Since 2008 special fundraising breakfasts have been annual fundraising gatherings for hundreds of supporters of The Place, an emergency shelter for homeless young people in need. It continued July 23.

The nonprofit it benefits had its start in 1998-1999 and was then known as Urban Peak Colorado Springs when area human service nonprofits, Department of Human Services and law enforcement had focused on the need for support for runaways and homeless youth. The shelter became their safe place, no questions asked.

It began under the umbrella of the longtime Urban Peak Denver, adding trained teams for street outreach and drop-in sheltering for the homeless ages 15-24. The local organization became an independent nonprofit, The Place, growing into full continuum of care including housing, education, workforce, and wraparound support and mentoring.

In 2025 The Place opened a 50-unit apartment community, The Launchpad, where those ages 18-24 have mentoring as they learn and earn self-sufficiency and the life skills to escape homelessness.

The emergency shelter part of The Place was discontinued; instead, a Drop-in Center for doing laundry, getting a hot meal and taking baths as well as space to participate in programs.

As the nonprofit evolved over time, so did its major fundraiser. It grew from the 2008 breakfast meeting for early morning coffee and pastries under the sunshine and art murals on the patio at Urban Peak Colorado Springs emergency shelter. Then it expanded into a large party tent with an annual crowd taking over Cucharras Street outside the shelter.

In 2015 800 supporters came for breakfast on decorated tables under the Colorado Avenue bridge, a site chosen beside the trains coming and going where homeless young people routinely curled up for the night. The tradition was born.

COVID year 2020, the fundraising program for what had been dubbed Under the Bridge went online with folks driving past the shelter to pick up breakfast from masked staff.

This summer’s event, what has been renamed Off the Street Breakfast, drew 700 members of the community for a Picnic Basket Catering breakfast where they raised more than $157,000 for the housing and outreach programs for unhoused youth in the region. Picnic Basket owners, their families and staff have provided the breakfasts for many hundreds of people over the years.

“Nobody deserves to live on the streets,” CEO Chris Johnson told guests, explaining that funds raised support the continuum of care that has expanded from eight apartments across the city to more than 110 supportive housing units. There is also support for street outreach and the Drop In Center. Johnson said there is one simple belief: “every young person deserves safety, belonging and the chance to thrive.”

One of the now-housed residents, Christopher, told the crowd the challenges he had faced in the past on the street and showed one of his original paintings honoring the voices of unhoused youth.

Beth Roalstad, Homeward Pikes Peak, and Aimee Cox, City Housing and Homelessness Officer, discussed interventions to break generations of homelessness.

Sponsors of Off the Street were Picnic Basket Catering Collective, Wings Credit Union, Diversus Health, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, El Pomar Foundation and Peak View Behavioral Health.