enterprises is to ‘partner with area churches to develop businesses to employ and job-train individuals rebuilding lives from addiction, homelessness, prison, and/or poverty, to strengthen families and neighborhoods.'”
Since 1995, Bud’s has been able to launch the following services and programs:
- “Baby Bud’s – Founded in 2002 to employ low-income single mothers who are re-building their lives from issues including addiction, incarceration, domestic violence and homelessness, through the Baby Bud’s thrift store and a janitorial services division, Freedom Cleaning Services, launched in 2005.
- The Good Neighbor Garage, launched in 2003 under the Belay Enterprises umbrella to repair donated cars, thus providing affordable transportation to low-income clients, as a way to increase their employability. In October 2006, in accordance with its founding vision, GNG became an independent 501(c)(3) organization and now operates as a valued partner to Belay.
- The Ascent Venture Fund, founded in 2003 to provide low-interest micro-loans for community-based businesses that create jobs in their neighborhoods. After assisting a few projects, we saw the need for a more intentional effort to assist small business start-ups. We are therefore reorganizing the Ascent Venture Fund, recruiting experienced business leaders from the community, who will work with Belay to identify, launch and provide mentor support of promising new ventures.”