$ 2 SUGGESTED DONATION @DenverVOICE BASIC INCOME PROJECT STUMBLES THE ROLLOUT OF THE DENVER BASIC INCOME PROJECT LOOKED PROMISING, BUT LEADING UP TO ITS LAUNCH, THE PROGRAM IS ON SHAKY GROUND. PAGE 10 OVER THE PAST DECADE, LAURA AND MATT PARKER’S EXODUS ROAD HAS SAVED HUNDREDS OF SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIMS. PAGE 6 OVER THE PAST DECADE LAURA SEEKING CHANGE FROM THE INSIDE COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS IN AURORA AND COMMERCE CITY HOPE TO CHANGE THE STATUS QUO BY WINNING SEATS ON CITY COUNCIL. PAGE 8 WRAPPING PAPER ISSUE IS NEXT MONTH! KEEP YOUR EYE OUT IN DECEMBER FOR OUR 2021 VENDOR DESIGNS – PERFECT FOR WRAPPING YOUR HOLIDAY GIFTS! VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY PAGES 3, 5, 11, 12 EVENTS / PUZZLES PAGE 13 RESOURCES PAGE 15 NOVEMBER 2021 | Vol.26 Issue 11 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: COURTESY OF THE EXODUS ROAD
EDITOR’S NOTE ELISABETH MONAGHAN MANAGING EDITOR BY THE TIME most of you see this issue of the Denver VOICE, the November 2 election will be over. We also will know if either Candice Bailey or Renee MillardChacon, two social justice advocates profiled by Giles Clasen in this issue, won city council seats. Additionally, we’ll know the outcomes of ballot measures like 303, the “Let’s Do Better” initiative. While stories about political candidates or information about ballot initiatives may seem like “old news” at this point, Denver VOICE readers and supporters can access more time-sensitive stories on our website. That’s where we first published Clasen’s story about Bailey and Millard-Chicon. We also ran stories on how certain initiatives on the November ballot would impact those experiencing homelessness. When we temporarily paused printing in the spring of 2020, we began running stories online more regularly. Since then, we have published articles about our vendors, community partners, people experiencing homelessness, and the policies that are affecting them, as well as stories on events and activities happening in our community. Bookmark our website to stay updated in between editions. I hope you find the articles in this issue insightful. As you read them if you think of other people or organizations we should cover, please send me an email. Some of the best ideas come from our vendors, readers, and Denver VOICE sponsors. ■ November CONTRIBUTORS PAULA BARD is an award-winning fine art photographer, writer, and activist. She lives on a mountain top southwest of Denver. DENVERVOICE.ORG CE.ORG GILES CLASEN is a freelance photographer 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. 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. @deeOCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Seybold MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan PROGRAM COORDINATOR Anthony Cornejo GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Bragg VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Ashton Brown Haven Enterman Kersten Jaeger Kate Marshall Aaron Sullivan Laura Wing PHOTOGRAPHERS/ILLUSTRATORS Paula Bard Giles Clasen 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. WRITERS Lando Allen Paula Bard Rea Brown Giles Clasen Cat Evans Shaleen Vanese Figueroa Raelene Johnson Jerry Rosen Penny Sandoval Michael Sindler Larmarques Smith Jerry Rosen BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nikki Lawson, President Michelle Stapleton, Vice President Jeff Cuneo, Treasurer Zephyr Wilkins, Secretary Chris Boulanger Donovan Cordova Raelene Johnson 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 12 p.m. Orientation is held every day we are open, but prospective vendors must arrive by 10:00 a.m. 2 DENVER VOICE November 2021 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US
VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY OUR STREETS: NOPH BY PAULA BARD I OWN 30 ACRES UP IN BAXTER CREEK, behind Susanville, in California. We had a lightning strike, and fire started up on the mountain. It was the biggest, I believe it’s the biggest forest fire that’s ever happened in the United States. I had 30 acres; I watched it burn up in 30 minutes, I barely made it out alive, me and the fire crew. It was called the Sheep Fire; we lost an entire mountain. I actually borrowed a car to drive up here. And just broke down in Beaver, Utah. It was the first storm of the winter. It took me four days to get back here just to find out that I needed an alternator. I wound up homeless here, sleeping in a tent. The day after Thanksgiving. I’ve pretty much been stuck here ever since last November. And every time it seems like I come up, something happens to bring me right back down. I’ve had my wallet stolen, my ID stolen, I’ve had my pack stolen five times, two bikes stolen. Yeah, and it’s either go to eat and watch your bike or not eating. I mean, it was literally stolen right in front of Denver Rescue Mission, with cameras. I’ve moved around with the sweeps, four actual sweeps. I was on 22nd Street for a little while. I started moving a little further out, but that didn’t really make a big difference. I don’t do shelters because I have severe PTSD, hypervigilance. I have night terrors. Originally I’m from Michigan; I was born just outside of Detroit. I was a specialist in the 16th Airborne Rangers. I’m 49, lived in Tucson for 13 years. Went to the University of Arizona. My kids are still down there. My youngest is 27. I have two granddaughters now. When we’re homeless. It is survival mode every day. ■ OUR Streets are stories of Denver’s unhoused residents as captured by Paula Bard, who walks the streets of Denver to photograph the faces and collect the stories of those our city has abandoned. 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. 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-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 193 | 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. November 2021 DENVER VOICE 3
ANNUAL WRAPPING PAPER On Tuesday, December 7, our community will come together to “give where we live” during Colorado’s largest one-day online giving event. We invite you to join our community on this day and support the Denver VOICE! This year we have a goal of raising $10,000 on Colorado Gives Day, and all gifts made that day on our website will link you directly to this effort. But you can schedule your gift starting November 1! Simply go to www.coloradogives. org/denvervoice/overview. Under the donation amount, check the box that says “Schedule a donation for Colorado Gives Day” and complete the process. VOICE vendors have been busy coming up with wrapping paper designs for our December issue. Keep your eye out next month for the 2021 creations, and use them to wrap your holiday gifts! Your gift delivers ongoing support for the more than 100 individuals we employ each year through the vendor program - giving everyone that comes to us in need the opportunity that comes from tools of empowerment and hope for change! 4 DENVER VOICE November 2021 2021 ART BY VOICE VENDOR RAELENE JOHNSON T BY VOICE VENDOR RAELENE JOHNS N NE JOHNSON 2021 ART BY VOICE VENDOR LANDO ALLE T DO ALLE T BY VOICE VENDOR LANDO ALLEN LLEN 2021 ART BY VOICE VENDOR REA BROWN 21 AR
