$ 2 SUGGESTED DONATION @DenverVOICE Addiction & Recovery In Denver LIVED EXPERIENCE FUELS COMPASSIONATE RECOVERY CENTER. PAGE 6 Remembering PATRICK BALERIO Page 4 GUARANTEED INCOME FOR NEW MOMS WHO ARE FINANCIALLY UNSTABLE NEW MOTHERS, 18 YEARS AND OLDER, COULD QUALIFY FOR GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM IN COLORADO. PAGE 5 WOMEN-LED ACTIVISTS CALL FOR FUNDING SOURCES WOMEN AT COP28 CLIMATE CONFERENCE ADDRESS NEED FOR NECESSARY FUNDING IN RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. PAGE 12 VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY PAGES 3, 4, 10, 11 EVENTS / PUZZLES PAGE 13 RESOURCES PAGE 15 JANUARY 2024 | Vol.29 Issue 1 SINCE 1997, WE HAVE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO WORK. DONATE TODAY TO ENSURE OUR VENDORS CONTINUE TO HAVE JOBS. (DENVERVOICE.ORG) FROM YOUR VENDOR: CREDIT: GILES CLASEN
EDITOR’S NOTE IF YOU’RE READING THIS, it means you survived 2023. The way we survive varies from one person to the next, but to make it past any challenge, we all need an abundance of selfconfidence, mental and physical fortitude, and most of all, faith in a higher power. In this issue of the Denver ELISABETH MONAGHAN MANAGING EDITOR VOICE, you’ll read about Patrick Balerio, a Denver VOICE vendor, who died in November 2023. It may seem contradictory to talk about death when I’m hoping to make a point about survival, but the memories of Patrick’s contributions as a vendor and the love he shared with his friends and family will live on, bringing at least some comfort to everyone whose lives he touched. On page 10 of this issue, Denver VOICE vendors Steve Anson and Rea Brown each commemorate the one-year anniversary of Brian Augustine’s death. Rea’s piece is the final installation of Back on the Streets. This was the column Brian started writing when he discovered he could no longer afford his rent. In both Steve and Rea’s tributes, they mention the challenges that they’ve either encountered or witnessed others deal with when it comes to surviving housing instability. Also in this issue, you’ll see that Raelene Johnson, who usually writes “Self-Talk” poems for our In Your Own Words section, has written about her recent cancer diagnosis and the steps she is taking mentally and physically to overcome her self-doubt and survive radiation, chemotherapy and regular checkups that are part of her treatment. No one knows what’s in store for 2024. No doubt, there will be difficult days ahead, but during the darkest moments, it may help to remember the wisdom of Denver VOICE vendors. The way vendors have overcome so many challenges and continue to muster the confidence, inner strength, and faith in a power greater than themselves is the perfect inspiration for surviving the worst. ■ DENVERVOICE.ORG E.ORG @deeOCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR James Kay MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan PROGRAM COORDINATOR Connie Gaitan THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS GILES CLASEN is a freelance photojournalist who regularly contributes his work to the VOICE for editorial projects, fundraisers, and events. He has also served on the VOICE’s Board of Directors. ROBERT DAVIS is an award-winning freelance reporter for the Denver VOICE. His work has also appeared in Colorado Newsline, Business Insider, Westword, the Colorado Sun, and Medium.com. 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. GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Bragg VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Lanie Lee Cook Aaron Sullivan ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Giles Clasen Gigi Galen WRITERS Lando Allen Steve Anson Rea Brown Giles Clasen Robert Davis Connie Gaitan Raelene Johnson Jason Martin Jerry Rosen Larmarques Smith Alyssa Will BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nikki Lawson, President Chris Boulanger, Vice President Jeff Cuneo, Treasurer Zephyr Wilkins, Secretary Michael Burkley Cassandria Carmouche Antonio Diaz Julia Watson Cabal Yarne 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. 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 OFFICE HOURS: Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Orientation is held every day we are open, but prospective vendors must arrive by 10:00 a.m. 2 DENVER VOICE January 2024 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US
ASK A VENDOR THIS COLUMN IS A PLACE FOR DENVER VOICE VENDORS TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS FROM OUR READERS AND STAFF. THIS MONTH’S QUESTION WAS SUGGESTED BY DENVER VOICE VENDOR JASON MARTIN. Q A What is your most memorable moment of 2023? LANDO ALLEN The most memorable thing that happened to me was the illness that put me in the hospital. It made me think about everything I was doing. I felt helpless and I needed help to get things done. I couldn’t even sell the VOICE. I’m glad I got better. That illness showed me that I need to work harder, push for my goals, and get better. It showed me that I [need] to do more stuff. CONNIE GAITAN (DENVER VOICE PROGRAM COORDINATOR) The most memorable moment in the year 2023 for me was the day my great nephew Cyore Smith was born. I had been waiting & anticipating all night and day to finally meet and hold my precious boy. When I walked into the hospital room to greet my family, the nurse walked in with Cyore, and I cried. Writing this now, I get emotional thinking of all the worry I had for my baby boy to be healthy and strong - and then, there he was in my arms. He just melted my entire heart, and I knew at that moment he was going to be the most precious little “Sir Squishams” in my life and that I would do anything for him! JASON MARTIN My most memorable moment without a doubt is that on August 3rd, Ivy Jade Vincent was born into the Martin Family. She also looks identical to my daughter Meghan. This gives me more motivation to do the right thing and be a loving, knowledgeable grandfather to this wonderful child. JERRY ROSEN The most memorable moment was selling the Denver VOICE paper. I really enjoy working with the VOICE. LARMARQUES SMITH (“MISHA”) It was a very hot uneventful Saturday afternoon. Jason and I had just left the Aurora Day Resource Center and decided to go on a walk. This was not out of the ordinary for us. We were walking down Colfax Avenue when something caught our eye. I found a pack of cigarettes, but Jason found what would make our day… more than $800 cash on the side of the road. There was no one around, so we got to keep the money, free and clear. Needless to say, we used that money to improve our situation. Also, we each got new phones! ALYSSA WILL My most memorable moments of 2023 was seeing all of the beautiful parts of Denver for the first time, like Washington Park (which was my favorite), the river, the trails, and now, the Christmas lights! HOW TO HELP The money we take in from vendors helps us cover a portion of our printing costs, but we depend largely on donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations to help us pay our rent and keep the lights on. 1 4 GET THE WORD OUT We rely on grassroots marketing to get the word out about what we do. Talk to people about our organization and share us with your network. Support us on DONATE Donations to the Denver VOICE are tax-deductible. Go to denvervoice.org to give a one-time or recurring donation. You can also mail a check to: Denver VOICE | P.O. Box 1931 | Denver, CO 80201 3 VOLUNTEER We need volunteers to help with everything from newspaper distribution to event planning and management. Contact program@denvervoice.org for volunteering information. 5 SUBSCRIBE If you are unable to regularly purchase a newspaper from our vendors, please consider a subscription. We ask subscribers to support our program with a 12-month pledge to give $10 a month, or a one-time donation of $120. Subscriptions help us cover our costs AND provide an amazing opportunity to those who need it most. Go to denvervoice.org/subscriptions for more information. @denverVOICE 2 ADVERTISE Our readership is loyal, well-educated, and socially concerned. Readers view purchasing the paper as a way to immediately help a person who is poor or homeless while supporting long-term solutions to end poverty. If you are interested in placing an ad or sponsoring a section of the paper, please contact us about rates at ads@denvervoice.org. January 2024 DENVER VOICE 3
