We hand people what they need to get through today.
Rescue Agents started with water bottles and granola bars passed out of the back of a car. We’re building toward shoes, warm jackets, and help staying in the home someone already has — one person, one block, one wire transfer at a time.
Somebody doesn’t need a program. They need a sandwich, a bottle of water, or three hundred dollars before the fifth of the month.
Rescue Agents is built to move fast on small things and, as we grow, on a few big ones — like the difference between staying housed and not.
We started with the basics, on purpose.
No warehouse, no waitlist, no paperwork to get a bottle of water. We show up with what people need most often and hardest to come by mid-day, on foot, downtown and along the creek path.
Water
Boulder sits a mile above sea level and dry most of the year. We carry cases of water to people outdoors all day, especially through summer heat and altitude.
Snacks
Shelf-stable, easy to eat on the move — protein bars, trail mix, fruit cups. Enough calories to get someone through a few more hours.
Shoes
Worn-out shoes are one of the fastest ways someone’s situation gets worse. We’re raising toward a standing stock of new and gently-used shoes in common sizes.
Warm jackets
Front Range winters swing hard once the sun drops behind the foothills. We’re building toward a jacket supply before the cold really sets in.
Every stage depends on the one before it.
We’re not launching everything at once. Each stage gets funded and proven out before we take on the next one — that’s how a two-person operation stays honest about what it can actually deliver.
Water & snacks, on foot
Where we are today. Low overhead, immediate, funded almost entirely by small individual gifts.
UnderwayShoes & warm jackets
A standing stock in common sizes, restocked seasonally, distributed the same low-barrier way as water and snacks.
Next, as funding allowsEmergency meal support
Grocery gift cards and prepared-meal vouchers for people we meet who tell us a meal, not a program, is what would help this week.
PlannedOne-time housing assistance
A reviewed, case-by-case fund to cover a single mortgage or rent payment for a household that’s close but short — the gap between staying housed and not.
Longer-term goalKeeping people in the home they already have.
Handouts on the street solve today. The harder, longer goal is stopping the slide before someone loses housing entirely — because a missed mortgage or rent payment is usually where the real trouble starts.
A meal, no questions asked
For a lot of people, the actual crisis is smaller than it sounds from the outside: no groceries this week. We want to be able to hand over a grocery card or a hot meal on the spot, the same way we hand over water today.
One payment, one time
We’re working toward a fund that can cover a single missed mortgage or rent payment for a household that’s otherwise stable — reviewed case by case, paid directly to the lender or landlord, never to close a permanent gap but to stop a temporary one from becoming permanent.
Some of us have been there. That’s who shows up.
A meaningful number of our volunteers and supporters have their own history with addiction, or work in emergency and behavioral health. That means we’re rarely guessing when someone tells us they’re struggling — and we know the difference between a conversation that helps and a moment that needs a hospital.
Getting someone to real care
When someone is in acute danger — overdose, withdrawal, a mental health crisis — our answer is to get them to a hospital, detox facility, or emergency provider, not to manage it ourselves on the street. We’ll call it in, stay with someone, and help arrange transportation. Professional, medical care comes first, every time.
Support that continues after
Outside of a crisis, volunteers who’ve lived through addiction or recovery themselves offer check-ins, a ride to an appointment, or just someone who won’t flinch at the conversation. It’s steady, low-key presence — not a program with paperwork.
If you or someone nearby is in immediate danger
Rescue Agents volunteers can help someone get to care, but we are not a substitute for emergency services. If there’s any risk to someone’s life right now, use the resources below first — we’ll do everything we can to support from there.
- Life-threatening emergencyCall 911
- Suicide & Crisis LifelineCall or text 988
- SAMHSA National Helpline1-800-662-4357
The foothills of the Rockies, Boulder, Colorado.
We work out of Boulder because it’s where we live — a small city pressed right up against the Flatirons, with the kind of weather swings that make water, shoes, and warm layers matter in a very literal way.
It’s also become the hub we run everything from: a place we can drive out from every day, and a return address for donors anywhere in the world who want their gift to land with a real, specific, local effort instead of disappearing into a large organization.
“This aid agency plays a vital role in our community by providing essential food and comfort items to those living with less, offering immediate relief and dignity to people in need. Their consistent support ensures that vulnerable individuals receive the basic necessities required to navigate daily life with greater stability and hope. “
Every size of gift moves this forward.
We’re a small operation, so a $20 gift and a $20,000 gift both show up immediately in what we’re able to hand someone this week. Choose what fits.
One-Time Gift
- Funds supplies, direct aid, and the people delivering it
- Give once, anytime
Monthly Supporter
- Keeps our supply of water and snacks steady week to week
- Lets us plan ahead instead of reacting
- Cancel anytime, no pressure
Founding Partner
- Underwrites a full stage of our roadmap — shoes, jackets, or meal support
- Direct line to our founders and regular impact reports
- Recognition on this site, if wanted
Give goods, not just cash
New or gently-used shoes, warm coats, and packaged snacks and water are always usable. Reach out before dropping items off so we can make sure we can use and store them.
Volunteer with us
We hand things out in person, which means we’re always looking for a few more people willing to walk a route with us on a weekend morning.
Corporate & foundation gifts
If you’re giving on behalf of a company or foundation, tell us your focus areas and we’ll send a short, specific proposal rather than a generic packet.
Where the money actually goes.
We’re a young, small organization. Here’s what we can tell you plainly right now, and what we’re still building out.
Direct spending
Donations go straight to water, snacks, shoes, jackets, and — as that program grows — meal and housing assistance. That includes fair pay for the people doing the work: office staff keeping things running, and the front-line team out delivering aid and managing operations day to day.
Regular updates
Supporters get a plain-language update on what came in and what went out — no glossy annual report, just an honest accounting.
Nonprofit status
Add your 501(c)(3) determination letter details, EIN, and state registration here once finalized, so donors — especially larger donors and foundations — can verify deductibility.
What people usually ask.
Is Rescue Agents a registered nonprofit?
[Add current status here — for example: “Rescue Agents is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit” or “Rescue Agents is fiscally sponsored by [organization] while we complete our own 501(c)(3) filing.”] Being specific here builds trust fast, especially with larger donors.
How do you decide who gets help?
Water and snacks: no criteria, no forms — if you’re on our route and want some, it’s yours. For shoes, jackets, meals, and eventually housing assistance, we’ll use a short, respectful conversation to understand what’s actually needed, not a bureaucratic intake form.
Can I request housing or mortgage help right now?
Not yet — that part of our work is still in planning and isn’t funded. This page will be updated the moment that program opens, along with exactly how to apply.
I’m not in Boulder. Can I still help?
Yes. Boulder is where we operate, but our donors are everywhere. A gift from across the country or the world funds exactly the same water bottle or pair of shoes as one from down the street.
Do you take in-kind donations of shoes or coats?
We’re building the capacity to, but please reach out first — we want to make sure whatever you send is a size and condition we can actually use, and that we have somewhere to store it.
JOEL C. JOHNSON, Executive Director
joel@rescueagents.org
303.249.0050
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