DIRECTOR’S NOTE AS WE BEGIN 2023, I am humbled and grateful to be welcomed as the executive director here at Denver VOICE. While I am hoping to get to know many of you personally, I am happy to share what led me to this great organization. My whole life, my mission has JAMES KAY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR been to leave this world a little better than I found it. Growing up, I was blessed to be surrounded by some of the greatest humans I’ve ever known. Through any hard times, I had family and the best of friends to help me stay focused on trying to make a difference. Years later, I found this same support from volunteers I was able to work with at the Humane Society of Northwest Georgia. Having these mentors and opportunities to learn, convinced me to pursue nonprofit management and development. Since obtaining my master’s degree, I’ve had the privilege of working for incredibly important and worthy causes including support for victims of domestic violence and anti-trafficking organizations. When the opportunity arose to join Denver VOICE, I felt a surge of that same passion. This unique approach to assisting individuals experiencing housing instability spoke strongly to me. The ability to connect and invest deeper with this community has been the most incredible benefit to this position already. Our vendors are amazing, and I am honored to serve them. Looking forward, I can predict 2023 will be a very big and important year for Denver VOICE. There is an opportunity to grow and help more individuals than ever before. With that, I’m excited to have your support and hope to continue the VOICE’s tradition of giving people low-barrier access to earning a dignified income. Happy New Year! ■ THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS ASHTON BROWN graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a Bachelor of Arts in convergent journalism and a minor in cinema studies. She and her fiance currently live with their two cats in Lakewood. DENVERVOICE.ORG CE.ORG @deeOCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR James Kay CAT EVANS is a Colorado native born and raised in the Baker neighborhood of Denver. She is a musician, poet, photographer, cinematographer, and free thought enthusiast. She is focused on translatable activism through visuals and sound. MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan PROGRAM COORDINATOR Connie Gaitan GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Bragg GRACE THORBURN is a journalism student at the University of Colorado Boulder. She hopes that her writing will make a difference in the community by covering social justice issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, homelessness, and racial equity. VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Aaron Sullivan Laura Wing ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Breez Cat Evans Gigi Galen WRITERS Brian Augustine Ashton Brown Rea Brown Cat Evans WHAT WE DO The Denver VOICE empowers homeless, impoverished, and transient individuals by creating job opportunities through our vendor program. We give our vendors a job and help them tell their stories; this creates a space for them to be part of a community again. Vendors purchase copies of the VOICE for 50 cents each at our distribution center. This money pays for a portion of our production costs. Vendors can buy as many papers as they want; they then sell those papers to the public for a suggested $2 donation. The difference in cost ($1.50) is theirs to keep. WHO WE ARE The Denver VOICE is a nonprofit that publishes a monthly street newspaper. Our vendors are men and women in the Denver metro area experiencing homelessness and poverty. Since 2007, we have put more than 4,600 vendors to work. Our mission is to facilitate a dialogue addressing the roots of homelessness by telling stories of people whose lives are impacted by poverty and homelessness and to offer economic, educational, and empowerment opportunities for the impoverished community. We are an award-winning publication, a member of the International Network of Street Papers and the Colorado Press Association, and we abide by the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics. Raelene Johnson Jason Martin Larmarques “Misha” Smith Leonard Smith Grace Thorburn BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nikki Lawson, President Chris Boulanger, Vice President Jeff Cuneo, Treasurer Zephyr Wilkins, Secretary Donovan Cordova Raelene Johnson Julia Watson Cabal Yarne EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT editor@denvervoice.org VENDOR PROGRAM program@denvervoice.org • (720) 320-2155 ADVERTISING ads@denvervoice.org MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 1931, Denver CO 80201 VENDOR OFFICE 989 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204 With the money they make selling the VOICE, vendors are able to pay for their basic needs. Our program provides vendors with an immediate income and a support group of dedicated staff members and volunteers. Vendors are independent contractors who receive no base pay. OFFICE HOURS: Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. Orientation is held every day we are open, but prospective vendors must arrive by 10:00 a.m. 2 DENVER VOICE January 2023 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US
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