$ 2 SUGGESTED DONATION @DenverVOICE VENDING WITH RAELENE PAGE 3 CHARTING A NEW COURSE ‘WHEN YOU T Y SOMEONE’S ABILITY TO GET A JOB THERE IS NO CHOICE.’ PAGE 6 ‘ S HEALTHCARE ON THE STREETS SERVING AS A FREE CLINIC, THIS VAN IS A STATE-OF-THEART MEDICAL FACILITY. PAGE 8 AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY ISRAEL BAYER RECOUNTS TIMES HIS WORK WITH INSP HAS INTERSECTED WITH TRAGIC STORIES OF DEATH ON THE STREETS. PAGE 10 ETHICAL DILEMMA U.S. PLANS INVOLUNTARY TREATMENT TO TARGET HOMELESSNESS, MENTAL ILLNESS, AND ADDICTION. PAGE 11 VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY PAGES 4, 12 EVENTS / PUZZLES PAGE 13 RESOURCES PAGE 15 MARCH 2023 | Vol.28 Issue 3 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 DENVER VOICE VENDOR Jerry Rosen was visiting family outside of ELISABETH MONAGHAN MANAGING EDITOR Colorado when we published our January issue. Because he was traveling, he wasn’t around to answer our Ask a Vendor for that month, which was when vendors shared stories of their favorite jobs. So, for our March issue, I asked Jerry what he’d like our “Ask a Vendor” question to be, and he suggested we ask vendors about their hobbies. Since coming to work for the VOICE, I’ve had to confront my biases towards individuals experiencing homelessness. I know folks who read and support the Denver VOICE are aware of common assumptions people hold about the unhoused. But some of us don’t realize that like any other members of society, those experiencing homelessness are individuals with their own memories, dreams, and pastimes. Many have jobs they go to each day. They also have unique hobbies, just like the rest of us, which is why I’m glad Jerry suggested this month’s question. When driving past a gated community, it’s easy to make general assumptions about the people living behind the guarded gates, just like it is when driving past tent cities or queues of people waiting for their turn to get a meal or secure a shelter bed for the night. I always appreciate when vendors come up with the question for Ask a Vendor because it gives them a chance to talk about themselves and share those things that interest them, concern them, or bring them joy. It also is a reminder that many of us may have been born into better circumstances, but we are no better than and not-so-different from those experiencing housing instability. ■ DENVERVOICE.ORG CE.ORG @deeOCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR James Kay MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan PROGRAM COORDINATOR Connie Gaitan GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Bragg THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTOR 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. 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. VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Aaron Sullivan Laura Wing ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Breez Giles Clasen Connie Gaitan 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 Rea Brown Giles Clasen David Gordon Stephanie Rogers Jerry Rosen BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nikki Lawson, President Chris Boulanger, Vice President Jeff Cuneo, Treasurer Zephyr Wilkins, Secretary Albert Bland Donovan Cordova Raelene Johnson Jennifer Seybold Julia Watson Cabal Yarne 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 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. OFFICE HOURS: Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Orientation is held every day we are open, but prospective vendors must arrive by 10:00 a.m. 2 DENVER VOICE March 2023 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US
PROGRAM UPDATE VENDING WITH RAELENE BY ELISABETH MONAGHAN AS THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR for the Denver VOICE, Connie Gaitan spends her days greeting vendors, distributing papers and any Venmo payments vendors haven’t picked up, and checking in with vendors that haven’t been by the office in a while. When vendors are looking for services related to mental or physical health, food, shelter, or other critical resources, Gaitan connects them to providers who can help. Gaitan loves her work and interacting with vendors who stop by, but as she was stepping into her role as program coordinator, Gaitan expressed how important it was to spend time with vendors while they were out vending the VOICE. Gaitan participated in her first “vending adventure,” when she accompanied Denver VOICE Vendor Raelene Johnson on a recent visit to Downtown Denver. “I didn’t realize how much of an impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the 