SAYING GOODBYE TO PATRICK BALERIO BY ELISABETH MONAGHAN IN EARLY NOVEMBER, we learned that Denver VOICE vendor Patrick Balerio passed away. When I first came to the VOICE in July 2019, Patrick stopped by the office regularly to purchase papers. Then, the pandemic hit, and the last time I saw Patrick was in 2021. B time, foot traffic in Downtown Denv had slowed down significantly Although regular customers had grown used to not seeing y. VOICE vendors in the area, I heard comments from several readers about how much they missed seeing Patrick’s smile or hearing his warm greetings. Even though he didn’t return to vending the VOICE PATRICK BALERIO’S DESIGN FOR THE 2016 WRAPPING PAPER ISSUE ver after 2021, Patrick remained a part of the Denver VOICE community. Those who were fortunate to know him remember Patrick as a kind and caring person with a passion for learning. He also was a wonderful ler whose stories our w resonated readers. Patrick always ove to better himself and the world around him. While he is perhaps the only one who could gauge how successful he was at bettering himself, anyone who knew and loved him can say with certainty that Patrick Balerio made the world a much better and brighter place. ■ 4 DENVER VOICE January 2024
COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHT WINTER WISH LIST Drop-offs are accepted Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., or by appointment. PHOTO BY KEVIN LIANG ON UNSPLASH COLORADO PILOTS GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM FOR NEW MOMS BY ROBERT DAVIS NEW MOTHERS over the age of 18 who are experiencing economic hardship could qualify for a new guaranteed income program aimed at supporting maternal and infant health. The program is called the Healthy Beginnings Project, and it will provide 20 new moms with $750 monthly payments for 15 months. Payments are made biweekly, and the first payments were distributed via debit cards on Nov. 30, 2023. Participants can receive an additional $600 in cash incentives for attending medical appointments as well. A company called Goldbug, which makes infant and children’s accessories, is leading the initiative in partnership with national nonprofits such as Income Movement and Impact Charitable, both of which have partnered with other Colorado-based guaranteed income programs like Elevate Boulder and the Denver Basic Income Project. “The maternal health crisis is sadly nothing new, but meaningful solutions to it are,” Goldbug CEO Katherine Gold said in a press release. “My hope is that this program can help us build toward a future in which new moms and their babies have the peace of mind and proven benefits of financial stability, not just in Colorado, but across the country.” Maternal and infant health has become a growing concern in Colorado, and across the U.S. since the pandemic began. A report from the Government Accountability Office found that pregnant women became more susceptible to medical complications from COVID-19, including severe illness and death because the virus impacted their already weakened cardiovascular and immune systems. In turn, the maternal death rate for Black women grew from 44 per 100,000 live births to 68.9 per 100,000 between 2019 and 2021, an increase of 56.5%, the GAO found. The maternal death rate for white and Latinx women also increased by 53% and 44%, respectively. Federal programs like the expanded Child Tax Credit in 2021 were designed to help these households afford necessary costs like medical care, but few recipients spent their benefits on these items. Instead, data from the Niskanen Center found that CTC recipients spent 58% of their benefits on housing and food. Less than 5% of the benefits were spent on health care costs. These figures were even higher for families on the lowest end of the income spectrum. Recent research from Columbia University suggests that providing cash benefits to expectant mothers in lowincome earning households can improve health outcomes for mothers and infants alike. First, cash benefits can give expectant mothers resources to access health care and stable housing. The benefit can also reduce stressors that contribute to unhealthy births, according to the research. “As a result, the presence (or absence) of more (or less) income in the pregnancy period may enhance (or jeopardize) birth and infant outcomes,” the research states. “And these resources and deficits can impact health, development, and well-being throughout the life course.” ■ @DenverVOICE NEW ITEMS NEEDED: Socks Toiletries (individual or travel-size) Toothpaste, deodorant Chapstick, sunscreen Hand warmers GENTLY-USED ITEMS NEEDED: Men’s shoes or boots (sizes 8-12) Men’s jackets (sizes L, XL, XXL) Women’s jackets (sizes M, L, XL) Backpacks, carrier bags USB-C charging cables VENMO YOUR VENDOR: If you would like to help out a specific vendor by donating a few extra dollars, scan the QR code below to make a payment through Venmo. Please be sure to write your vendor’s name in the comments. Thank you! January 2024 DENVER VOICE 5
COMMUNITY PROFILE LIVED EXPERIENCE FUELS COMPASSIONATE RECOVERY CARE BY GILES CLASEN SALLY GIBBENS REMEMBERS HER MOST FRIGHTENING OVERDOSE. She had been using heroin and other drugs for years and overdosed a handful of times. Unmoved by those experiences, she refused to change the trajectory of her life. But that changed in 2015. Gibbens had just picked up her friend Natalie and parked in a bowling alley parking lot in downtown Duluth, Minnesota. Gibbens felt sick. It had been nearly a day and a half since she last scored her drug of choice. Now she was in the earliest phases of heroin withdrawal. Natalie shot up first. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she slumped moments after pushing the drug into her vein. Then, her breathing slowed. Gibbens recognized immediately that Natalie had overdosed, and her friend’s only chance of surviving was to get to a hospital as quickly as possible. But she delayed making the trip to the hospital. She needed to get high first. According to Gibbens, she thought to herself, “I’m too sick to drive. I’m going to do less than what Natalie did.” Gibbens needed the hit. Then, she would be able to drive Natalie to the ER . “At the time, it was more important to me to get that fix than to take my friend to the emergency room,” Gibbens said. Gibbens found a vein and coerced the needle in. She pushed the plunger. Once Gibbens felt the comfort of her high, she drove off, blood dripping down her arm. She turned right from the parking lot down a steep hill. Everything went dark within seconds. Gibbens woke up in an ambulance screaming a wretched, desperate wail. She could see her car smashed into the Duluth library and paramedics trying to revive Natalie. “I just knew there were going to be a lot of repercussions for my actions,” Gibbens said. DISCOVERING URBAN PEAKS Today, Gibbens works as the office administrator for Urban Peaks Rehab. The small medical office, near Colfax and Park Avenues, specializes in offering medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, for opioid use disorder. What sets Urban Peaks Rehab apart from other addiction treatment programs is that most of the small staff have faced opiate or opioid addiction. They understand what it is like to crave the drugs. They also know what it means to go through withdrawal and what life after drug use can look like. Urban Peaks Rehab’s founder and medical director, Dr. Chad Johnston, shifted his practice to addiction treatment after his own fight with opioids and opiates. He started using tramadol while working in the intensive care unit, just before his medical residency. “I was working in the ICU, and we had this guy collect the meds and usually dispose of them,” Johnston said. “There was often some stuff left in there, and I started stealing the leftover pills.” Johnston didn’t realize it at the time, but he was depressed. Throughout life, his father pushed him to succeed. The ERIKA GONZALES DOESN’T BELIEVE SHE WOULD BE SOBER WITHOUT THE PERSONAL CONNECTION SHE BUILT WITH URBAN PEAKS REHAB STAFF. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN 6 DENVER VOICE January 2024
