COMMUNITY PROFILE CREDIT: PAULA BARD DOING MY BEST TO TRY TO FIND THEM BY PAULA BARD SCOUTING OUT MARGINAL SOULS living on Denver’s streets, Dale Sawin wends his way through Confluence Park, downtown Denver, and then catches the edges of the RINO district. One of his gloved hands firmly grasps the handle of his wagon train. It’s cold. He devotes hours to making sandwiches and shoring up his wagons before he heads out on Saturday afternoons, often trudging late into the evening. From his wagon train, called “Atheist Alley,” he hands out sandwiches, jackets, water, socks, and sometimes, cans of beer, to folks living on the streets. He has been doing this for seven years. He went out once a week until last summer, then backed off to just once a month. for now. Sometimes, he brings his kids, but mostly this is his personal project. He collects donations from friends, coworkers, and local businesses. “For the most part I buy the food myself,” Sawin explained. “Sometimes, families will call me up and say they’d like to make the sandwiches. But mainly, I get a lot of donations, like socks, toiletries. Last year the Fallen Owl [tattoo parlor] on West Colfax, did a huge donation and asked everybody on their mailing list to donate. They filled up my truck with their donations. Sometimes, my work [at Jeffco Open Space] gets together donations; they all know what I do.” His mission has evolved. “The first year I didn’t really tell anybody, but these days, lots of people donate. I thank everybody. Otherwise, I couldn’t afford this. I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars doing this. But you know what? I’m not starving, and my kids aren’t starving. And the mortgage is paid, so why not try to give a little bit?” CREDIT: PAULA BARD 8 DENVER VOICE January 2021 CREDIT: PAULA BARD
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