AUTUMN WISH LIST NEW ITEMS NEEDED: Socks Reusable water bottles Sunscreen, toothpaste, deodorant, chapstick Paper products for the office 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) Hats or beanies Blankets Gloves A ASK A VENDOR THIS COLUMN IS A PLACE FOR DENVER VOICE VENDORS TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS FROM OUR READERS AND STAFF. Q Why did you decide to get the COVID-19 vaccination? LANDO ALLEN I got the vaccine to protect myself and others. RAELENE JOHNSON I got it because I have COPD. With my lung issues, I’m even more susceptible towards getting it, so when it was time for my age group to get it, I wanted to do it for my health, and to protect others around me. JERRY ROSEN The reason I got the vaccine is so that it would protect me from getting COVID because I felt it I was doing the right thing. PENNY SANDOVAL I decided to get vaccinated because medical professionals said I should. LARMARQUES SMITH Because I am immuno-compromised, it was important for me to get the vaccine to stay healthy, but also, I had misgivings about taking the vaccine. I wanted to see how others who got the vaccine reacted before I took it just because, typically, there has been mistrust with drugs like that, but if you think about it, the whole world is being vaccinated against this. That’s how polio was eradicated, so I had to take it…. I had to take it. DENVERVOICE.ORG/VENDOR-NEEDS Drop-offs are accepted Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. or schedule a drop-off by emailing program@denvervoice.org. What do YOU want to ask? If you have a question or issue you would like vendors to discuss, please email community@denvervoice.org. November 2021 DENVER VOICE 5
LOCAL FEATURE EXODUS ROAD: A WAY OUT FOR SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIMS BY CAT EVANS HUMAN TRAFFICKING is an ongoing and widespread problem that the majority of society knows little about. There is no discrimination when it comes to the victims of trafficking as it impacts men, women, and children internationally. Statistically, however, women and girls are disproportionately impacted. According to freetheslaves.net, “an estimated 71% of enslaved people are women and girls, while men and boys account for 29%.” Trafficking is highly lucrative, with global profits sitting around roughly $150 billion a year — humanrights.org estimates $99 billion of trafficking profits come from commercial sexual exploitation. The majority of trafficking comes into the United States. It’s estimated that 50,000 people per year come from Mexico and the Philippines. Laura Parker is the co-founder, president, and CEO of the Exodus Road, a donation-based organization that develops and engages people with programs to end human trafficking. She and her husband Matt Parker started the organization about ten years ago after a life-changing experience when Matt, a youth pastor, received an offer to run a children’s home in northern Thailand. Once they were overseas, Matt began working at an allgirls home. Trafficking wasn’t even on his radar until he heard about ‘Johns’ — people who recruited young girls and trafficked them. “It brought this overwhelming sense of responsibility to me,” he said. “I was running a children’s home with 48 girls in it; they were all from these villages.” From there, Matt started to investigate different villages to find out if the rumors were true. Everywhere he went, trafficking was a known issue — and even worse, it was a normal issue. “It struck me that something was happening that was systemic,” he said. He and his team met with law enforcement, who invited them to be their consultants and do research on human trafficking. They realized no one was looking for victims of trafficking. The civilians and nonprofits rely on the police, and the police are often corrupt and preoccupied. “This was a significant discovery for us,” Matt explained. To get the police involved, there needed to be solid evidence, verifiable information. Matt sought out informants to do the job and find tangible evidence but fell short because of the significant dangers that going undercover imposed. Growing more frustrated, he and a couple of his close friends took matters into their own hands. Matt was as serious about this cause as he was about his wife and children. Knowing the work was dangerous and that he was risking his life doing more than just research, Matt asked Laura for her permission. Laura, who was hesitant, assumed Matt’s PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE EXODUS ROAD 6 DENVER VOICE November 2021
LOCAL FEATURE COURTESY OF THE EXODUS ROAD project would take a short time to complete, and then, that would be that. Even though she feared for her husband, she ultimately agreed and gave him her blessing. What Matt and his team discovered, as they dug deep into the world of trafficking, was disturbing and shockingly casual. At one point, the team came upon a location where girls were lined up on a stage wearing numbers. In turn, the Johns chose whatever number girl suited them, paid a set amount of money, and got to take the girls upstairs to do whatever they wanted with them for an hour. As Matt explained, “With human trafficking, people are turned into a commodity. Those girls were commodities; they were canned goods on a shelf, and you could pick whichever ones you wanted.” Matt was able to speak to one of those girls, whose name was Belle. She recounted how someone came to her family offering Belle a job for massage work, and once she arrived, she was told she owed a debt and that there was no job; she had to dance. When Matt asked why she couldn’t leave, Belle explained that she didn’t know how to get home. This is a typical way victims of trafficking get trapped. The trafficker entices them with promises of greater opportunity. Then, the trafficker takes ownership of the victim in his possession, delivering on none of the promises he made. Upon returning home, Matt was so moved by what he experienced that he talked to Laura about continuing with the undercover work. Thinking of her own children in a similar situation, Laura agreed. She tracked Matt’s every move, as he continued to go undercover, as he’d go in and out of brothels, studying fiercely, and secretly recording different spaces filled with underage girls for sale. After eight months, Matt turned over plenty of sufficient intelligence to the authorities, but nothing had come of it. He provided footage inside of different locations and spoke with various women regarding their situations. He and Laura began to question whether or not what they were doing even mattered. As time went on, Matt was introduced to a 15-year-old girl named Sarah, whom he and his team tried to rescue multiple times to no avail. Each time they’d go in, there would be an COURTESY OF THE EXODUS ROAD internal, corrupt tip-off from authorities, a common issue among law enforcement with corrupt ties. With the cards seemingly stacked against them, Matt and his team were relentless. They finally saved Sarah and the other girls, and the involved traffickers were arrested during a full-swarm hit on a known trafficking space. From there, they found more and more success. That’s when they knew they could really make an impact. In order to train, deploy, and map at large scales, they needed money. Then came the idea of founding the Exodus Road, which they viewed as “a path out of slavery.” A frequent mantra for the Exodus Road is, “We must make trafficking a dangerous thing to do.” The model of Exodus Road exists to support other law enforcement officers, social workers, and different impact groups – to celebrate good work and make it known what’s happening in the world and to all who are involved. One of the largest issues with trafficking is that it’s rarely mentioned in spaces of action. Over the years, as the organization has grown, it has become more and more evident that trafficking was uncharted, neglected, and a necessary cause to devote their lives to. Speaking on why it’s such a rarity, Laura, who in the past two years opted into a leadership position as president of the Exodus Road, stated, “Trafficking is an issue people are intimidated to talk about, particularly in a sex trafficking