Local pickleball tournament helping young people escape poverty
Bradley Davis
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The non-profit “We Fortify” is hosting its second annual “Serve to Serve” Pickleball tournament Saturday at 8 a.m. to raise money for its tiny home build for young people and teachers.
We Fortify has one completed tiny home community in downtown Colorado Springs with 18 residents, all between the ages of 18 and 25. The organization fully furnishes each home and charges tenants $600 a month for rent. Instead of traditional leases, tenants enter into a two-year program, which includes the home and mentorship help.
“They stay there for two years and get empowerment plans, life skills and all of that programming. We call it our secret sauce,” said We Fortify Operations Strategist Claire Franco.
At the end of the two-year commitment, tenants get to keep all the furniture for free, besides the refrigerator, washer and dryer.
We Fortify said it secured a grant of over $400,000 from Governor Jared Polis to build a second community for 18 to 25-year-olds. It said it is also working on two new developments for teachers in Harrison School District 2. The first one will be one-bedroom units in a neighborhood near the school district for $815 a month. The second will be family homes with multiple bedrooms.
We Fortify said all tournament profits will go back into funding the three new development projects.
The tournament registration is full, but We Fortify said everyone is welcome to come out and cheer and support at Peak Pickleball on Saturday. You can find more information on its future fundraising events here.