Broomfield: A community focused on getting better

https://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/2022/05/22/broomfield-a-community-focused-on-getting-better/

Ask any resident and you’ll likely get the same answer — for a city that has seen exponential growth throughout the past few decades, Broomfield undoubtedly still has that small-town feel, that whether you moved here recently or have been here your entire life, you still cherish.

A community that is focused on the betterment of all, from asking how your neighbor is doing and helping shovel their driveway in a snowstorm to building one of the largest nonprofits in the city right out of your garage, Broomfield is full of residents who care.

After seeing an overwhelming need right in the area she was living for children living under the Colorado Self-Sufficiency Standard, she started collecting donations from friends and neighbors right out of her garage. In her first year, Martin helped 51 children. That number grew to 48,000 in 2021 and 6,000 caregivers.

“This started because I asked neighbors for help,” Martin said. “I received so much help from my neighbors in the beginning. A Precious Child wouldn’t exist or have the impact that it does today without the Broomfield community. It’s a community people want to be involved in, and that makes it what it is."

“Broomfield is great about rallying around a common goal of service to others. I think it is a really special place. The reason there are so many strong nonprofits in this community is because the community supports us and believes in doing good and getting behind people who are struggling.”

Martin named multiple examples of the community coming together in times of need, but most recently would be when they put out a call for needed items after the Marshall Fire. There was a mile long line waiting to get to A Precious Child with donations without any hesitation.

“What makes a good neighbor is being someone who shows kindness and respect for not only commonalities, but differences and embrace those differences,” Martin said. “That’s when we grow as a community. People here believe in doing good and are willing to step up when it’s needed.”

Empowering tomorrow’s leaders

As a nonprofit focused on helping children, Martin also spoke of the importance of focusing on empowering youth and building leaders within a community, and Broomfield does just that. Principal of Broomfield High School Ginger Ramsey is a big part of that aspect within the community. Ramsey has been principal at BHS for more than 21 years, and she said it’s because Broomfield is unique.

“Broomfield is so special,” Ramsey said. “I have so many staff members who grew up here and chose to return to teach here, which I think says a lot about the community. Not only is the school great, but we have so much support from the community, even from the city and county. I feel so lucky that I get to come to work everyday.

“I couldn’t tell you why, but it still feels like a small town to me. People take the time to stop and listen to each other here, which is so important when we live in such a fast-paced environment today.”

Also working with Broomfield’s future leaders is Kiera Ramazauskas, who has been a school resource officer for more than two years.

While Ramazauskas’ main job is school safety, SROs wear many hats acting as a mentor and “informal counselor” sometimes, she said.

“We get to build rapport with the kids, and it reminds me that we are someone’s hero,” Ramazauskas said. “I’m constantly reminded that someone looks up to me.”

Although she doesn’t live here currently, working for the Broomfield Police Department as an SRO and spending lots of time in the city, she sees how tight-knit of a community Broomfield is.

“Even though Broomfield has grown so much since I’ve been working here, it still has that little big-town feel,” Ramazauskas said. “You really feel the community anywhere you go. People are sociable and involved in the community, just really engaged.”

Broomfield has an overwhelming amount of community involvement through volunteering at local nonprofits, organizations at the police department, and through events and opportunities across the city.

Getting involved

Jen Gornstein has lived in Broomfield for about four years, and after growing up volunteering in her community she knew she wanted to get involved somehow. She is currently volunteering through a home services program with the Broomfield Library, where she brings books out to seniors in Broomfield at assisted living facilities.

“Broomfield has so many volunteer opportunities, they make it so easy to volunteer and find something that fits into my schedule,” Gornstein said. “The program I’m in matched me to seniors in the area to allow them access to more books than they would normally have in the assisted living facilities. Book lovers tend to be open-minded, and it’s so great to be able to connect over stories and build bridges with people who may have different experiences and values as you.”

Gornstein shared how adaptable the volunteer program was during the pandemic. They worked very hard to redesign the program to allow it to keep going by visiting seniors throughout Broomfield with contactless delivery.

“It was great to be able to expand what we did during the pandemic,” Gornstein said. “Although a big percentage of this program is just spending time with the seniors, it was great to still be able to provide this service and continue volunteering.”