COMMUNITY PROFILE pressure made everything in Johnston’s life black and white, win or lose. Everything was a competition. Johnston had made most of his decisions to win his father’s affection. In 1999, determined to please his father, Johnston upended his life to start medical school. He was 30 years old and one of the oldest in his class. It took him years to acknowledge that his behavior was a problem. “It was about two years or three years ago that I realized,” Johnston said. “The depression was out of control because nothing I did was enough. That pressure builds until you find a release. For me, sadly, my release was tramadol first, and later, morphine.” When Johnston first took the tramadol, he thought it was a risk-free high. It was marketed as a synthetic opioid that worked differently on the brain than traditional prescription pain medications. This led researchers and the Food and Drug Administration to deem it a safe alternative to stronger painkillers like Percocet or Oxycontin. With time, it became clear that tramadol came with its own baggage, and it proved to be addictive and destructive, too. In 2014, the Drug Enforcement Administration labeled tramadol a Schedule IV controlled substance. “I can’t believe I didn’t know more about opiates,” Johnston said. “We had no training in medical school at all. I thought [tramadol] was safe, or at least safer.” Johnston abused tramadol throughout his residency in 2003. He would prescribe too many pills for patients and pocket the extra. In a pinch, he ordered them online. When Johnston began his fellowship in hospice care, he moved from tramadol to liquid morphine. It was easy to steal the bottles from patients’ rooms, often after they died. “I really enjoyed helping people at the end of their life, but it got me all sideways, all those drugs around,” Johnston said. “I was so selfish then. That’s what the drugs do. They make you so fucking selfish. It’s a selfishness that you can’t even describe.” In 2010, Johnston decided he needed to get sober. “That’s when my wife at the time came to me and said, ‘You know, we’re in a small town. Here’s the newspaper. Look at the front page. You’re going to be right there, and it’s going to say you’re a drug addict,’” Johnston said. Johnston checked himself into a Florida rehab facility the following week. He doesn’t remember the exact cost of the facility but thought he spent in the neighborhood of $50,000$80,000. Johnston said he knows he was lucky to be able to pay such high costs when so many others can’t. “[My wife] knew I was that vain and that shallow,” Johnston said. “She knew what card to play to motivate me, and I applaud her for it. It was such a wonderful move because it saved my life, even if she did leave me later. Rightly so, probably.” CREATING A PATIENT-FIRST MODEL In rehab, Johnston began taking Suboxone to prevent drug cravings and avoid withdrawal symptoms. Suboxone was one of the first new MATs for opiate and opioid addiction. It is a daily treatment that can be prescribed by a doctor and taken at home. It differs from methadone, another MAT, because of its ease of use. One must generally go to a methadone treatment center daily to receive their dose. This inconvenience with methadone treatment can lead to failure and relapse, while Suboxone can be taken safely outside of medical supervision. For Johnston, Suboxone was a game changer. It helped him become and stay sober. But addiction had torn his life apart. He didn’t work for a year, and then, he tried returning to hospice care. It didn’t work for him. Then, the clinic treating his addiction offered him a job. He changed the focus of his life to serving individuals who battled addiction like him. DR. CHAD JOHNSTON WANTS EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT THE TREATMENT IS AVAILABLE TO ALMOST ANYONE SEEKING RECOVERY. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN January 2024 DENVER VOICE 7 URBAN PEAKS PATIENTS POST PERSONAL NOTES OF THINGS THEY ARE GRATEFUL FOR. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN Lured by Colorado’s beauty, Johnston moved to Denver. He founded Urban Peaks Rehab in 2018, with a vision to create a new patient-first model for addiction treatment. Johnston appreciated what rehab had done for him, but after working in an addiction treatment clinic, he also saw how rehab was big business. According to Johnston, higher revenues in the industry were too heavily motivated by dollars rather than care. Johnston realized that for many individuals, it was difficult to receive life-saving MAT treatment because of the costs and stigma. He heard stories about doctors putting up burdens to receive treatment. Many told Johnston that when they sought help, several medical professionals shamed them. Johnston even heard stories about patients being refused treatment because some doctors believed that if an individual got themselves into drug addiction, they had to pull themselves up by their bootstraps to get out of addiction. “It makes no sense to me that providers would shame anyone who ever came into their office, but it happens all the time,” Johnston said. “We have these amazing treatments that make recovery easier and less painful than in the past and individuals struggle to find someone to prescribe [MATs] because of [the common conceptions] of who and addict is and what they deserve — which is nothing.” Continued on page 8
COMMUNITY PROFILE SALLY GIBBENS SHOWS HER TATTOO OF SINGER AMY WINEHOUSE, WHO STRUGGLED WITH ADDICTION TO DRUGS AND ALCOHOL. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN WITH SUBLOCADE, MANY CAN END TREATMENT AFTER SIX MONTHS WITHOUT EXPERIENCING FURTHER CRAVINGS. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN Continued from page 7 Johnston started a six-month treatment of Sublocade in 2023. Sublocade is a next-generation MAT treatment. Approved by the FDA in 2017, Sublocade is a monthly shot in the abdomen that slowly releases buprenorphine, the same active ingredient in Suboxone. Johnston noted that the biggest difference between Sublocade and Suboxone is that Suboxone is a daily treatment taken in perpetuity. But with Sublocade, many can end treatment after six months without experiencing further cravings. Medicaid and many insurance plans cover both treatments in Colorado, and the manufacturer has copay assistance programs. Outpatient MAT is an affordable treatment option compared to lengthy in-treatment programs. Johnston knows that most can’t afford the type of rehab he utilized because of the cost. He wants everyone to know that the treatment is available to almost anyone seeking recovery. Johnston also believes MAT isn’t enough to help someone truly overcome their addiction. He has brought a counselor onto his team to help offer more extensive support and services to his patients. He and Gibbens want Urban Peaks Rehab to provide patients with a greater chance at overcoming addiction. The clinic has helped more than 20 people complete the Sublocade regime. Today, those individuals are living successfully in recovery, unassisted by medication. Many more patients are actively in treatment and not using drugs. “I see the system fail clients almost every day,” Gibbens said. “We have individuals who come in without a thing and don’t know how to navigate Medicaid or anything else. They just know they need help and want to be sober. So, I guess I am proud that I can now help anyone apply for Medicaid and begin treatment. [Applying for Medicaid] wasn’t a skill I ever thought I would need or develop. But if I can take down a barrier [to treatment], then I am excited I have the know-how.” TAKING THE NEXT STEP Gibbens ultimately made it to recovery through MAT treatment at Urban Peaks Rehab. She started working at the clinic as a medical tech. Today, she manages all aspects of the “WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO COME IN WITHOUT A THING AND DON’T KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE… THEY JUST KNOW THEY NEED HELP AND WANT TO BE SOBER.” CREDIT: GILES CLASEN office, whether marketing, providing emotional support for the patients, or billing insurance and Medicaid. Taking the next step in her recovery, Gibbens recently started therapy. She is processing a lot, like the abuse she suffered as a child, experiencing homelessness off and on, and the ghosts of her years as an addict, including that day in the parking lot with her friend Natalie. That is one of the ghosts she cannot leave behind. Natalie didn’t die that day in Duluth. Paramedics revived her with naloxone, a drug to treat overdoses. But Natalie didn’t seek treatment, and her luck ran out about a year later when she passed away from an overdose. It would be impossible to describe Gibbens as selfish today. She doesn’t spend much time thinking about herself. Her focus is on giving second, third, and fourth chances to people who need help. She spends each day encouraging each patient as they go through treatment. Gibbens also helps clients find housing, or sober living if they need it. The staff at Urban Peaks Rehab recognizes that many patients need more than medical treatment to become sober and move forward. ■ To seek help for addiction or learn more about Urban Peaks Rehab, visit urbanpeaksrehab.com. 8 DENVER VOICE January 2024