16th Street Mall,” said Gaitan. “So many businesses have closed, and the Mall is now pretty deserted.” Johnson also commented on how different foot traffic on PHOTOS: CONNIE GAITAN the 16th Street Mall is compared to the last time she vended downtown. “I was shocked at how empty it was,” Johnson said. “The last time I was down here was for the Big Sell* in February 2020, but now, it’s really depressing.” While Johnson expressed disappointment in seeing how little traffic there was along the 16th Street Mall, she enjoyed interacting with those she saw while she and Gaitan were out. “There were some kids visiting from Canada, who wanted to hear my story, so I told them about my years of being addicted to drugs while sleeping under a bridge in Boulder, Colo,” said Johnson. “They wanted to know more about street papers and bought a paper from me to take back home.” According to Gaitan, Johnson also spoke to a man who overheard her on the 16th Street MallRide talking about the VOICE and was inspired by her story. “The man explained that he was a neuroscientist and was interested in learning more about Raelene, the Denver VOICE program, and finding out how he could contribute to the organization,” said Gaitan. Gaitan also said she looks forward to the next time she can join Denver VOICE vendors when they vend the paper. Johnson said she appreciated Gaitan’s interest in the vendors’ work. “It means a lot to the vendors to have support from Denver VOICE staff,” said Johnson. “Connie does good such great work at the office, but it’s nice to have her out there seeing what it’s like for us,” she said. “If any of our readers or supporters would like to experience what it’s like to vend the paper, they should call the VOICE office, and we can set something up.” ■ The Big Sell is an event held in different cities with street papers, where local celebrities, business owners, and community leaders team up with vendors to experience firsthand what it’s like to vend street papers. The VOICE has not participated in the Big Sell since 2020 but plans to participate in 2024. 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. March 2023 DENVER VOICE 3
SPRING WISH LIST Drop-offs are accepted Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., or by appointment. NEW ITEMS NEEDED: Socks Toiletries (individual or travel-size) Toothpaste, deodorant, chapstick Bottled water GENTLY-USED ITEMS NEEDED: Men’s shoes or boots (sizes 8-12) Men’s jackets/shorts (sizes L, XL, XXL) Women’s jackets/shorts (sizes M, L, XL) Backpacks, carrier bags USB-C charging cables END-OF-WINTER DONATIONS MADE EASY During the winter, Denver VOICE vendors experience increased heating and housing costs. Meanwhile, their income decreases because cold temperatures means less foot traffic and fewer paper sales. If you would like to help out your 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! What do YOU want to ask? If you have a question or issue you would like vendors to discuss, please email community@denvervoice.org. @DenverVOICE 4 DENVER VOICE March 2023 LANDO ALLEN I would love to finish working on my music and get my art going more. Then, I’d start to work on building a houseboat and a motorbike. DAVID GORDON I have a lot of interests in many things, but I would say sports is my main hobby. I participated in sports many years ago, but at this stage of my life, I am passionately following basketball, keeping up with team rosters, standings, and players, as well as watching game recaps for most of the games. STEPHANIE ROGERS I love crafting and creating art. I’m huge on building computer systems, and I love cooking barbeque and swimming and jet skiing. JERRY ROSEN A hobby can be different for each individual. One of my hobbies is traveling to different places – seeing my relatives and other people I know. I also like to read science books about different aspects of space, and I like to help people, also. A REA BROWN My favorite hobby is scribbling sloppy on the walls at a friend’s house while they’re preparing for a children’s party or sticking smiley stickers on skull-covered Harleys buying spray paint and showing the world I’m arty going to an all you can eat restaurant and leaving just as hearty running a yellow light and handicap parking falling asleep in a movie when it’s just starting being told “you have to go, this place is closing” refusing to leave refusing to be frozen I’m joking, leaving coming back when it’s open hoping nobody dies in the bathroom smoking just coping, yea that’s my hobby JUST COPING, along with laughing at some spoken word, spoken. But truthfully, I mean honestly. with a straight face without a grin that you can see My favorite hobby is counting money but it’s been hard to sleep that comfortably on the streets around junkies but if you would like to support my hobby, feel free to VENMO me today before 11 and don’t forget to add the tag in the comment section VENDOR REA BROWN 657 ASK A VENDOR THIS COLUMN IS A PLACE FOR DENVER VOICE VENDORS TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS FROM OUR READERS AND STAFF. THIS MONTH’S ASK A VENDOR CAME FROM DENVER VOICE VENDOR JERRY ROSEN. What are your hobbies? Q
