VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY INTRODUCING OUR NEW PROGRAM COORDINATOR, ANDREW KLOOSTER LAST MONTH, we introduced Denver VOICE readers to our new program coordinator, Andrew Klooster. Klooster recently relocated to Denver from Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked for the Doan Brook Watershed Partnership. Kooster has a B.A. in anthropology and sustainability from the University of Michigan and an M.S. in natural resources and environment with a focus on environmental justice from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment. The timing of Klooster’s arrival at the Denver VOICE could not have been better for the organization. With new safety and social distancing protocols in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the VOICE and its vendors have had to make a number of adjustments. From the moment he arrived, Klooster has focused on getting to know the vendors, catching up on paperwork, moving forward with best practices, and identifying areas in need of improvement. As program coordinator for the VOICE, Klooster oversees the Peer Navigation Program and works closely with Denver VOICE vendors to meet our mission of providing individuals experiencing homelessness or poverty a chance to take their first steps towards a more stable life. ■ OUR Streets: MARK BY PAULA BARD “I’M 44, I DID EIGHT YEARS in the United States Marine Corps, 2000-2008. Then, after that, I became a New Mexico State Police officer. I came from New Mexico, I was living in Longmont, me and my wife. She passed away on me. She had a pacemaker. She was living on life support. I gave up on her, I lost her. I couldn’t take it no more. So, I left Longmont. That’s how I ended up down here. This was October 14, last year, 9:02 a.m. Every day after work, I went down to the hospital just to be next to her, hold her hand, you know, stuff like that. I been through a lot, man. I lost my brother, I lost my gramma, I lost my niece. There are a lot of uncles and aunties I lost. Everything went downhill ever since I lost my wife. So, I am working on picking myself up right now. But at the same time, it’s not working. Cuz of all this peer pressure that’s around me. You know what I mean? I mean, at some point, I’ve got to think about my health, too. It’s a main issue. A lot of people told me a lot of things to do, different ways. But it’s up to me. I am a Navajo, Diné, full blood.” ■ Author’s Note: In the fall of 2015, just ahead of Colorado’s winter, Denver sent the full force of its police department and SWAT team to destroy five tiny homes that people “living without homes” had built north of downtown. Something in me snapped: Denver is behaving like a bully! Denver has more than 6,000 people without homes, and more than 3,000 trying to survive on its streets. It is an ugly business. In 2012, Denver passed an urban-camping ban making it illegal for the homeless to protect themselves with “any form of cover or protection from the elements other than clothing.” Violations can bring a $999 fine or a year in jail. I began walking those streets where the homeless are trying to survive, photographing the faces and collecting the stories of those my city has abandoned. So began OUR Streets – stories of Denver’s unhoused residents. CREDIT: PAULA BARD 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. DONATE Donations to the Denver VOICE are tax-deductable. 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 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 @denverVOICE 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. VOLUNTEER We need volunteers to help with everything from newspaper distribution to event planning and management. Contact program@denvervoice.org for volunteering information. 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. November 2020 DENVER VOICE 3
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