Helping Our People Excel (h.o.p.e.) a non-profit organization, began in 2001, when Carol Bouchard, the Executive Director of Accent on Independence (AOI), a local for-profit home health provider for people with disabilities, noticed a significant need among her clients for an accessible food pantry. With support from the father of an AOI client, Carol began a weekly food share at AOI's office. Volunteers from AOI began providing food to feed between 15 and 30 families per week. Over the next several years, demand for the food share increased among AOI clients and others in the local community. This is when Carol began to pursue establishing a non-profit organization called h.o.p.e. specifically to meet this need.

h.o.p.e. had its founding meeting in March 2007 and was registered as a non-profit organization with the state of Colorado in July 2007. The Center for Independent Living Development (CILD) served as the fiscal agent as h.o.p.e. waited for the IRS tax exemption ruling. h.o.p.e. received the 501c3 IRS tax exempt status on March 11th, 2009 and is now operating as a stand-alone organization.

h.o.p.e.'s core values include accessibility of services, respect for the dignity and independence of clients, quality of food and services, adaptability to the diverse needs of clients, collaboration and resource sharing, and organizational sustainability.