COMMUNITY PROFILE ERICA’S STORY ERICA GONZALES finished her Sublocade treatment last March. Today, she works for Urban Peaks Rehab as a medical technician. Gonzales said she began abusing drugs and alcohol because she wanted to feel numb. According to Gonzales, her family was unsupportive when she told them she was a lesbian at age 12. Gonzales’s dad died from suicide not long after. “Dad was always around, he was just an alcoholic. He was a drug addict. And so, I’ve always seen that drug addiction side of life,” Gonzales said. She blames herself for his death. Her parents had split up, and her father asked her if she believed there was a chance that her mom would take him back. Gonzales said no and watched him deflate. The next day, he took his life. Gonzales understands that a 12-year-old isn’t responsible for taking care of their parents, but she can’t shake the thought that she hurt him. “You can’t take that back. Words are powerful. So. I have to live with that,” she said. Gonzales began drinking heavily around that time. She began using Percocet when she was in her early teens, stealing it from her mom’s purse and medicine cabinets. By age 14, Gonzales was taking Percocet daily. “Percs were the comfort I’d been looking for,” Gonzales said. “I no longer felt guilty [about being a lesbian and my father’s death] when I was high. I felt no shame, guilt, nothing. That’s just something I continued to chase until it became a living hell.” Gonzales switched to oxycodone when it was too difficult to find Percocet. Then she smoked heroin when the pills became too expensive. At age 15, she injected heroin for the first time. “I knew I shouldn’t have done that,” Gonzales said. “I could tell that black cloud was going to follow me, and that shadow followed me everywhere. After the [first] hit, I remember waking up wanting to do more. I just thought, ‘Is this what it’s like? Is this what heroin addicts feel? Am I one now?’” After being expelled from high school for dealing drugs, and being hit with multiple arrests for shoplifting, Gonzales entered rehab. After three weeks, Gonzales had her dealer pick her up. She tried MAT at another clinic but felt the doctors didn’t care about her. They rushed her out of the office with a prescription but no support. “It was a bad experience because you’d sit there for an hour and see the doctor for like five minutes,” Gonzales said. You could tell they didn’t give a shit. They just saw you as an addict and nothing more.” Gonzales eventually stumbled into Urban Peaks Rehab and began Suboxone treatment. But she didn’t stop using. Instead, Gonzales timed her heroin use around the Suboxone. It was Sally Gibbens, along with former Urban Peaks Rehab staff member Brittany Kitchens, who helped Gonzales commit to her treatment and stop using. And when the office needed a new medical technician, Gonzales applied. “I don’t think Doc [Johnston] was sure about hiring me,” Gonzales said. “I think he was the most skeptical because he knew me. I was just a shitshow when I started here. But once I was given the opportunity, it gave me something I didn’t have… something I needed.” Gonzales said she knows the most important part of her job is being available to help others as they go through treatment. She doesn’t believe she would be sober without the personal connection she built with Urban Peaks Rehab staff. “As much as Sally and Brittany were there for me, that’s what I’m trying to be to [current patients],” Gonzales said. “A lot of the people just feel abandoned. Like they don’t matter in this world. That’s how addicts feel. You can get to where you feel like, ‘What’s the point? It’s easier to die than get better.’ People are tired of trying. I just try to be here for addicts when they feel that way. I get on their level with them and I tell them I was an addict too. It gets better.” While Gonzales is still building her life, she said she is content that she has a home and a job. She has security that she had never experienced before and worked hard to get this far. ■ DONATE YOUR CAR! Need to get rid of your car, truck, or motorcycle? Consider donating it to Denver VOICE. Call (855) 500-7433, or go to: careasy.org/nonprofi t/denver-voice. Your donation helps Denver VOICE succeed in its mission to provide individuals experiencing homelessness or poverty the chance towards a more stable life. The Denver VOICE empowers homeless, impoverished, and transient individuals by creating job opportunities through our vendor program. We 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. VOLUNTEER WITH US! We are looking for volunteers to support our program coordination by helping with paper distribution and basic offi ce administration at the Denver VOICE offi ce (989 Santa Fe Dr.) from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. If you are interested and would like to know more, contact us at: program@denvervoice.org AN URBAN PEAKS STAFF MEMBER PROVIDES COMFORT TO A PATIENT. THE URBAN PEAKS TEAM VIEWS SUPPORTING AND INTERACTING WITH PATIENTS AS THEIR PRIMARY JOB. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN January 2024 DENVER VOICE 9
IN YOUR OWN WORDS OUR BACK ON THE STREETS COLUMN was the brainchild of longtime Denver VOICE vendor Brian Augustine, who passed away on January 5, 2023. When he died, Brian was writing a monthly column about what it was like to return to living on the streets, after realizing he could no longer afford his rent. In honor of Brian’s legacy, various vendors decided that through the remainder of 2023, they would continue sharing stories of life on the streets that they either experienced or observed. Rea Brown wrote this final installment of Back on the Streets to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Brian’s passing. Additionally, Denver VOICE vendor Steve Anson wrote about the influence Brian’s life and death have had on him. BACK ON THE STREETS The final column BY REA BROWN, VOICE VENDOR INFLUENCE A tribute to Brian, one year after his passing BY STEVE ANSON, VOICE VENDOR REA BROWN. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN IF THERE IS ONE THING some people haven’t noticed – primarily because of the nightlife on the 16th Street Mall has been greatly aborted due to construction – is the number of homeless sleepers that used to mark the entrance of many of the closed stores with partially sheltered doors. Of such was Denver VOICE vendor Brian Augustine, when he had to choose a safe place to rest for the night. With the Mall having security 24 hours, seven days a week, it’s no wonder some of the peaceful homeless population gravitated to it. Of all the years I’ve worked vending the VOICE on the Mall, I can’t remember a time, when a regular Mall sleeper trashed a storefront. However, I do remember a situation with my buddy Bob*, who slept in the same spot, on the same street, at the same time for years. One night, as I sat about half a block away from the spot, where Bob rested, I watched intently as a group of young men (who were clearly not homeless) approached Bob. Looking around as if they didn’t want to be noticed – apparently, in their mischievous desire to harass an old Native, whom they possibly deemed as a freeloader of society – the young men seemed to consider whether they should actually approach Bob as he slept. Then, as they stepped closer and closer, it was clear that something bad might be about to happen. 