space. There’s something about sex trafficking that feels very taboo, so people kind of want to shut their eyes to it.” There are also extreme complexities and misunderstandings of how relevant it is to daily life. “People aren’t even really sure what sex trafficking is. Most people think it’s happening somewhere far away, and they often miss the reality that it’s right here, as well.” What’s most worrisome about the misunderstanding of trafficking is the major lack of information in knowing what to look for, and the best response and intervention methods. Pointing to the universal presence of trafficking, Laura explained, “This issue is really hidden in plain sight. You see what you’d expect, but then you also see people who are professionals – whether they’re users (knowingly engaging with trafficked people) or traffickers.” There are varying types of trafficking. One common form is familial – where people are trafficking out of their own homes. Often, people who are trafficked are in unfortunate or desperate situations, like teens in the foster care system, LGBTQ+ youth, and homeless youth of all genders. Often, undocumented workers are used in labor trafficking. Trafficking also shows up in places like massage parlors, bars, domestic household help, city streets, and lower-income neighborhoods. “It’s hard because it is everywhere. Traffickers are always looking to exploit the vulnerable,” Laura said. Over the past 10 years, the Exodus Road has intensified its focus on information distribution. They now have three prominent programs: prevention, intervention, and aftercare. In the prevention category is TraffickWatch Academy, a program that educates law enforcement, nongovernmental organization practitioners, students, and communities with high-level content from the counter-trafficking community. The intervention program involves training, case building, technology use, and law enforcement support. The aftercare solution provides crisis workers and social workers on search and rescue teams. Recognizing that every shot is one worth taking, the Exodus Road team moves with a trauma-informed approach to help those in greatest need. As of now, the Exodus Road has rescued 1,505 people, arrested 820 traffickers, and is currently operating in six countries. To learn more about www.theexodusroad.com. ■ the Exodus Road, visit November 2021 DENVER VOICE 7
LOCAL STORY CANDICE BAILEY SPEAKS AT AURORA DEMOCRATIC BREAKFAST FORUM IN OCTOBER. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN CANDICE BAILEY IS RUNNING FOR AN AT LARGE SEAT ON THE AURORA CITY COUNCIL. “…WORKING ON COMMITTEES AND BOARDS AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL SPEAKS MORE FOR WHO I AM, AND HOW I WILL LEAD, THAN THE WORK THAT I DO ON CORNERS WITH BULLHORNS.” CREDIT: GILES CLASEN RUNNING TO CHANGE BY GILES CLASEN AFTER SPENDING YEARS FIGHTING FOR CHANGE as community organizers, and motivated by their desire to change the system from the inside, community organizers and advocates for social justice are running as city council candidates in Commerce City and Aurora. Candice Bailey, who became known throughout Aurora and Colorado for her vocal criticism of the Aurora Police Department following Elijah McClain’s death, is running for an Aurora City Council At Large seat. “I think that as a Black woman, I’ve always stood up for what was right,” Bailey said. “When I organized protests, with respect to Elijah McClain, I didn’t do something unique; I did something that every one of us should have done – that we had the responsibility to do. Standing up for someone who is brutally murdered — that is the right thing to do.’ Bailey said she wants people to know that she will always fight for justice, but her work for police reform has included more than organizing protests to draw attention to the brutal tactics of Aurora police. Without endorsing any one candidate, Colorado Congressman Jason Crow suggested there are many models of service that help prepare individuals for office. 8 DENVER VOICE November 2021 “No one person or organization can solve all of the challenges we face,” Crow said. “We have never before in our country or community history faced as many and as different types of complicated and overlapping problems. We need lots of different perspectives and different people to come together and figure out how to address those challenges. That’s going to require diversity of thought, it’s going to require diversity of background and experience,” Crow added. Representative Iman Jodeh, who represents Aurora House District 41 in the state house, agrees. “It’s important [for community organizers to run for office],” said Jodeh. “These are the folks that are in the trenches; these are the folks that have the lived experiences that I think the majority of [elected officials] haven’t had.” After years of advocacy for Indigenous and Chicano communities, Renee Millard-Chacon is running for a seat in Ward 3 for Commerce City Council and is campaigning for environmental justice within Commerce City. “Commerce City’s [elected] leaders don’t look at the health and safety of the community as a priority,” Millard-Chacon said. “They focus development on economic benefits. But the economic benefits are only creating a future for a privileged few while harming current generations and future generations.” The two environmental concerns Millard-Chacon has built her candidacy on are the Suncor refinery and potential for new fracking wells being approved in Commerce City. “With the pollution from Suncor, and the future pollution from fracking, we’re getting hit double and adding to those systemic health disparities,” Millard-Chacon said. The Commerce City Council passed Ordinance 2266 in March, which now requires all oil and gas permits be approved by the city council. “This change makes the 2021 Commerce City election the most important election in a long time,” Millard-Chacon said, “because the city council will play a larger role in approving oil and gas drilling permits.” A report released in 2019 by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment found individuals living within 2,000 feet of fracking wells are exposed to benzene and other chemicals that are health risks. Both Bailey and Millard-Chacon have participated in community engagement through nonprofit work. Millard-Chacon co-founded the nonprofit Womxn of the Mountain, an organization focusing on cultural education and inclusivity training. She also formerly worked at Spirit of the Sun, an organization that works with indigenous tribes to create new development opportunities and improve tribal economies. Bailey has founded nonprofits and businesses that train officers on addressing trauma in the community. She also serves on the City of Aurora Community Police Task Force, as well as a half dozen other local and state boards and committees. Additionally, she has trained police officers throughout Colorado on trauma-informed policing as part of her nonprofit and small business ventures. “I think that my track record of working inside of public safety, working on committees and boards at the state and local level, speaks more for who I am, and how I will lead, than the work that I do on corners with bullhorns,” Bailey said. Trauma-informed practices involve recognizing and responding to the effects of trauma in behavior to a police presence. It is a policing practice interwoven with de-escalation tactics to prevent violence during police encounters. Bailey believes that police have a difficult job and face damaging trauma within the job, and she wants police officers to understand they are valued within the community. Still, Bailey believes defunding the police is an important step forward.