March 2023 DENVER VOICE 5
COMMUNITY PROFILE CREDIT: GILES CLASEN CHARTING A NEW COURSE BY GILES CLASEN PAUL IS A MAN WHO CAN’T ESCAPE HIS PAST, even as he pushes to move forward and climb out of homelessness. “I’ve got a lot of regrets,” Paul said. “You know, going back, looking back doesn’t do you any good. You got to keep on keeping on, but it isn’t easy when those regrets of your past keep getting in the way of any possible future.” The mistakes that keep him trapped and without options are two felony convictions. These limit his opportunities to find a job and housing. Paul said the first strike against him was because of alcohol. He started drinking at a young age, and his habit grew slowly, becoming a problem before he realized what was happening. He joined the Army in 1984, right out of high school and worked his way up the ranks. He joined the Special Forces at the beginning of the Gulf War in 1990, and he didn’t like what he saw in the United States, once he was deployed. “The United States runs around the world claiming to do good, but I saw it. I saw us imposing our will on other countries,” Paul said. “We’re actually the terrorists of the world, in a lot of ways. We’re going around the world taking CREDIT: GILES CLASEN 6 DENVER VOICE March 2023
COMMUNITY PROFILE what we want and not caring about the costs on other people.” By the time Paul returned to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, he was drinking more, and he got a DUI. “They took my security clearance right away. I had a top secret they pulled because they can’t trust a drunk. I don’t blame them for that,” Paul said. He left the military because he felt his career in the Army was over. Not long after, Paul and his wife split. They were fighting constantly and Paul felt isolated, away from his family in Los Angeles. “My wife and I were arguing so much. I just said, ‘I’m taking off.’ I had to leave my wife, or things were going to get much, much worse, real bad for all of us. I didn’t want my little children seeing that.” Paul moved to Denver to live with family. At this point, Paul believes he had become a full-blown alcoholic. He was arrested after an altercation for felony menacing and attempted assault. According to Paul, he threatened someone in an altercation to defend himself. He didn’t touch or take a swing and walked away. But the threat was all that mattered. Those few words were seen as acts of violence by the court. He spent three years in jail and on parole. During that time, he gave up alcohol and tried to chart a new course. He said he didn’t have any troubles during those three years, but the damage was done and he had two felonies on his record. “Bam! They put a black cloud over me. I tried to find a decent job, I tried to pay my own way,” Paul said. “I wanted to work hard, but nobody would hire me after that. Nobody would give me a chance. I was living in a whole new world where every door was shut to me with those felony convictions.” Paul said his new reality had little to no opportunities and ultimately condemned him to the streets. The felonies have prevented him from finding a job. No one would hire him. The felonies also have prevented him from finding housing. No one wanted to take a risk renting to a person who had been convicted of a violent crime. “My only option is Section 8 and government support. When you take away someone’s ability to get a job there is no choice. The government has to pay to support them, to house them, and to feed them,” Paul said. Paul would like to go back to work and create purpose for himself. He doesn’t like the idle time on the streets. He doesn’t like having frostbitten toes in the winter and facing heat stroke in the summer. He would like a home with walls and a roof to replace his makeshift tent. But he is running out of hope. “I’m healthy,” Paul said. “I’m 57 years old. I can work if someone would give me a chance and give me a job. But that felony, I don’t know. I don’t know if I’ll be stuck here the rest of my life.” ■ MARCH MADNESS BRACKET CHALLENGE 1ST PLACE - $500 2ND PLACE - $250 3RD PLACE - $100 $25 PER ENTRY SCAN HERE TO ENTER! CONTACT JAMES@DENVERVOICE.ORG FOR QUESTIONS CREDIT: GILES CLASEN March 2023 DENVER VOICE 7