10 DENVER VOICE January 2024 Of course, you may be wondering why I just didn’t run over and do/say something, and the truth is that this was not a movie, this was happening in real-time, which means a matter of seconds. They got as close to Bob as they could get before they had to make their final decision. And, by the grace of God, they looked at each other, and if I remember correctly, they laughed and then kept walking. That was a close call, but every story doesn’t have a happy ending, just like every story is not always the contributors vs. the freeloaders. I recall a story I heard from a woman, where two homeless guys thought a poor guy got a lot of money from somewhere, so they tried to rob him and accidentally killed him. Or another time, was when one of my Chess-playing friends got housing, but he had to live by a certain set of rules which included no drinking. It is believed that this friend died from drinking Listerine. I guess the lesson of this final Back on the Streets segment is that every year, almost 200 people die from homelessness. So, most of the homeless people have to come to accept there are at least two things that are certain “Death and Change.” R.I.P Brian Augustine. ■ *JSUK: A few months later Bob got his housing and has been off the streets for years. Even at that early hour, Brian would smile, never forcing his face; whereas my case manager was at best, glib, with a smile that I can only describe as “a gymnast who just failed her routine.” (In college, she was a gymnast, so she was wellpracticed at that forced grin.) We all influence each other. Indeed, we directly and indirectly affect how our society acts and is perceived by the world at large. For example, the media is sometimes referred to as “the fourth estate in American Democracy,” because of how it informs and educates the public. It is a part of the system of checks and balances, a delicate, fragile system essential to keeping our leaders from attempting to plunge us into authoritarianism. I am but a tiny part of this beautiful experiment in governance. As a contributor to the VOICE, Brian was part of that media, too. This morning as I was vending the VOICE, I allowed my memory to drift back to December 1979, when I was fortunate enough to attend a Bob Marley and the Wailers concert at the University of Denver. That memory came back to me as lyrics from Marley’s song, “Slave Driver,” played in my head. “Today, they say that we are free / only to be chained in poverty…” And suddenly, I was here. Now. A generous passer-by let me know she did not want a paper, but she handed me two dollars and said, “This is for you. Your great attitude every morning really helps me.” I breathed a sigh of relief, for that two dollars was enough to cover the monthly payment to maintain my website. I was in quite the financial pinch when I chose to begin vending again. In November 2022, I became very familiar with the consequences of a bleeding ulcer. At first, I mistook the blood I vomited for coffee. (I love a good cuppa, especially the Sumatra blend I now drink.) I finished vomiting and hobbled back to bed. Early the following morning, I had to vomit again. This time, I grabbed my phone before not quite making it to the toilet. When paramedics showed up at my door, I was disconnected from reality, and when I returned, I was in a bed in Denver Health’s ICU. When I returned to the here and now, I was informed that I had lost seven liters of blood and had nearly died. During the next five days, I had ample opportunity to meditate, which is something that is not easy to do in a hospital bed. The form of meditation I practice approximates REM sleep, so one gets a chance to dream while fully conscious. As I meditated, one of my dominant thoughts was of my STEVE ANSON. CREDIT: JAMES KAY ABOUT 10 DAYS AGO, I got tossed about in time. Perhaps this event is a consequence of aging. A generous donor had just handed me a five-dollar bill, told me he was a former Denver VOICE vendor, got his paper, then . . . gone. Fast forward to this morning, when I got a friendly shove back into “the ever-present now.” A man jogged past me at my usual post. He greeted me with, “Good morning, Steve Anson,” and from that greeting, I knew he was a careful reader of the VOICE. Nine or so years ago, I was on my way to an appointment with my neurologist. Though it was close to the end of the month, I had an extra five bucks. At the same corner where I now vend, I approached Brian Augustine who, until he passed away a year ago, occupied that spot. I handed Brian the five dollars, and he handed me a copy of the VOICE. I explained I was in a rush. He said, “Thank you,” and I hobbled onward with my walker. On my bus ride to the doc, I puzzled over Brian and his style of vending. I kept thinking – because of my dealing with my then case manager where I live – of Brian’s sincerity when greeting folks at 7 a.m. apartment and my expectation that my rent would probably be increased when I got back to it. No such notification ever reached me (though the rent had been increased); nor was I made aware of this increase for several months afterward. By the time all this was resolved, I was $160 in arrears to an organization that has consistently treated me with so much disrespect that when I would approach the front door of the building, I would say to myself, sometimes aloud, “Welcome back to Hell.” A couple of months after my release from the hospital, I saw in my Google Chrome feed on my phone, that Brian Augustine had died. Around that same time, Christine McVie died, as well. (She was, in my snobbish view, far too overlooked in Fleetwood Mac.) After that discovery, I was saddened every time I passed the corner, where Brian had vended, and McVie’s “Songbird” would occasionally play in my mind. So, Brian, these may be McVie’s words, but as I think of them, they are for you. “And I love you, I love you, I love you / Like never before, like never before / Like never before. ■ Slave Driver lyrics © Fifty Six Hope Road Music Ltd., Blackwell Fuller Music Publishing LLC. Songbird lyrics © Universal Music - Careers, Kuzu Music.
IN YOUR OWN WORDS THE BIG C BY RAELENE JOHNSON, VOICE VENDOR FIRST, I WANT TO THANK everyone who has been there for me – especially those customers who have become friends over the years. In October, I was told I had cancer, and for the next five days, things went fast. I am grateful the cancer was found so early, but with all of this, I felt numb. I felt shut down. On Halloween afternoon, I had surgery, and so far, everything has continued to go quickly. Radiation is not so bad. I will be done with it in three days. Chemo starts in January. I thank my higher power for [inspiring] all of the self-talk poems I have written. When you have to go through hard times, if you allow negativity in, you will call bad things to you. The universe will give you what you want. I choose to stay positive. Always! My self-talk poems have given me the strength and positivity I need to get through my cancer treatment. I feel like I’m on a rollercoaster of emotion – from not believing I have cancer to wondering what’s next, scans happening quickly to find it, surgery to test it, radiation and chemo to stop it. I think chemo will be the hardest to go through. I know I have a good team to take care of me. My primary doctor had cancer, so when she learned that I had it, she made sure I had access to her team of doctors to treat me. When I found that out, I felt blessed. I know I am in great hands! Most days, I’m okay, but there are bad days. On the days I feel sad, I catch myself and say, “It’s okay. You will be okay. It was found so very early. Stay positive. It is just a bump on the road of life. Just one more fight to win.” So now, my memories are of life before cancer and soon, life after cancer. Once I get through chemo, I will go for a check-up every six months to keep an eye on my body and make sure the cancer doesn’t come back. I just ask for your prayers. The best thing to come out of this is that I didn’t pass the cancer gene on to my children. I have told them, “If you get cancer, you can’t blame it on me.” I think of how bad it would be to pass that on. ■ RAELENE JOHNSON. CREDIT: CORTNEY TABERNA “ICE SCULPTURE” BY GIGI GALEN January 2024 DENVER VOICE 11