LOCAL STORY RENEE MILLARD-CHACON SAID SHE IS FRUSTRATED THAT THE ECOLOGICAL HARM CAUSED BY SUNCOR AND FUTURE FRACKING SITES HAVE UNDULY IMPACT LOWINCOME FAMILIES AND PEOPLE OF COLOR. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN RENEE MILLARD-CHACON (CENTER) SPEAKS AT AN EMERGE COLORADO EVENT. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN Defunding the police is a movement to reallocate funds from police departments to other public safety and social support programs like social services, housing services, and other community services. Bailey wants to see social workers and mental health providers respond to certain crisis calls that may not require a police presence. She believes this will help lessen the trauma to police officers and help keep the public safer. Aurora has already created two different programs designed to provide help to individuals experiencing mental health crises as an alternative to police intervention. The Crisis Response Team is a partnership between the Aurora PD and the Aurora Mental Health Center to help individuals experiencing mental illness to avoid incarceration, while introducing them to and helping them navigate the Aurora behavioral health programs. The Aurora Mobile Team is similar to Denver’s STAR program and utilizes mental health workers and a paramedic to deescalate crisis situations. It is currently in a six-month trial program and only active in Northeast Aurora. “The programs exist,” Bailey said. “Now we need to tighten them up, and we need to strengthen them. We need to make sure that they’re being utilized properly by our police department.” According to Representative Jodeh, candidates who have worked in the trenches to change their community may be better suited to create new laws and ordinances that are more equitable to individuals who aren’t always recognized by politicians. “When you come from a [Black and Indigenous People of Color] community, this gives you a different lens on advocacy,” Jodeh said. “When you take that into elected office, it also gives a different lens to policymaking. That gives the people a voice that oftentimes is overlooked, misheard, and misunderstood.” Millard-Chacon said she is frustrated that the ecological by harm caused Suncor disproportionally impacts low-income families and People of Color, including undocumented individuals who aren’t able to vote. “Suncor’s pollution causes harm to our disproportionately impacted communities, starting with Indigenous and Chicano communities,” Millard-Chacon said. “When we ask for equity and protection, Commerce City [elected] leaders act as if health and safety is some form of charity. Suncor and so many emitters have been able to secrete a damaging amount of pollution onto Commerce City,” Millard-Chacon said. “They have never been restorative to heal what they’ve done. Commerce City has never provided an enforceable protection and they don’t pursue it either.” Suncor experienced malfunctions in 2017, 2019, and 2020 which caused excessive emissions and a release of catalyst, a clay like emission, to cascade across Commerce City. It is among the largest polluters in the state of Colorado and was penalized by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) for exceeding permit emission levels of hydrogen-cyanide, a cancer causing chemical, in 2019. As recently as August 2021, CDPHE air monitoring found elevated levels of pollutants near the Suncor plant. Suncor released an independent report, just before public hearings in 2021, exploring the state’s renewal of Suncor’s permit. The report, which was funded by Suncor, recommended new actions for the plant to protect the community from future malfunctions. The recommendations were accepted by CDPHE in May of 2021, and Suncor is in the process of implementing them. Suncor’s permit has not yet been renewed by the state. Millard-Chacon said that Suncor wasn’t the only environmental risk facing Commerce City. Commerce City could also be the site of new fracking wells. The Denver-based company, Extraction Oil & Gas, currently has applications for six different permits in varying phases of approval submitted to the city. “I’m not a politician,” Millard-Chacon said. “I am not here to be a celebrity. I have suffered and have seen my whole family suffer from systemic violence. I do not want my children to have to endure this or have to fight these same fights for equity just to be able to live and thrive in their spaces.” For Candice Bailey, it was a fight just to get on the ballot, as the Aurora City Charter prohibited felons from running for office. Bailey pled guilty to a second-degree assault charge in 1999 and attributes her actions to being young and dumb. She said she learned from the experience and believes it gave her valuable insight into how the legal system has a very real and life-long individuals. With help from the ACLU, arguing the charter violated the state constitution, Bailey sued the City of Aurora. The Aurora City Council voted 7-2 to change the charter in an August meeting allowing Bailey to run. Bailey sees the charter as an element of the Jim Crow past and believes it was designed to disenfranchise People of Color and prohibit them from representation. “It is the responsibility of our council members, of our legislators, and of our senators to come in and look at the laws and policies that exist and to have those Jim Crow laws removed,” Bailey said. Bailey believes much of the system needs changing and that her work as an advocate for police reform can help lead Aurora in a new direction. “I’m not here to provoke a fight; I’m here to provoke a change.” ■ November 2021 DENVER VOICE 9
LOCAL STORY DENVER BASIC INCOME PROJECT STUMBLES BY PAULA BARD “The Denver Basic Income Project is a powerful example of what can happen when the private sector, government, and philanthropy come together to co-create solutions to complex challenges,” says Javier Alberto Soto, president and CEO of The Denver Foundation. “Many people in our community need resources to overcome deep, systemic issues that lead them to homelessness in the first place. Basic incomes will create a lifeline for stability, economic opportunity, and wellness.” BASIC INCOME – transferring cash directly to the unhoused – is a sensible and humane vision currently in the experimental stage around the country. For Denver, it could potentially impact up to 600 of the metro area’s 6,104 individuals experiencing homelessness. (This number comes from the 2020 Point in Time survey count.) Mark Donovan, a Denver resident, saw this potential impact and decided to invest in a community initiative. According to Donovan, a basic income would at least stabilize things and create some of the redistributions of the unjust allocation of wealth that is pervasive in our economy. Donovan believes that taking financial action could impact the lives of people in great need. So, with a seed donation, he began the Denver Basic Income Project. The project, which aims to provide a basic income of $12,000 to select individuals, involves a partnership between local nonprofit service providers already involved with caring for the unhoused and community members, along with organizations that can provide funding and support. Importantly, they included an advisory board with lived experience of being unhoused. But it can be a daunting task to gather players from all walks of life to work together and take meaningful action around Denver’s humanitarian crises of the unhoused. Even though