Give Back, FoCo Style 🎁 Small Acts, Big Impact
🗳️ How Are You Giving Back in Fort Collins This Holiday Season?
Happy Holidays, FoCo fam,
Ben here. The holidays here aren’t just about lights and treats — they’re also about neighbors helping neighbors. If you’ve been looking for a meaningful way to give back (even for just a couple hours), FoCo makes it surprisingly easy.
Which way of giving back feels most your style right now?
Click an option to vote
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🧡 Where You Can Make a Real Difference
🥕 Food Bank for Larimer County
The backbone of local food support — and always in need of extra hands this time of year. Volunteers help sort, pack, and distribute food across three locations, often in short, flexible shifts.
Impact check: Thousands of volunteer hours each year = meals on tables across Northern Colorado.
🍲 FoCo Cafe
A Fort Collins favorite with a heart. This pay-what-you-can café lets you volunteer in exchange for a meal — or simply pay it forward for someone else. It’s community, literally served warm.
🎄 Holiday Family Support Programs
SERVE 6.8 Adopt-A-Family — Sponsor local families during the holidays with gifts, essentials, and support.
Realities for Children – Santa’s Workshop — Helping kids in crisis experience a brighter holiday season.
🧤 The Salvation Army Fort Collins Corps
From community breakfasts to food pantry and clothing room help, this is hands-on, immediate impact volunteering — perfect if you like seeing results right away.
🌱 Love the Outdoors?
Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed — Protect and restore one of FoCo’s most beloved natural resources through conservation projects and cleanups.
City of Fort Collins Volunteer Programs — From environmental projects to special events, there’s something for every skill set.
🎯 Before You Sign Up
Most shifts are ~2 hours (easy to fit in)
Wear comfy clothes + closed-toe shoes
Spots fill fast during the holidays — earlier is better
If time’s tight, donations still go a long way
What's Happenin' in Fort Collins: Event Listings
Wednesday, December 24
Thursday, December 25
Want more? See the full calendar → Fort Collins Event Calendar
Real Talk ☕
What’s Happenin’ is 100% free and independently run (yep, it’s just us). If this newsletter helps you discover cool things around town, your support helps keep it going and growing. We truly appreciate any and all love. Thank you for being part of the community.
💼 Local Jobs Worth Checking Out
You asked for it — we delivered. In our recent poll, a bunch of you said you’d love a tiny job board in the newsletter, so here it is. We believe great communities connect people to great opportunities.
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Local Happenings
🏈 Fort Collins News: Jack McKeon Named Player of the Year
Fort Collins High School running back Jack McKeon has been named the Coloradoan’s Blue FCU Football Player of the Year after a standout season.
McKeon led all of Colorado in rushing with 2,197 yards and 29 touchdowns, capped by a school-record 371-yard, four-TD playoff game against ThunderRidge. The Lambkins finished 9–3 and won a playoff game behind an offense averaging nearly 40 points per game.
The fan vote was razor-thin, with McKeon edging teammate Mason Bandhauer by just 0.12% — one of the closest finishes in the series’ history.
A season Fort Collins football fans won’t forget.
🍽 Not sure where to eat tonight?
Our Restaurant Finder takes the guesswork out of dining by showing you the best local restaurants based on real reviews and vibes, not just ratings. Whether you’re in the mood for a quick bite or a date-night spot, we’ve got you. No endless scrolling, no decision fatigue...just solid recs.
🧠 Need a brain break?
Play trivia, crosswords, and word searches built just for locals. These games aren’t just fun...they’ll test how well you actually know your city. Great for killing time, learning something new, or proving you’re the true local legend.
☕ Who’s the FoCo Coffee Champ?
Fort Collins takes coffee seriously — like, lab-coat-level seriously. Whether you’re team artisan roast or team “just hit me with caffeine,” it’s time to crown the city’s true bean boss. ☕💥
💛 FoCo, This Is What Community Looks Like
Whether you’re packing food, serving soup, or helping a family feel seen this season — it all matters. Even small acts ripple far in this town.
Know another great way to give back? Forward this to a FoCo friend or hit reply and tell us — we’ll keep sharing the good.
Keep the recs coming, keep voting, and if you’ve got a park, trail, or tiny green space you think belongs on the shortlist, just hit reply. I read every single one.
See you Friday.
— Ben
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