INTERNATIONAL STORY “SOME PEOPLE JUST WANT TO HAVE A CHAT,” SAYS DR HARRISON, “AND THAT LEADS US TO GIVING THEM A TREATMENT.”PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BIG ISSUE AUSTRALIA / INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF STREET PAPERS MEDICS ON WHEELS: PROVIDING HEALTHCARE TO PEOPLE ON THE STREETS BY DANIEL NOUR BLACKTOWN IS TEEMING WITH PHARMACIES, GP clinics, medical centers, and all the requisite facilities of health care. On Blacktown Road, they’re hard to miss, and just two minutes away stands Blacktown Hospital, a major in-patient care facility of Sydney’s western suburbs. But on this cold Saturday, it’s not the town center but Blacktown’s Alpha Park that plays host to a mobile medical service for people experiencing life on the margins. A van serves as a free clinic, with a row of folding chairs in its waiting room. Needles, vaccines, dressings, electrocardiography, ultrasound machines, cannulas, and all manner of medications, including antibiotics, penicillin, blood thinners, and other prescriptions, line the walls of the van. This is not some no-frills sick bay for casual care; this is a state-of-the-art, fully equipped medical facility that happens to be parked next to a tennis court. The brainchild of 27-year-old Dr. Daniel Nour, the 2022 Young Australian of the Year (who, providentially, shares my name), Street Side Medics is here to support anyone needing medical care and health advice. Rose, a Mauritian woman in her sixties, with a wide smile and a calm voice, has just had a consultation. “I have high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol,” she said. “The quality of care here is top. Everyone is welcome and they see everyone the same. Here you are welcomed with a smile like a family and, before they give you medication, they check what is going on first and ask about your story.” This van is one of two – with a third on the way – that services communities in Blacktown, Parramatta, Manly, Woolloomooloo, Surry Hills, Hornsby, and, shortly, Wollongong. The beauty of being on wheels meant a van could also be sent to Lismore to assist during the flood crisis. “When I looked at all the different challenges [in Sydney] the solution I thought of was…taking the service to them, removing as many barriers as we can,” said Dr. Nour, who launched the service in 2020. The idea was planted a year earlier when, walking home after his shift at Imperial College London’s School of Medicine, he stopped to help a man having a seizure. When he asked one of the man’s friends why he hadn’t sought medical care earlier, she explained he would “never be taken seriously” in a hospital, because he was homeless. “That really slapped me in the face,” he said. “The [Australian] healthcare system is one of the best in the world... Our system is, however, under some stress and is tailored to the majority of our population. It is not tailored to minority populations. This includes the homeless population.” Street Side Medics overcomes these barriers to access by taking its vans to the people themselves, working with existing community organizations. Here today, One Meal is loading up plates as well as offering fruit and other items, including blankets and teddy bears for children. They’re staffed by volunteers, young and old, and from all ethnicities. Other community groups, such as the Hare Krishna movement, have also set up food stalls in the park. It’s a system that works for Rose. “I come here every Saturday, and [the first time] I came for the food service,” she said. “It’s good because when you go to the medical center you have to wait, but here you can have quick service.” The vans are run by two teams of volunteers. Outside the van, a social worker and other health professionals approach people about their health concerns. Inside the van, a GP and a nurse wait to see the patients. “What we do outside the van, talking to people, is just as important as what we do inside,” said David Ballhausen, Street Side Medics CEO. “What the doctors love is that they can take their time. Nobody is counting the minutes.” Today, he is particularly worried about a young woman with a recurring health issue, who’s here with her partner. “She had some serious blood results but as she has some addiction issues, now is not a good time,” he said hurriedly. “With situations like that, you don’t give up, so I’ve offered to pick them up or, as an alternative, to come to our clinic in 8 DENVER VOICE March 2023