the Denver Basic Income Project initially aimed to fully launch this fall, ahead of winter, it has stumbled. The project began earlier this summer with a pilot program meant to iron out any issues. Then, in late August, the nonprofit Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL) decided to leave the project after the completion of the pilot. What went wrong? THE PLAN The program is modeled after the groundbreaking New Leaf Project (NLP) in Vancouver and the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED). Both programs funneled direct cash payments to vulnerable populations and have revealed dramatically positive results. The SEED program reduced income volatility and allowed recipients to find full-time employment. Recipients of a guaranteed income were healthier, showing less depression and anxiety and enhanced wellbeing. The Impact Report from the NLP showed that moving into housing provides stability, reduces 10 DENVER VOICE November 2021 the risk of trauma, improves health, and frees up shelter beds. The report also showed that recipients prioritized spending on recurring essentials like housing, food, transportation, and utility bills. The organization has partnered with the University of Denver’s Center for Housing and Homelessness Research and tasked them with running a randomized control trial to chart results. This will enable them to contribute solid data to the policy debate advocating for Universal Basic Income as an effective tool to address extreme poverty and unhoused populations. The research will analyze the impact of direct cash on housing, wellness, income volatility, and stability. This summer, the Denver Basic Income Project structured its pilot in three tiers of direct cash payments: Group A: Participants will receive 12 consecutive monthly cash transfers of $1,000 on the 16th of each month. Group B: Participants will receive a one-time cash transfer of $6,500 during the initial enrollment month and then will receive 11 consecutive monthly cash transfers of $500 on the 16th of each month. Group C: Participants will be considered the control group for the study. They will receive 12 consecutive monthly cash transfers of $50 on the 16th of each month. DHOL and Mile High Ministries were the two groups actively involved with small pilots, each signing up six participants – two people in each of the three categories. VISIONS COLLIDE Some members of the nonprofit community, those working directly with the unhoused, had concerns around safety and the speed of the program’s rollout. Ana Sofia Cornelius of DHOL, who is running one of the small pilots, saw two significant issues and raised her concerns to the group. “Particularly around the consent form and card limits. I brought it up at the first board meeting. . . If the participants left the program they had to pay back the funds, which I thought was very problematic,” Cornelius explains. “When I was pitched this project I was told there would be no strings attached. And this seemed like a pretty big string, especially for someone who has nothing, to then maybe have a $12,000 bill is a huge handicap and harm.” PAUL WALLS, DENVER BASIC INCOME RECIPIENT. CREDIT: PAULA BARD She was told that she misunderstood and that the form had been informed by a group of lawyers and was finalized due to a shortened timeline. “Because of the deadlines, we were being pushed to keep moving forward, even though there were lots of problems that we wanted to troubleshoot,” says Cornelius. “The other issue was the card limit,” she continues. “If you’re looking to make a big purchase, you can’t, because there are card limits. And if you’re looking to make cash purchases, there are withdrawal limits. And so, for folks who are unhoused and looking for maybe to buy an RV off of Craigslist or something, they’re going to be working with cash. The limit is $705 a day, but an RV is clearly more than $705. So, if you’re withdrawing $705 per day, where are you storing it? If you’re unhoused on the street, having that amount of cash in your tent with no protection can make WHO IS MARK DONOVAN? DESCRIBING HOW HE ENDED UP IN DENVER, Donovan explains, “I went to Indonesia in the early ’90s and fell in love with it,” he says. “I established a business and a life in between Bali, Indonesia and the U.S. and built my company over the years. We were a women’s sweater company. I’m still one of the principals; I’m not as active as I used to be. I’ve learned a lot from that, particularly lean manufacturing, to do a lot with little space and little money. It’s applying that kind of thinking within this space and trying to come up with different approaches, run small tests. If we learn something, then we try again. That’s the way I’m trying to approach it. I think the Basic Income Project is one of those concepts that might create a foundation for accelerated transition towards stability.” Donovan started coming to Colorado about 10 years ago and then moved to Denver in 2017. He started doing personal basic income grants last June. “With the personal grants, I work with a number of individuals who are unhoused. This has been part of my learning experience. Then I started having discussions with some of the partners last December like Jeff Johnson at Mile High Ministries and Cole Chandler at Colorado Village Collaborative. He discusses his approach to problem-solving, explaining, “I started with the personal grants. I run small pilots and learn from them and pivot and see what works and what feels right, and then keep going from there. So, I started doing a deep dive into the research and direct cash everywhere, including child tax credits. I haven’t read anything negative about direct cash so it seemed like this is something we can build upon.” According to Donovan, the efficacy of direct cash has been proven. “What we’re trying to do is get as much out as possible, and learn how to target it better,” he says. “Is the lump sum better than monthly $1,000 [payments]? We can use it in conjunction with different service approaches and the different organizations. Will that impact or show us how to do it better? And so, it’s a lot about learning and also providing this foundational support that will hopefully accelerate and augment the work of these partners that we have.” ■ ANA SOFIA CORNELIUS WITH DENVER HOMELESS OUTLOUD. CREDIT: PAULA BARD
PAGE TITLE people vulnerable to attack. We have to do away with the card limits.” Service providers, who work with the unhoused, are not currently set up to organize or provide banking services for the participants. Those living on the streets are very vulnerable to crime, particularly theft; they have no way to protect themselves. Paul Walls, 55, has been unhoused on and off in Denver’s streets for years. Recruited for the project in June, he is part of group B and received the large initial cash payment followed by monthly payments. His bank card has been stolen twice. Walls is a natural leader and identifies so strongly with his community that the money he has received has gone largely toward helping fellow community members who are coping with desperate needs and various health crises. For those living on the streets, community is survival. “It’s not about me, it’s about us,” Walls says. He goes on, “Out here if you put yourself above others, you separate yourself.” ATTEMPT AT RECONCILIATION “I think if we had just sat down and worked together, we could have easily resolved the challenges,” Donovan says in hindsight. “I should have