Building Hope was launched in 2016, after a rash of  local suicides in Summit County.  Among those was Patti Casey, a long-time and beloved Breckenridge resident with deep roots in the community.  To honor her, Patti’s family created the Patti Casey Memorial Fund to provide the initial support for the Building Hope Initiative to honor Patti’s incredible spirit and kindness, and work to prevent the loss of others.  Initially spearheaded by the organization’s first staff and director, Betsy Casey; community organizer, Gini Bradley and The Summit Foundation, as well as the FIRC (Family and Intercultural Resource Center). 

Building Hope has grown tremendously over the last several years and now includes support from Summit County Government, many local agencies and thousands of local residents. 

With the support of the Casey Family, Gini Bradley, a skilled community organizer and The Summit Foundation, a series of large stakeholder meetings were convened to launch this important community effort. 

Almost seven years later, the effort now includes support from over 25 local agencies, foundations, city and county governments, and hundreds of local residents.