Jobs & Income Ideas

County workforce centers that help with resumes, job search, training programs and sometimes paid work experience. They know people come in with gaps in work history, criminal records, or no recent experience.

Good for: Getting a basic plan, access to computers, job leads and sometimes vouchers for training or bus passes (depending on funding).

Workforce Boulder County – official site

A “work + housing” program that mixes transitional housing, case management and paid work through Community Table Kitchen and outdoor crews.

Good for: People who are ready to commit to a structured program, get out of shelters and build a work history again.

Trade-offs: Rules, expectations and a schedule. Not a drop-in job – more like a program you sign up for.

Ready to Work program info

Goodwill runs free career centers that help people build resumes, search for jobs, practice interviews and sometimes connect to certification or training programs.

Good for: If you can get to a Goodwill store or career center and need basic job-search help or some coaching.

Goodwill job seeker services

Colorado’s official job-search site used by Workforce Centers and many employers.

Good for: Searching by city (Boulder, Longmont, Denver) and filtering by part-time, full-time, etc.

Open Connecting Colorado

Concerts, games and festivals around Denver/Boulder use staffing companies to hire bartenders, concessions, ushers, security and clean-up crews.

Good for: People who can work long shifts on their feet and deal with noise and crowds. Can be decent money in bursts.

Watch out for: Late nights (curfew risk), long bus rides, and needing non-slip shoes or black clothes. Missing one shift can sometimes get you dropped.

Look for event staffing gigs on:

• Craigslist “Gigs” (Denver/Boulder)
• Staffing companies that mention stadiums, festivals or “event staff”

Apps and day-labor agencies that connect you with one-day or short-term jobs – moving, cleanup, basic labor, kitchen backing, etc.

Good for: Cash flow when your schedule is unpredictable. Some pay same-day or very quickly.

Watch out for: Needing a smartphone, sometimes needing direct deposit or a debit card, rides to jobs that are far from bus lines.

National examples (availability and locations change):

• GigSmart
• LaborMAX
• PeopleReady

Moving help, yard work, cleaning, hauling, odd jobs – these can come from Craigslist, flyers at laundromats and libraries, or other people at shelters.

Good for: People who are strong, handy, or willing to do physical work.

Watch out for: People trying to underpay you or not pay at all. Agree on money and time up front. Trust your gut.

Craigslist Denver/Boulder “Gigs” page

Buying low and selling higher on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp or at flea markets. This can be clothes, small electronics, collectibles, or free stuff you clean up and re-sell.

Good for: People who already have an eye for value and patience to meet buyers.

Watch out for: Needing a safe place to store items, no-shows, and not meeting strangers alone in sketchy places.

When you have library Wi-Fi and some focus, there are small online tasks – surveys, basic copywriting, simple design, testing websites – that can bring in a little money.

Real talk: Most pay very little. It’s more of a “top off” to other income, not a full survival plan.

If you cut hair, fix bikes, do basic phone/computer help, sew clothes, do art or music – you can sometimes turn that into small cash gigs.

Examples: haircuts in the park for cheap, bike tune-ups, setting up phones for people, simple websites for local shops, busking (where legal).