tripled down on building the coalition relationships.” “If you bring in groups with such a different perspective on life, in a project like this, there should be some kind of mediation process when you have conflict,” says Cornelius. The Conflict Center was involved, but according to Cornelius, they were not used effectively, and differing points of view were not valued equally. She did not feel a spirit of cooperation and did not think that the community she represented, the unhoused themselves, was heard sufficiently. So, the group brought in an organizational consultant. Donovan, however, is conflicted about delaying the project to reach consensus within the group. “And so, which is the right move?” Donovan reflects, “I don’t know.” ROLLING FORWARD “We’re going to move forward,” Donovan stated. “The work is super important.” Regarding the potential absence of DHOL, he says, “It won’t be as strong as it would be if they were involved. But it’s still going to be hugely impactful, and we have tons of great partners who have been working in this space for decades and are hugely committed.” Cornelius believes the timeline should be slowed down. “I think that because the pilot is already in progress,” she says. “They should run the pilot, learn lessons from the pilot before they go into a full program. Gaining knowledge would make more sense to me. That gives them time to really assess.” Despite the conflict, the Denver Basic Income Project plans to add more people in the coming months. “We probably won’t be ready by January but will have a better idea by the end of November,” says Donovan, “Our selection committee chose 15 partner organizations, plus backups from the applicant pool. We have not yet publicly announced the partners but are working with them to prepare for the launch.” NEXT To move forward, they will need to place value on all the voices brought to the table and build crucial relationships. This involves listening with patience and learning from diverse experiences. Sometimes “start-up culture” has to slow down and learn from the wealth of experience on the ground. If this project moves forward while building bridges, it could very well have an enormously positive impact on some of the most vulnerable in Denver’s unhoused community. ■ WRITING THROUGH HARD TIMES COURTESY OF DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY AND LIGHTHOUSE WRITERS WORKSHOP SHALEEN VANESE FIGUEROA KEYS Houselessness tends to be an event that rocks your world, And your senses. It’s how I figured out that the “rod of poverty” spares noone. “Spare the rod, spoil the child.” Just for a sec, Imagine how close to home, being housless, actually is. As close as a COVID-19 diagnosis, a coupled death, or accompanying vaccine. “Then, I became a man, I put away childish things.” It’s a full time job, with “childlabor-like” daily pay. A lot of hustle: Bustle, grappling, sacrifice, and suffering. It has plagued my life, since approximately: 1996. I ran away from home. It’s almost like taking breath, Living life, and/or, just chillaxin, up in “The River Stixx”, And with DEATH, just knocking at your door. Can the intricate, delicate daily tasks of life ever become a bore ‘Lenore? forevermore. forevermore. MICHAEL SINDLER HARD TIMES LIMERICKS Once Jane and Simone and Dan Came up with a wonderful plan To help those in hard times Heal through prose and rhymes Now CAN’T has been changed to CAN The group became a family Where participants felt safe and free To share with trust and with pride What they felt deep inside In a spirit of camaraderie They crafted literary gems Even published many of them Who would have guessed That they’d be so blessed With Hard Times as their eponym? Now a new crop of facilitators and a growing family of creators keep writing and sharing and giving and caring each week it gets greater and greater The Hard Times Writing Workshop is a collaboration between Denver Public Library and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. It’s open to all members of the public, especially those experiencing homelessness. Each month, the Denver VOICE publishes a selection of writing from these workshops. Virtual workshops: lighthousewriters.org/workshop/denver-public-library-hard-times More writing by these featured poets: writedenver.org November 2021 DENVER VOICE 11
IN YOUR OWN WORDS BOUND TO GO LEFT BY REA BROWN, VOICE VENDOR I’m not a racist, but these cases, make me have to take a side. How long must this go on? They even killed a man in his own home, eating ice cream, relaxing. It’s like our values is nothing, unlawful cuffing, somebody better do something, before I go live with my cousin. She has guns by the dozen. “Ahem!” Jeff cleared his throat interrupting, “Would anyone else like to share something?” He uttered with compunction, but reluctant, “Maybe on a different subject?” Guy noticed all was looking, so he started. “Aroma dancing like cotton candy, mixed with brandy, with a pinch of dandy, fanning fancy with bubbly silk clothing soft like puppy dogs be, more beautiful than anything you could ever see. Unless you were blessed to be able to roam the sea, salty only if I should ever lose the key. Jeff nods his head as if to agree. That’s when Kaylee uttered so humbly, REA BROWN. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN IT WAS BOUND TO GO LEFT. That’s what was on the mind of Jeff, as he spoke with held breath, “Would anyone else like to bless before I put this class to rest?” Her voice cracks as she says, luckily, it’s obvious she’s trying to dam the flood rushing. He could already see the mess that would ensue after yes, the bullets that would fly hitting all without a vest. “Yes, yes, yes!” was the reply from Kaylee, Queen, and Guy. He smiled and said “OK,” but he was really thinking “Why?” Sifting his vocabulary to find ways to say goodbye, he opened his mouth, but he hesitated to lie. It was at that he that he realized Queen was about to cry With frustration in her voice and justice in her eyes, she yelled, “I’m a Black woman, and I will not stand by and watch the murder of innocent lives. They killed another boy with a toy. It’s like they don’t even try! “Luckily I’ll find my way back to luxury. Godspeed, I’ll return to living comfortably. And when I do, I’ll remember those who looked the other way, cause I will look the other way too, trust me. Jeff, not wanting to sound rushy, plus he was somewhat moved by Kaylee, so he decided that a pause was necessary, even if danger was waiting. They had gone too far to try escaping, so Jeff just slowly started pacing. By now, everyone was bracing. The tension was pervading. It was as if the Reaper started speaking, as he uttered, “That’s neat. At least, they think they’re sweet, but hurt their feet. But they look sleek. Often wore to a meet with teeth. Cheek-to-cheek. Even though bleak. In steps, a creep. Hoping nobody peep and notice your need for a seat, or some sneaks until it’s too hard to hide that you’ve been hero-ing up a hill on heaps.■ “Every year, at least a hundred bums die in the streets, and I can’t help but think, ‘what if one week one of them is me?’ With a haircut, a dress and some clogs, I’m not that ugly. A shower or two and a few people would love me. If only they knew who was me, they wouldn’t think themselves above me. Trust me They would consider themselves lucky and pray one day their babies don’t grow to be junkies. A lot of people are okay, one check away from being dusty, one bath away from being musty,” FREE ADDICTION SUPPORT FOR DENVER RESIDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR FINANCIAL HARDSHIP (855) 539-9375 WeFaceItTogether.org 12 DENVER VOICE November 2021
