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 LANDO ALLEN. Q A If you don’t like your situation (where you live/sleep, your relationship, your health, etc.) , what can YOU do to improve that situation? LANDO ALLEN When I got to Denver, I came across a situation, where a guy was mad at me for snoring while I was sleeping at the shelter. I listened to my voice and got a car and camper to get out of the shelter because they took my stuff. I never looked back. But it’s not easy because I am looking at the city that has tried to take my camper. I’m trying to do the right thing and fix up my camper so it drives better. RAELENE JOHNSON The very first thing to do is ask for help (and want to receive that help). Only when you’re ready to make a change will you start taking chances on yourself and helping yourself get where you need to go by asking for help. When you ask for help and are told what to do, don’t complain. If you complain all the time then you really don’t want the help. In Colorado, there is all kinds of help available if you really want it. JASON MARTIN My health has been on my mind a lot lately, I was diagnosed with Hep C back in 2014, and I didn’t meet the criteria to receive the cure for it. Now, I can receive the cure for free, and I don’t have to meet any criteria, so I’m going to care of it. LARMARQUES SMITH One might think, “Just leave the situation,” but that is easier said than done. Most people grow complacent and choose to stay in an uncomfortable, yet familiar place, rather move to someplace that is unfamiliar. I would research options for other places and make an educated decision on where I should go, based on what needs I have and what resources are available to me. Only I can improve my current situation. 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. February 2024 DENVER VOICE 3
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