Sharing Hope & Life Through Fly Fishing
Tucked into a side street in old town Littleton, Colorado, and just a quarter-mile from the trout-rich waters of the South Platte River, sits an unassuming small blue bungalow that is the GraceFull Community Café. While not what most anglers would think of as an enclave of fly fishers, GraceFull Community Café is home to some of the most unlikely anglers you will meet and has been the point of contact and place of new relationships for the ever-growing Ascent Fly Fishing family.
For many of us, we find life on the water: we experience healing as the river washes away the day’s stress, and hope is renewed with each cast. For the last three years, GraceFull has been sharing life and hope in a different and profound way. As a nonprofit cafe and gathering spot, GraceFull welcomes everyone in the community, offering one free meal per day to any guest who cannot afford one, while those who can afford their meal can pay it forward to help cover the cost of gifted meals.
The Fly Fishing Connection
It was two years ago this fall that Jessica and I first met Antonio and Dominick, two Littleton youth living under a bridge next to the South Platte and taking advantage of the warmth, welcome, and good food offered at GraceFull. In sitting with these boys and learning about their lives and those of the homeless community, we became keenly aware that if life cast us a different lot or with a couple of hard knocks, either of us could be on the street, so we offered the boys a job packing fly boxes at Ascent. Over the last two years, different youth have joined us at Ascent where they have been celebrated and encouraged by you, our awesome community, some have relapsed or returned to the street, but most have used this opportunity as a stepping stone off the street and into housing and full-time employment. While not your typical fly fishers, each of these youth will proudly loft the fly fishing flag and proudly share about the work they do and the community that has embraced them so warmly. These relationships might never have happened and our fly fishing family would have been that much poorer were it not for the good work and safe place that is the GraceFull Community Café.
Antonio (pictured above, on the right) has been with Ascent on and off for 2 years and is just wrapping up a 3 month internship at GraceFull. We're traversed a number of ups and downs together and we are thrilled to share that Antonio is now has housing and is working 30 hours a week between two jobs! This photo was taken with his buddy Josh on a recent road trip to see Mount Rushmore and go camping in the park! We couldn't be more proud of Antonio for owning his life or more grateful to you, our community, for how you have cheered him and the other boys on via social and email!
Join Ascent in Sharing the Hope of Fly Fishing November 15th
On November 15th Ascent Fly Fishing will be partnering with GraceFull Community Café to cover the cost of the 50-60 Grace in Action meals (free meals gifted to the homeless) that day, and we invite you to join us and serve.
We need a total of 8 people (4 for a 1st shift from 8am – 12 noon, and 4 for a 2nd shift from 11am - 2pm) to help us with serve the guests on November 15th.
For a couple of hours, volunteers will fill the roles of:
● Food Runner & Busser: Deliver meals to guests
● Food Prep: Help prepare and maintain food for menu throughout the day
● Dishwasher: Wash and put away all guest and prep dishes throughout the day
Jessica and I will be here for the entire day and we invite you to join us in encouraging the youth who are working with Ascent and to help give hope that the trials of today don’t have to be the trials of tomorrow.
If you would like to volunteer for a shift please sign up by CLICKING HERE.
Can’t Join Us November 15th? You Can Still Help!
We know that volunteer positions will fill up quickly, but we hope that if you are in the Colorado Front Range, you’ll still swing by GraceFull on the 15th and grab breakfast or lunch (CLICK HERE for directions to the café, 5610 S Curtice St, Littleton, CO 80120). We hope that you will make Gracefull Community Cafe a normal part of your rhythm whether you are looking for a place for a morning meeting or if you are looking for a bite for lunch. If you can’t get away from work or if the call of the trout is too strong to break free from the river, we get it! You can still join Ascent in support of this fledgling fly fishing community and the GraceFull Community Café.
CLICK HERE or on the map above for directions to GraceFull Cafe.
Donate Online & Show Your Support
We encourage you to drop a couple of flies out of your next Ascent order and donate that money to GraceFull instead.
The GraceFull Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible and are used to support foundation programs which include:
- Grace In Action – funds the cost of meals provided to guests at GraceFull Cafe who are unable to pay full price for their meal.
- Community Meals – strengthens the Littleton community by providing an opportunity for people to gather, share a meal and make new connections in their neighborhood.
- Future community development opportunities such as classes that focus on health and nutrition.
To make a donation electronically, you can CLICK HERE on the secure link below.
To make a donation by check, make it out to GraceFull Foundation and mail it to:
GraceFull Foundation
5610 S. Curtis St.
Littleton, CO 80122
If you make a donation, please let them know you are a part of the Ascent Fly Fishing community!
It’s More than Just Catching Fish, It’s About Community
As a company, the team at Ascent Fly Fishing is passionate about getting you on fish, helping you become a better angler, and making the river a place of belonging and community. The community spans the globe, encompasses both warm water and cold water anglers, men and women, rich and poor, brand new anglers and seasoned veterans. Regardless of where you live, how you fish, who you are, or how long you have been fishing, you are always welcome to fish with us and we are honored that you are part of the Ascent Fly Fishing family!
We hope that you can join us in supporting Gracefull Community Café on November 15th!