EVENTS LAUGH LAB Come watch local comedians tinker and test out new material at Rise Comedy’s weekly Laugh Lab! Some comics will concoct the perfect formula while other jokes will implode but regardless, an outrageous amount of fun is guaranteed. WHEN: Nov 3, 10, 17, 24, 8 p.m. WHERE: Rise Comedy, 1260 22nd St. COST: Free MORE INFO: risecomedy.com DENVER FILM FESTIVAL Currently in its 44th year, the Denver Film Festival provides the opportunity to immerse oneself in world-class cinema for 12 straight days. This year’s fest will feature national and international independent films, creative conversations, post-screening Q+As, VR experiences, and additional special events. Choose from fancy-pants red carpet screenings or low-budget indie gems, while you hang with other film lovers and makers. WHEN: Nov 3 – Nov 14 WHERE: Multiple venues COST: Ticket prices vary MORE INFO: denverfilm.org MUSIC IN THE GALLERIES: THE NOOR QUARTET Enjoy live music as you wander the galleries with performances by The Noor Quartet at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. For the health and wellbeing of the community, all visitors ages 3+ are required to wear face coverings inside the museum. WHEN: Nov 14, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. COST: Free w/ museum admission, $6 – $10 WHERE: Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock St. MORE INFO: clyffordstillmuseum.org CHANGING HOW WE COVER HOMELESSNESS For news consumers, the way journalists cover homelessness frames our understanding of the issue, but what do members of the media understand about homelessness? In coordination with the Denver Press Club, the Denver VOICE is proud to sponsor this panel with Cara DeGette as moderator and panelists Robert Davis (Denver VOICE), Marcus Hill (Colo Springs Indy), Jeremy Jojola (9News). WHEN: Nov 17, 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. WHERE: Denver Press Club, 1330 Glenarm Pl. COST: $5 MORE INFO: denverpressclub.org/events OPENING DAY OF THE DENVER CHRISTKINDL MARKET This festive holiday tradition will continue in Civic Center Park this year, allowing for more social distancing between guests. However, much of the charm will remain with festive music, big beers, Gluhwein, traditional cuisine, craft vendors, and heat lamps scattered throughout the park. Market runs through December 23, 2021; check the website for daily hours and entertainment. WHEN: Nov 19, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. WHERE: Civic Center Park, Colfax & Broadway 60 MINUTES IN SPACE Hear about the latest in space news, including rocket launches, updates on missions, cutting-edge astronomy, and more. WHEN: Nov 30, 7 p.m. WHERE: Online COST: Free; advance registration required. MORE INFO: facebook.com/DMNSorg November 2021 DENVER VOICE 13 COST: Free entry MORE INFO: christkindlmarketdenver.com COURTESY OF DEBORAH LASTOWKA PUZZLES COURTESY OF STREETROOTS ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 15 ACROSS DOWN 1. Suffix in some city names 5. Inscribed pillar 10. Invitation request 14. On the briny 15. Eye color 16. On the safe side, to a sailor 17. Giving up one’s own needs on behalf of others 20. Betting option 21. Experts 22. The “turf” in surf and turf 23. A pint, maybe 24. Coming back up 31. Malicious 35. Atlanta-based airline 36. Comply with 37. Punjabi princess 38. “Gimme ___!” (start of an Iowa State cheer) 39. “___, far, wherever you are” 40. Loaded (with) 41. Accumulate 43. Big show 44. Weevil 47. Conned 48. To the left, on a ship 52. ___ Henry’s, Tualatinbased business that was sold to Valvoline in 2015 56. Parting word 59. Period that started with the 1929 stock market crash 61. Big laugh 62. Broadcasting 63. Decorative case 64. Aims 65. Jocks’ antitheses 66. Ink decorations 1. Egyptian goddess 2. Consumers 3. Kindled anew 4. Blooper 5. Living together, with “up” 6. Boor’s lack 7. “The Snowy Day” author ___ Jack Keats 8. Hawaiian garland 9. A Little Rascal 10. Derby 11. A ___ of the tongue 12. Blow off steam 13. Coatrack parts 18. Burn the surface of 19. Brainchild 23. Drawer, e.g. 25. Joined with stitches 26. Arm bones 27. Roadwork site sight 28. Surefooted goat 29. ___ tide 30. Greek sandwich 31. Blows it 32. Conceited 33. Data 34. In ___ of (replacing) 41. With reckless ___ 42. Buffy and Faith 45. “___ Darn Cat” 46. Long narrative poem 49. Beginning 50. Indian yogurt dip 51. Rainbow ___ 52. Shrek, e.g. 53. Monopoly token 54. Show the way 55. 2006 Pixar movie 56. Practice in the ring 57. Bone-dry 58. Spanish liqueur 60. Opposite WSW 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 $25,000+ The NextFifty Initiative John & Laurie Mcwethy Charitable Fund $10,000+ Kenneth King Foundation Denver Foundation Max & Elaine Appel The Christian Foundation Rose Community Foundation - CMP $5,000 - $9,999 Anschutz Family Foundation $1,000-$4,999 BNSF Railway Foundation Bright Funds Russell Peterson Phoenix Capital, Inc. Whole Foods Foundation Signs by Tomorrow Energy Outreach Colorado SEI Giving Fund Matthew Seashore & Nikki Lawson Josh Kauer Creating Healthier Communities Meek-Cuneo Family Fund Kroger Network for Good Charities Aid Foundation of America Jim Ashe Walker Family Foundation The Sidney B. & Caleb F. Gates Jr. Fund Matthew Rezek Jerry Conover The Sidney B. & Caleb F. Gates Jr. Fund Patrick & Jan Rutty Sustainable Housing and Development Foundation Megan Arellano Audrey Chumley Mr. Paul Manoogian $500-$999 Betty & Warren Kuehner Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop, Inc. Community Health Charities Michelle Stapleton & James Thompson Michael Dino Fire on Mountain Paul Hoffman Michael J. Fehn & Jan Monnier Lori Holland Jill Haug Travis & Meggie Ramp Alistair Davidson Jim and Nancy Thomas Jennifer Seybold Sheryl and John H Parker Susan B. Jones Maggie Holben Elsbeth Williams Michael Vitco Catherine Hegedus Christine Muldoon and Pete Iannuzzi James Stegman 3M Foundation 10X Business Consultants SEMOptimize Laura Wing Pivitol Energy Partners Donald Weaver Key Renter Property Management Eileen Di Benedetto Katherine Standiford 14 DENVER VOICE November 2021 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! 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 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, COUNSELING, EDUCATION, SHELTERS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, HOLIDAY ASSISTANCE, AND MORE. EMAIL EDITOR@DENVERVOICE.ORG WITH CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS. 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 Go to mealsforpoor.org for meal locations CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 1530 Logan St.; sandwiches & coffee Mon.-Fri. 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; Civic Center Park at Colfax & Lincoln at 1pm every Wed. & 2nd Sat. christinthecity.org CITYSQUARE DENVER 303-783-3777, 2575 S. Broadway; Food pantry Tues. 10am-6pm citysquare.org CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY SERVICES Hot meals served at 1820 Broadway (in front of Trinity United Methodist Church), Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 11:45-12:15 mealsforpoor.org DENVER INNER CITY PARISH 303-322-5733, 1212 Mariposa St., VOA Dining Center for Seniors, free 60 yrs and older, Wed.-Sat. 9am-12pm. Food Bank, Wed.