INTERNATIONAL STORY from longer-term shifts that force them to go further for daily chores such as collecting water. At the COP28 summit, the host nation, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), backed by more than 60 countries, on 4 December launched an initiative aimed at achieving “gender-responsive just transitions” and giving women more economic power so that they do not lose out as societies shift to a lower-carbon model. The UAE said that the new COP28 partnership will produce better-quality data to support decision-making, target finance flows to the regions most impacted by climate change, and strengthen education and skills, with a focus on women who are already suffering disproportionately as the planet warms. Fijian gender minister Lynda Tabuya told an event on the sidelines of COP28 that in her Pacific island nation, more powerful cyclones, intense heatwaves, and rising seas are affecting women by fuelling poverty, migration, health risks, and their care burden. “These issues deeply affect the safety and the wellbeing of our children, and women and girls,” she said. Climate finance needs to be accessible and beneficial for women, she added, calling for more data on the challenges they face and recognition of their unpaid care work, as well as climate finance that supports green skills training and women-led businesses. PHOTO BY GYAN SHAHANE ON UNSPLASH SHOW US THE CLIMATE MONEY, WOMEN LEADERS AND ACTIVISTS TELL COP28 BY MEGAN ROWLING WHEN STEPHANIE AKRUMAH founded the Centre for Green Growth, a Ghanaian organization that trains women in the country on how to adapt to climate change, she used her own money, convinced that she was doing the right thing. Then she received a small amount of funding from the international aid agency CARE to carry out training in communities. Now the young activist is on the hunt for new sources of finance to expand the education that she says is crucial for Ghanaian women to respond to impacts like flash floods on their farms. But in several months of trying, it has proved “extremely difficult” to find, due to onerous processes and requirements for accessing international funding. That is effectively freezing out local women’s groups working on climate change, she and others have said. On Monday 4 December, as the COP28 UN climate conference in Dubai focused on finance and gender equity, new figures from CARE showed that women’s rights organizations received less than 0.2% of Britain’s climate finance in 2022 – and less than 1% of that aid specifically targeted gender equality. “There has to be another way,” said Akrumah, calling for easier, simpler access for women-led groups to obtain money from wealthy governments and global funds. CARE pointed to unequal gender representation at the climate negotiations as another barrier for women seeking to gain more access to climate finance. Women make up only 38% of registered COP28 delegates, according to UK-based climate website Carbon Brief. That is an increase of just 1% compared to COP27 – although the share has risen steadily over the years. JUSTICE AND EFFICIENCY Nicholas Stern, a leading British economist who co-chairs an independent high-level expert group on climate finance, told Context that ensuring women get the funding they need to respond to climate change and develop their societies at the same time is a question both of justice and efficiency. When it comes to efforts to boost agriculture, health, or education, “if you have more women involved, it all works better,” he noted, adding that the evidence of that has become stronger over the past two decades. One effective way to get money to women is through direct cash transfers, he said, citing India’s digital identification program as a channel to target women with payments that can help to build their resilience to threats including climate change. “The most difficult thing and the most unjust thing for women would be not to do much,” he said, noting that women suffer most both when weather disasters hit and also NO GENDER-SPECIFIC TARGETS A lack of comprehensive data on how climate change is affecting women specifically, and on the funding available to them, has hampered efforts aimed at helping them to adapt by planting resilient crops or using solar energy instead of dirty diesel generators. A new paper from the UK-based thinktank Overseas Institute noted that there are no genderDevelopment equality-specific targets for climate finance, but governments at UN climate talks had committed to increasing “gender-responsiveness”. The researchers found that in 2021, out of a total of $28 billion in adaptation funding from developed countries, $12.2 billion had gender equality as an objective, according to donors. But 40% was not screened for gender equality when reported, leaving “great uncertainty” over how much adaptation finance has that goal, ODI said. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said that to help women, it is first important to get more climate finance flowing for vulnerable island states and developing countries at the global level by addressing the barriers preventing them from accessing money from development banks and the private sector. “The reality is that most of the things we are trying to do are taking too long to benefit the people it’s intended to benefit,” she told journalists. For example, women are staying behind to look after families and homes as climate change pushes men to seek work elsewhere, she said, arguing that the best way to help them is to ease debt burdens in their countries, freeing up national funds that could then help people “on the frontline”, she said. Getting women on board with the transformations needed for less-polluting lifestyles also is essential, she added. “If we’re going to change how we live and how we move and how we farm, we’re going to have to do it at the level of families – which means that women’s acceptance of the necessity for change is pivotal in order to be able to get that success,” she said. ■ Courtesy of Context / INSP.ngo. Context is powered by the Thomson Reuters Foundation Newsroom. 12 DENVER VOICE January 2024
EVENTS POETRY SLAM This weekly poetry slam has been around since 1997! Come listen to the battle or sign-up to compete for the $50 weekly prize. WHEN: Sundays, sign-ups at 7:30 p.m., event at 8 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St. INFO: mercurycafe.com FREE WEEKLY BREATHWORK CLASS You are invited every Wednesday to experience the benefits of breathwork. Learn how to breathe fully with this simple and effective method. Start your journey towards greater health, peace, and vitality today. WHEN: Wednesdays, 11 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. COST: Free but you must register online. WHERE: Online INFO: souldimension.org PALLET CITY COMEDY: OPEN MIC We all need a laugh after the holidays. Come check out this weekly open mic to either listen to some jokes or try your hand at stand-up. WHEN: Thursdays, sign-ups at 7 p.m., event at 7:30 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Monkey Barrel, 4401 Tejon St. INFO: facebook.com/Palletcitycomedy COOKING ON-DEMAND Whether you’re looking to make empanadas, pierogies, fondue, quiche, or tapas, this online library of cooking classes will make your tummy growl. In-person classes available as well. WHEN: Anytime COST: $35 WHERE: Online INFO: theseasonedchef.com/cooking-on-demand ULLRGRASS MUSIC & BEER FESTIVAL Come celebrate 10 eyars of UllGrass! Festival-goers dress in Viking regalia and celebrate community, live music, performing arts, and craft beer. WHEN: Jan 26 – Jan 28, times vary COST: $10 and up WHERE: Parfet Park, 725 10th St. INFO: ullrgrass.com COURTESY OF DEBORAH LASTOWKA PUZZLES COURTESY OF STREETROOTS ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 15 ACROSS DOWN Across 1. Attempt 5. French clerics 10. Fuzz 14. ___ Bell 15. Kind of fund 16. Grander than grand 17. Beehive, e.g. 18. Brawl 19. Emulated Pinocchio 20. Opinionated passenger 23. Dermatologist’s concern 24. “Ugh, keep that to yourself!” 25. Book after Job 28. Clicked on the paper clip icon, say 33. Beige 34. Inside info 35. Mariner’s dir. 36. Accountant’s bread and butter 40. Blood-typing letters 41. Committee head 42. Lago contents 43. Archaic term for the left side of a boat (which rhymes with the current term for the right side) 45. “I want my baby back” chain 47. Austrian peak 48. God with a hammer 49. Bad quality in a confidant 56. Brainchild 57. Shade of green 58. Red sign in a movie theater 59. Enormous birds of myth 60. Really liked something, in slang 61. Prefix with phone and vision 62. The “E” of BPOE 63. Kind of question with two options 64. Glasgow native 1. Ticket memento 2. Spanish appetizer 3. Flexible, electrically 4. Oprah has one 5. Size up 6. Goat sound 7. Something a goat might do with its head (not its rear) 8. Cornerstone abbr. 9. 2000 pounds, precisely 10. ___ floor exercises 11. Mayberry kid 12. Take a long walk off a short ___ 13. Anxious condition, for short 21. Prefix with phony and pathetic 22. Apple ad phrase 25. Prison-related 26. Diver’s gear 27. Knight’s protection 28. Bitter 29. ___ de force 30. Katherine of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “27 Dresses” 31. Boredom 32. “Ballet Rehearsal” artist Edgar 34. Leave a lasting mark on 37. Dangerous bacteria 38. “Bohemian ___” 39. Lunch ladies’ headgear 44. Totally awesome 45. Snack that might turn your fingers orange 46. All the rage 48. “Can We Talk” singer Campbell 49. Favorite 50. Make out 51. Sleuth’s find 52. Fixes, in a way 53. Corporate VIP 54. Fodder holder 55. Leave in, to an editor 56. Anger January 2024 DENVER VOICE 13 PUZZLE COURTESY OF STREET ROOTS, DENVER VOICE’S SISTER PAPER IN PORTLAND, OR PUZZLE COURTESY OF STREET ROOTS, DENVER VOICE’S SISTER PAPER IN PORTLAND, OR