Gornstein, who spoke about her experience buying her first home in Broomfield and being welcomed by the previous owners and neighbors, said she is sure that she wants to stay in Broomfield.

“We are slowly outgrowing our house and will be buying another soon, and we want to stay in Broomfield for sure,” Gornstein said. “We’ve formed such great relationships, and it’s such a strong community. In a world where technology and COVID has allowed us to live where we want versus where our job is, it’s driving this experience of more people moving away from the town they grew up in. We are now able to build our family within our community even if we aren’t related.”

Gornstein said she hopes to continue investing in Broomfield and building her family here.

“I think being a good neighbor is kind of like the idea of ‘leave no trace’ when you go into the woods,” Gornstein said. “It’s about leaving your community a little better than how you found it.”

Gornstein is about to begin a new chapter in her career that will allow her to continue her love of service. She will be joining a company that teaches nonprofits how to use and accept crypto currency and NFTs for fundraising.

Providing a sense of normalcy

Two volunteers for the BPD Victim Services Department, Elizabeth Upton and Sue Hardgrove, have seen some of the most unimaginable moments in someone’s life. As victim advocates, Hardgrove and Upton are called out at any hour of the day to help bring some sense of normalcy to a victim on scene of a crime or serious situation, such as a house fire. They both have worked on larger events, like the 2021 Table Mesa King Soopers shooting in Boulder.

“Service has always been very important to me,” said Upton, who has been a victim advocate for about four years. “We help victims not only of crime, but any circumstances like fires, death of family members. We work really closely with most of the Broomfield nonprofit organizations to provide any resources the victims need.”

Hardgrove has been a victim advocate for more than 15 years and has lived in Broomfield for a large majority of her life. According to the women, Broomfield’s Victim Services Department has an incredible number of volunteers compared to other departments in the state and country.

“Broomfield has a great volunteer program for victim services,” Hardgrove said. “We have about 18 volunteers, along with the three paid advocates, which is more than most other volunteer departments have. Working with Broomfield officers and staff is great because you can really tell they care about the community and the people in it.”

Though this type of volunteer work can be extremely difficult and be left without closure in most situations, the advocates said it is extremely humbling and rewarding work, especially in a community like Broomfield.

“This community is always so willing to help one another, it really helps keep me going in this,” Upton said. “Being selfless and being there for others in their times of need is what makes a good neighbor. Having other people feel like they can call on you because things happen when you least expect it.”

Helping one’s neighbors

Neighbors helping neighbors is a common theme in Broomfield, especially at one of Broomfield’s largest nonprofit organizations, FISH. Dayna Scott, executive director at FISH, said that motto is something her and the staff at FISH live by.

“At any point you might be the person who needs help,” Scott said. “Having a community that has such a strong safety net and sense of neighbors helping neighbors. All the nonprofits are so collaborative here and that is not something you see everywhere.”

Scott has lived in Broomfield since 2009 and saw her community come together during the COVID-19 pandemic, even if that meant setting up lawn chairs in the cul-de-sac, socially distancing and catching up on each other’s lives.

Her and the FISH team, as a food bank whose demand increased exponentially during the pandemic, had to change operations almost overnight.

“We had people calling and checking what they could do because they knew we would need the help,” Scott said. “City officials were coming out to help where needed, and we just had an incredible outpouring of support and generosity. We even had some community members donate their whole stimulus payments to us. It was amazing.”

Many residents of Broomfield who were around or have seen the transition of Broomfield becoming a city and county operation will say the decision was very meaningful in making Broomfield the community it is today, and Scott believes the decision was very intentional.

“Broomfield wanted the whole community to have a singular identity,” Scott said. “Broomfield is so special because (residents) never lose sight of being all in this together.”

As a community with so many pillars and key individuals who want to see the community thrive and grow to the best that it can be, community and togetherness are at the heart of almost everything the community does. Broomfield is steadily growing into a community that residents will continue to invest in. Even after the pandemic, an event that has shifted how many communities operate, Broomfield has stayed steady in its mission to continue providing residents with that small-town experience that makes Broomfield so special to the people who live here.