-Fri., tickets at 9am, food bank open 10am-12pm. dicp.org DENVER RESCUE MISSION 1130 Park Avenue West, 3 meals 7 days/week: 5:30am, 12pm, 6pm 303-294-0157 denverrescuemission.org FATHER WOODY’S HAVEN OF HOPE 1101 W. 7th Ave. 303-607-0855. Mon.-Fri. 7am-1pm. Not open weekends. Breakfast is at 8am, and lunch is served at 11am frwoodyshavenofhope.org FEEDING DENVER’S HUNGRY Food service on the second and fourth Thurs. of each month; locations found at feedingdenvershungry.org/events.html FOOD NOT BOMBS Wed. 4pm/Civic Center Park facebook.com/ThePeoplesPicnic HARE KRISHNA TEMPLE 1400 Cherry St., free vegetarian feast on Sun., 6:45-7:30pm krishnadenver.com HIS LOVE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH 910 Kalamath, 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, Mon.-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., Sat. morning breakfast: 8am, Sun. dinner (required church attendance at 4:30pm) meal served at 6pm. 303-830-2201 odmdenver.org/home ST. ELIZABETH’S Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St. on Auraria campus, 7 days/week, 11:00am; 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 ST. PETER AND ST. MARY 126 W. Second Ave., dinner at 6 on Tues. 303-722-8781 stpeterandmary.org SAME CAFÉ 2023 E. Colfax Ave. 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, 720-530-6853 soallmayeat.org SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES 846 E. 18th Ave. 3 meals, Mon.-Fri. 7am-7pm; Sun. 11am-4pm. 55+ seniorsupportservices.org/programs 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-denvermetro-foodnutrition-themission CAREER SERVICES COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTER Level 4, Denver Central Library, 14th Ave. & Broadway. 720-865-1706. Hours: Mon. & Tues. 10am-8pm; Wed., Thurs., Fri. 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 Department of Human Services, 1200 Federal Blvd., Mon.Fri., 7:30am-4:30pm; Services include: employment counseling, assisted job search, résumé preparation, job/applicant matching, phone bank for calling employers, access to computers, copiers, fax, etc. careercenteroffices.com/center/231/denver-westside-workforce-center MEDICAL & DENTAL SERVICES ACS COMMUNITY L.I.F.T. CareVan at Open Door Ministries, 1567 Marion St., Tues. 9am-12:30pm DENVER HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER 303-436-6000, 777 Bannock St. denverhealth.org HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER 303-572-7800; 112 E. 8th Ave.; Mon.-Fri., 9am-12pm. HIV/Hep C/ Gonorrhea/ Chlamydia testing available. Our services are restricted to active IV Drug Users. Offers clean syringes to active users, as well as safety training on how to properly dispose of dirty syringes. harmreductionactioncenter.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, info@hepc-connection.org, liverhealthconnection.org INNER CITY HEALTH CENTER 303-296-1767, 3800 York St. Mon., Wed.-Fri. 8am-5pm; Tues. 9am-5pm; Sat. 8am-2pm. Emergency walk-ins. SALUD CLINIC 6075 Parkway Drive, Ste. 160, Commerce City; Dental 303-286-6755. Medical 303-286-8900. Medical Hours: Mon.-Wed. 8am-9pm, Thurs.-Fri. 8am-5pm; Sat. (Urgent Care only) 8am-5pm; Dental Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm; Pharmacy Hours: Mon.-Fri. 1-5pm; After Office Hours: 1-800-283-3221 saludclinic.org/commerce-city STOUT STREET CLINIC 303-293-2220, 2130 Stout St. Clinic hours for new and established patients: 7am-4pm Mon., Tues., Thurs., & Fri. The clinic is open Wed. 11am-7pm. coloradocoalition.org/healthcare SUNSHINE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (YOUTH SERVICES) Services for youth facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions. 833-931-2484 sunshinebehavioralhealth.com VA MEDICAL CENTER 303-399-8020, 1055 Clermont St. va.gov/find-locations/facility/vha_554A5 WORKNOW 720-389-0999; job recruitment, skills training, and job placement work-now.org DROP-IN & DAYTIME CENTERS ATTENTION HOMES 303-447-1207; 3080 Broadway, Boulder; contactah@attentionhomes.org. Offers safe shelter, supportive programming, and other services to youth up to age 24 attentionhomes.org CITYSQUARE DENVER 303-783-3777; 2575 S. Broadway; Mon.-Thurs. 10am-2pm, Denver Works helps with employment, IDs, birth certs; mail services and lockers citysquare.org FATHER WOODY’S HAVEN OF HOPE 303-607-0855; 1101 W. 7th Ave.; Mon.-Fri. 7am-1pm. Six private showers & bathrooms, laundry, lunch & more thoh.org THE GATHERING PLACE 303-321-4198; 1535 High St.; Mon., Wed.-Fri. 8:30am-5pm, Tues. 8:30am-1:30pm. 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, and more. tgpdenver.org HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER 303-572-7800, 231 East Colfax; Mon.-Fri. 9am-12pm. Provides clean syringes, syringe disposal, harm-reduction counseling, safe materials, Hep C/HIV education, and health education classes. harmreductionactioncenter.org HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH 1900 California St., help with lost IDs and birth certificates holyghostchurch.org HOPE PROGRAM 303-832-3354, 1555 Race St.; Mon.-Fri. 8am-4pm. For men and women with HIV. 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.; Mon.-Fri. 7am-5:30pm. Drop-in center: bathrooms, coffee/tea, snacks, resources, WIFI odmdenver.org ST. FRANCIS CENTER 303-297-1576; 2323 Curtis St. 6am-6pm daily. Storage for one bag (when space is available). Satellite Clinic hours- Mon., Tues., Thurs, Fri. 7:30am-3:30pm; Wed. 12:30-4:30pm sfcdenver.org SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES 846 E. 18th Ave. For those 55 and older. TV room, bus tokens, mental/physical health outreach, and more. seniorsupportservices.org SOX PLACE (YOUTH SERVICES) 2017 Larimer St. Daytime drop-in shelter for youth 12-30 years old. Meals, socks, clothing bank, personal hygiene supplies, internet access, intentional mentoring and guidance, crisis intervention, referrals to other services. Tues.-Fri. 12-4pm & Sat. 11-2pm. soxplace.com THE SPOT AT URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES) 2100 Stout St. 303-291-0442. Drop-in hours Mon.-Fri. 8-11am. If you are a youth aged 15-20 in need of immediate overnight shelter services, please contact 303-974-2928 urbanpeak.org/denver/programs-and-services/drop-in-center URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES) Youth 14-24 in Denver and Colorado Springs. Overnight shelter, food, clothing, showers, case workers, job skills and training, ID and birth certificate assistance, GED assistance, counseling and housing. 730 21st St. 303-974-2900 urbanpeak.org November 2021 DENVER VOICE 15 DON’T LOOK NOW! PUZZLES ARE ON PAGE 13
n fighting Pints poverty a fundraiser r 2 C 0 2 i - 1 o s P NOVEMBER 18, 2021 THURSDAY, 6-10 P.M. | STARTS AT STRANGE CRAFT BREWING The Denver VOICE’s annual Pints Fighting Poverty Pub Crawl is a fun opportunity to show support for those in our community experiencing homelessness and/or poverty, gain insight into the realities, and make an impact by helping us raise the funds to continue to provide economic, education, and empowerment opportunities for those we have the privilege of serving! Happening during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, the evening kicks off at Strange Craft Brewing with a special guest speaker, and includes three stops and a host of exclusive drink specials at some of Denver’s premier brewery and spirit locations! 100% of proceeds raised go toward our mission 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. DENVERVOICE.ORG/ PINTSFIGHTINGPOVERTY n u b r a w l e p
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