COMMUNITY FEATURE PHOTO COURTESY OF CSG LINDA LENGYEL. PHOTO COURTESY OF CSG MORE THAN JUST A JOB: STABILITY AND DIGNITY WITCONSOLIDATED SERVICES GROUP BY HAVEN ENTERMAN TAMMY VAUGHN’S MORNINGS begin at the intersection of Colfax Ave. and Broadway St. Each workday, she sweeps the sidewalk, empties the garbage cans, and does her part to keep the Capitol Hill neighborhood clean and tidy. Her purple uniform is easy to spot, even amongst the hustle and bustle. Vaughn is employed by Consolidated Services Group (CSG), a fair-chance hiring organization providing employment to those facing significant life challenges. Some employees, like Vaughn, are experiencing homelessness. Others are in transitional living spaces or are trying to reenter the community after incarceration. A former night shift nurse, Vaughn could no longer afford Denver’s rising housing costs. “After spending my life here, I felt resentful about being priced out of a place I’d dedicated my life to,” Vaughn explained. “I consider myself a happy person, so that was out of character. [Working at CSG] has helped me feel less angry. I was happy to get the job, and it feels like forward progress.” Since 2014, the organization has partnered with local business improvement districts to help maintain Denver’s public spaces. CSG employees assist with services like trash removal, custodial maintenance, pressure washing, holiday decoration installation, and lighting repairs. “Clean is serious business,” said CSG Finance Director Linda Lengyel. “Studies have shown that cleaning has a great deal of power behind it. It creates not only an aesthetic, but the image of a community that cares for its own.” For employees like Vaughn, employment at CSG is a meaningful way to contribute to the greater good of the city. “I fancy myself somewhat of an ambassador,” Vaughn added. “I feel like I’m helping to keep the popular part of Denver, the part that’s shown to tourists, healthy and safe.” Lengyel stressed that CSG’s mission isn’t just about helping individuals find employment — it’s about giving them the tools for continued success. Like traditional employers, the organization offers a full benefits package including health insurance and paid time off. But, to help employees navigate their unique challenges, CSG provides additional support through on-site laundry machines, lockers, work phones, and EcoPasses for unlimited free rides on RTD buses and trains. Recently, they’ve hired a part-time social worker to supplement pre-existing training for life skills like time management and conflict de-escalation. This approach has proven to be effective. Those who have been with CSG for an extended period of time — in many cases, three years or longer — are dubbed “core employees.” Nelda Green, personnel and human resources director, estimates that the number of core employees is as high as 58%. Though they assist their team members however they can, CSG doesn’t provide overnight shelter. Partners like the Colorado Village Collaborative (CVC), which oversees a variety of Safe Outdoor Spaces and tiny home villages, add the final piece of the puzzle — a safe, warm place for CSG 6 DENVER VOICE March 2022
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