DONOR LIST WE LOVE OUR DONORS! WHEN YOU SUPPORT THE DENVER VOICE, YOU ARE HELPING SUPPORT HUNDREDS OF HOMELESS AND IMPOVERISHED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WORKING TO REALIZE SELF-SUFFICIENCY THROUGH EARNING A DIGNIFIED INCOME. YOUR GIFT MAKES A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. HERE, WE LIST THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN $500 AND MORE IN THE LAST YEAR. DENVERVOICE.ORG/DONATE $10,000+ Anonymous Individual Donor Acorn Hill Foundation Inc. Pivotal Energy Partners USA, Inc. Matt and Nikki Seashore Cisco Francis Trainer and Trainer Family $5,000 - $9,999 Anschutz Family Foundation Laurie Duncan and Duncan-Mcwethy Foundation Colorado Housing and Finance Authority J. Albrecht Designs Master Goldsmiths Frederic K Conover Trust The Christian Foundation Bank of America Charitable Foundation Sustainable Housing and Development Foundation Envestnet $1,000-$4,999 Meek-Cuneo Family Fund Katherine Standiford Jill Haug Joshua Kauer Walker Family Foundation Alexander Seavall Whole Foods Foundation Michael Dino Alex Salva Signs By Tomorrow Rose Community Foundation Russell Peterson Donald Weaver Chris and Susan Pappas Julia and David Watson Gaspar Terrana SEI Giving Fund Sidney B and Caleb F Gates Fund Megan Arellano Warren and Betty Kuehner Keyrenter Property Management Denver Mathew Rezek The Credit Union of Colorado Foundation Jana and Jim Cuneo Kroger Paul Manoogian Lori Holland Maggie Holben Michael J. Fehn and Jan Monnier Jim Ashe Courage and Community Foundation George Lichter Family Foundation Lisa Wagner Elsbeth Williams Christopher Boulanger KO Law Firm Graham Davis Peter Iannuzzi $500-$999 Margaret Ramp John Gibson Ruth Henderson James and Cyndi Lesslie Fire on the Mountain Craig Solomon Sheryl Parker Laura Saunders Robert E and Anne T Sneed Family Foundation Barbara and Robert Ells Carol and Louis Irwin Edwina Salazar James Stegman Jennifer Stedron Jeremy Anderson Stephen Saul WalMart Nikki Lawson CEDS Finance Impact Assets Courage and Community Foundation Louis Irwin Mary Livernois Mr B’s Liquor Wines For Humanity KL&A Engineers and Builders 14 DENVER VOICE January 2024 ABOVE THE FOLD: $5,000 • One complimentary full page ad in the newspaper ($1,000 value) • Table of 10 and Sponsor recognition at annual Rise and Thrive Breakfast (200 attendees) • Sponsorship recognition at our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event (200 attendees) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Above the Fold Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper SPONSORSHIP LEVELS THE DENVER VOICE’S ANNUAL SPONSORSHIP SUPPORT LEVELS PROVIDE BUSINESSES LIKE YOURS THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN WORK EMPOWERMENT, HOMELESS PREVENTION, THE CHALLENGING OF COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS, AND TO BE A PART OF PROVIDING OUR COMMUNITY WITH QUALITY AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE THROUGH OUR WRITERS AND VENDORS – AN INVALUABLE PART OF DENVER’S COMMUNITY. YOUR INVOLVEMENT WILL HELP HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING POSITIVE ACTION TO COMBAT HOMELESSNESS AND IMPOVERISHMENT. AS A SPONSOR, YOU HAVE A WAY TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND GIVE SOMETHING BACK AT THE SAME TIME. ANNUAL SPONSORSHIPS BENEFITS INCLUDE YOUR LOGO LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE HOMEPAGE, MONTHLY AD SPACE IN OUR PAPER, AND SPECIAL EVENT PERKS FOR YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES ALL YEAR LONG. IT’S A GOOD DEAL FOR A GOOD CAUSE, AND YOUR GIFT IS 100% TAX-DEDUCTIBLE! GALLEY: $2,500 • One complimentary half page ad in the newspaper ($600 value) • Table of 10 and Sponsor recognition at annual Rise and Thrive Breakfast (200 attendees) • Sponsorship recognition at our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event (200 attendees) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Galley Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper HONOR BOX: $1,000 • Table of 10 and Sponsor recognition at annual Rise and Thrive Breakfast (200 attendees) • Sponsorship recognition at our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event (200 attendees) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Honor Box Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper FLY SHEET: $500 • Two complimentary tickets to our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event ($50 value) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Fly Sheet Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper
RESOURCE LIST FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN DENVER DENVERVOICE.ORG/RESOURCE-LIST DIAL 211 FOR A MORE COMPLETE LIST OF RESOURCES IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR FOOD, MEDICAL CARE, SENIOR SERVICES, YOUTH PROGRAMS, VETERAN SUPPORT COUNSELING, EDUCATION, SHELTERS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, HOLIDAY ASSISTANCE, AND MORE. EMAIL EDITOR@DENVERVOICE.ORG WITH CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS. MEDICAL / MENTAL HEALTH / DENTAL SERVICES ACS COMMUNITY LIFT: 5045 W. 1st Ave., Denver; rentassistance.org DENVER HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER: 777 Bannock St.; denverhealth.org DETOX LOCAL: Features information including mental health and substance use resources specifically for the AAPI (American Asian and Pacific Islander) community; detoxlocal.com DRUG REHAB USA: Addiction hotline 888-479-0446; Organizations that take Medicaid: drugrehabus.org/rehabs/ treatment/medicaid/united-states/colorado/denver HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER: 112 E. 8th Ave.; 303-572-7800; HIV/Hep C/ Gonorrhea/ Chlamydia testing available. Services are restricted to active IV Drug Users. Offers clean syringes to active users, as well as safety training on proper disposal of dirty syringes; M-F 9am-12pm: harmreductionactioncenter.org INNER CITY HEALTH CENTER: 3800 York St.; Emergency walk-ins 303-296-1767; Dental 303-296-4873; M-F 8am-2pm LIVE ANOTHER DAY: 877-596-6866; Equal access to life-saving mental health and substance abuse resources; 24/7 helpline: liveanotherday.org LIVER HEALTH CONNECTION: 1325 S. Colorado Blvd.; Suite B302; Resources and support for those affected by Hep C. Free Hep C testing offered; 800-522-4372, 800-359-9272; info@hepc-connection.org; viventhealth.org NATIONAL AIDS HOTLINE: 800-342-AIDS/800-344-7432 NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE: Text or call 988; 988lifeline.org NATIONAL RUNAWAY SAFELINE: 800-RUNAWAY/800-786-2929; 1800runaway.org RAPE ABUSE AND INCEST NATIONAL NETWORK: 800-656-HOPE; rainn.org SALUD CLINIC: 6255 Quebec Pkwy, Commerce City; 303-697-2583, 970-484-0999; saludclinic.org/commerce-city STOUT STREET CLINIC: 2130 Stout St.; 303-293-2220; Clinic Hours: 7am-4pm M/T/Th/F; 9am-6pm Wed; coloradocoalition.org/healthcare SUBSTANCE ABUSE REHAB GUIDE: Helpline 888-493-4670; detoxrehabs.net/states/colorado/ U.S. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE: 800-799-7233 (English and Spanish); 800-243-7889 (TDD); thehotline.org CAREER SERVICES BAYAUD ENTERPRISES CW-STEP: (Colorado Works - Subsidized training and employment program); 333 W. Bayaud Ave.; 303-830-6885; Mon-Fri: 8am-4:30pm; Provides re-entry to the workforce for individuals with TANF eligibility; info@bayaudenterprises.org COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTER: Level 4, Denver Central Library, 14th Ave. & Broadway; 720-865-1706; M & T - 10am-8pm; Wed., Th &F - 10am-6pm; Sat. 9am-5pm & Sun. 1-5pm; FREE services include computer/internet use, WIFI, computer classes, job search/resume classes and one-on-one tech help appointments; denverlibrary.org/ctc THE WESTSIDE ONE-STOP CAREER CENTER: Denver Dept of Human Services, 1200 Federal Blvd.; M-F 7:30am-4:30pm; Employment counseling, assisted job search, résumé prep, job/applicant matching, phone bank for calling employers, access to computers, copiers, fax, etc.; careercenteroffices.com/center/231/denver-westside-workforce-center WORKNOW: 720-389-0999; job recruitment, skills training, and job placement work-now.org LGBTQ+ SUPPORT THE TREVOR PROJECT: 866-488-7386: thetrevorproject.org LGBT NATIONAL YOUTH TALKLINE: 800-246-7743: lgbthotline.org/youth-talkline PRIDE INSTITUTE: 800-547-7433 TRUE COLORS UNITE: 212-461-4401 truecolorsunited.org VETERANS & SENIORS DENVER INNER CITY PARISH: 1212 Mariposa St.; 303-322-5733; VOA Dining Center for Seniors, aged 60 and older, Wed.-Sat. 9am-12pm; Food Bank, Wed.-Fri.; Tickets at 9am, food bank open 10am-12pm; dicp.org SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES: 846 E. 18th Ave.; For those aged 60 or older; TV room, bus tokens, mental/physical health outreach, 3 meals, M-F -7am-7pm; Sun. 11am-4pm; seniorsupportservices.org VA MEDICAL CENTER: 1700 N Wheeling St.: Aurora 303-399-8020: va.gov/findlocations/facility/vha_554A5 VETERANS GUIDE: Veterans Disability Calculator veteransguide.org/va-disability-calculator YOUTH SERVICES SOX PLACE: 2017 Larimer St.; 303-296-3412 Daytime drop-in shelter for youth 12-30; Meals, socks, clothing bank, personal hygiene supplies, internet access, intentional mentoring and guidance, crisis intervention, referrals to other services. T-F - 12-4pm & Sat. 11am-2pm. Instagram: @Soxplace THE SPOT AT URBAN PEAK: 2100 Stout St. 303-291-0442; Youth aged 15-20 in need of immediate overnight shelter services, 303-974-2928; Drop-in hours M-F 8-11am urbanpeak.org/denver/programs-and-services/drop-in-center SUNSHINE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH: 833-931-2484; Services for youth facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions; sunshinebehavioralhealth.com TGTHR (FKA ATTENTION HOMES) Shelter: 3080 Broadway, Boulder; 303-447-1207, 303-447-1207; For ages 12-24; Offers safe shelter, supportive programming, and other services; M-Sun, 12:30-5pm; tgthr.org URBAN PEAK: 730 21st St., Denver; 303-974-2900; Ages14-24; Serving Denver & Colo Springs; Overnight shelter, food, clothing, showers, case workers, job skill/straining, ID and birth certificate assistance, GED assistance, counseling and housing; urbanpeak.org January 2024 DENVER VOICE 15 DROP-IN & DAYTIME CENTERS CITYSQUARE DENVER: 2575 S. Broadway; 303-783-3777;; Helps with employment, IDs, birth certs, mail services and lockers; M-Th - 10am-2pm; citysquare.org HAVEN OF HOPE: 1101 W. 7th Ave.; 303-607-0855; M-F - 7am-1pm; Private showers & bathrooms, laundry, lunch, etc.; thoh.org THE GATHERING PLACE: 1535 High St.; 303-321-4198; Daytime drop-in center for women, their children, and transgender individuals; Meals, computer lab, phones, food bank, clothing, art programs, GED tutoring, referrals to other services, etc.; M, W, Th, F - 8:30am-5pm, T - 8:30am-1:30pm; tgpdenver.org HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER: 231 E. Colfax; 303-572-7800; Provides clean syringes, syringe disposal, harmreduction counseling, safe materials, Hep C/HIV education, and health education classes; M-F - 9am-12pm; harmreductionactioncenter.org HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH: 1900 California St.; Help with lost IDs and birth certificates; holyghostchurch.org HOPE PROGRAM: 1555 Race St.; 303-832-3354; For men and women with HIV; M-F 8am-4pm LAWRENCE STREET COMMUNITY CENTER: 2222 Lawrence St.; 303-294-0157; Day facility, laundry, showers, restrooms, access to services; homelessassistance.us/li/lawrence-street-community-center OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES: 1567 Marion St.; bathrooms, coffee/tea, snacks, resources, wifi; M-F 7a-5:30p; odmdenver.org ST. FRANCIS CENTER: 2323 Curtis St; 303-297-1576; 6am-6pm daily; Storage for one bag (when space is available); Satellite Clinic hours- M, T, Th. F - 7:30am-3:30pm; Wed. 12:30-4:30pm; sfcdenver.org FREE MEALS AGAPE CHRISTIAN CHURCH: 2501 California St., Sat., 11am CAPITOL HEIGHTS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: 1100 Fillmore St., Sat. lunch at 11:30am; capitolheightspresbyterian.org CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY SERVICES: mealsforpoor.org CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: 1530 Logan St.; sandwiches & coffee M-F. 8:30am; denvercathedral.org CHRIST’S BODY MINISTRIES: 850 Lincoln; Mon. closed, Tues.-Thurs. 10am-3pm, Fri. 8am-11pm; groceries & hot meal on Sat. at 2pm (at 16th & York); Sun. church service at 6pm, dinner at 7pm; christsbody.org CHRIST IN THE CITY: Home-cooked meal, weekly; Lunch in the Park is on Wednesdays from 12-1 at Benedict Fountain Park (Tremont and 22nd); christinthecity.org CITYSQUARE DENVER: 2575 S. Broadway; 303-783-3777; Food pantry Tues. 10am-6pm; citysquare.org CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY SERVICES: 1820 Broadway (in front of Trinity United Methodist Church); Hot meals served M, T, Th., F - 11:45-12:15; mealsforpoor.org DENVER RESCUE MISSION: 1130 Park Avenue West; 303-294-0157; 3 meals 7 days/week, 5:30am, 12pm, 6pm; denverrescuemission.org HAVEN OF HOPE: 1101 W. 7th Ave.; 303-607-0855; M-F only: 7am-1pm. 8am breakfast, 11am lunch; havenofhope.org FEEDING DENVER’S HUNGRY: Food service on second and fourth Thursdays; feedingdenvershungry.org/events.html FOOD NOT BOMBS: Sun. 4 p.m.; 22nd St. Stout St (near Mercury Café); Instagram: @denverfoodnotbombs HARE KRISHNA TEMPLE: 1400 Cherry St., free vegetarian feast on Sun., 6:45-7:30pm; krishnadenver.com HIS LOVE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH: 910 Kalamath St.; Community dinner on Thurs., 6-6:45pm, Men’s breakfast 1st Sat. of the month, 8-10am, Women’s breakfast 2nd Sat., 9-11am; hislovefellowship.org HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH: 1900 California St.; Sandwiches, M-Sat., 10-10:30am; holyghostchurch.org JORDAN AME CHURCH: 29th and Milwaukee St.; Tues. lunch 11:30am-1:00pm; jordanamedenver.churchfoyer.com OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES: 1567 Marion St.; 303-830-2201; Sat. morning breakfast: 8am, Sun. dinner (required church attendance at 4:30pm); meal served at 6pm; odmdenver.org/home ST. CLARE’S MINISTRY AT ST. PETER AND ST. MARY: 126 W. 2nd Ave.; 303-722-8781 Dinner at 4pm on Tues; Also offers a change of clothes, toiletries and sleeping bags when available; stpeterandmary.org ST. ELIZABETH’S: Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St. (Auraria Campus), 11am 7 days/week; food/coffee; stelizabethdenver.org ST. FRANCIS CENTER: 2323 Curtis St., Wed. & Fri. 3-4:30pm (except third Wed. of each month); sfcdenver.org ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN: 1600 Grant St., Street Reach meal Mon. 1-4:30pm; Grocery room open at 11:30am every Mon.; saintpauldenver.com SAME CAFÉ: 2023 E. Colfax Ave; 720-530-6853;Restaurant serving mostly organic food—not free, but pay what you can or work off your meal in the kitchen; Open Mon.-Sat., 11am to 2pm, Closed Sun. & holidays; soallmayeat.org URBAN OUTREACH DENVER: 608 26th St., Thurs dinners, 6pm-7pm; lovedenver.org VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA: 2877 Lawrence St.; breakfast (8am), lunch (11:30am), dinner (5pm) Mon.-Thurs., 12pm on Fri., 1pm on Sun.; food & clothing bank 9:30am-4pm Mon.-Thurs.; voacolorado.org/gethelp-denvermetrofoodnutrition-themission DON’T LOOK NOW! PUZZLES ARE ON PAGE 13
WHAT DO WE DO TO HELP? Since 2007, the VOICE has provided jobs for more than 4,600 people experiencing housing or financial instability. For every dollar we take in, we put $3.00 directly back into the pockets of those who need it most. WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN DO MORE. SCAN THIS CODE TO SET UP YOUR DONATION TODAY! DENVERVOICE.ORG/DONATE
1 Publizr