INTERNATIONAL STORY PAGE TITLE Parramatta tomorrow night. [I said to him], ‘Come on down man, we need to see your partner.’” It’s the precarity of people’s living situations that makes ongoing care difficult, despite Street Side Medics’ informal, walk-in, “come as you are” approach. “People are couch surfing or living in temporary accommodation, and some have social housing,” Ballhausen said. You can sense his deeper frustration with the systemic challenges people experiencing homelessness face every day to access their most essential needs. Access to bulk billing, capacity for travel to medical clinics, the cost of specialist consults, documentation requirements, stigma, embarrassment, and a rigidly structured appointment system are just some of the roadblocks that the Street Side Medics team is trying so hard to veer around. “The assumption many of us carry around in our heads is DR HARRISON GARRETT, ROSE AND NURSE KAHLI SILVER. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BIG ISSUE AUSTRALIA / INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF STREET PAPERS that primary health care is really accessible, and yet what we’re seeing is how it’s becoming harder and harder to get,” Ballhausen said. “So, you peer into communities, see where they are ready to gather, and say it’s free and no appointment required. You don’t need to tell us who you are let alone have a Medicare card.” Federal Health Minister Mark Butler recently acknowledged that “primary care is in its worst shape since Medicare began”, with basic health care becoming increasingly unaffordable, especially for those on low incomes or with complex conditions. According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, only 35% of specialist consultations were bulk billed in 2020-21, with less affluent people disproportionately affected by these fees. For Dr. Shanthini Seelan, who has been practicing for 25 NURSE KAHLI SILVER CHATS WITH ANTHONY. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BIG ISSUE AUSTRALIA / INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF STREET PAPERS years, the visa status of some of her patients prohibits their access to Medicare. At her regular practice in the Sydney suburb of Toongabbie, five different languages are spoken and the clinic is focused on refugee health for Afghan, Sri Lankan, and Iranian arrivals. “I just saw a Sri Lankan refugee,” said Dr. Seelan. “He had a very swollen hand and he doesn’t have access to GPs. It was quite painful for him. “He’s been living here for 12 years. I’ve asked him to come and see me. In Western Sydney, we are very multicultural and we have wall-to-wall GPs that do pro bono care.” Like some of the other doctors who volunteer their time with Street Side medics, Dr. Seelan came across the service through news reports. “I read an article by Dr. Daniel and I was blown away. He is a visionary,” she said. “Dr. Daniel said that you start with sympathy, then empathy and then you go to compassion. Everyone here has the right to decent, safe health care,” she said in a rare moment of quiet between patients. “We don’t judge, and even if it’s a stop-gap or a bandaid ROSE CONSULTS WITH DR HARRISON IN THE VAN. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BIG ISSUE AUSTRALIA / INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF STREET PAPERS solution, if it makes your life a little better, then that’s why we’re here. Our patients need someone in their corner who doesn’t judge and who gives them the help they need.” Looking around today, it’s clear that there is a sense of community. A young girl is playing on a swing, volunteers are laughing, pouring hot drinks, or serving up plates, and the patients themselves are unhurried, waiting near or around the van while eating or chatting. It’s a system that the Street Side team plans to roll out nationwide. “Within five years we’ll be in every capital city and every population center,” Dr. Ballhausen said. “We will demonstrate what is possible.” ■ Daniel Nour is an Egyptian Australian writer and journalist whose writing has been featured in the New York Times, SBS Voices, Meanjin Quarterly, and Eureka Street. In 2020, he won the New South Wales Premier’s Young Journalist of the Year Award. Courtesy of The Big Issue Australia / International Network of Street Papers SIENNA AND HER MOTHER, AYESHA. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BIG ISSUE AUSTRALIA / INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF STREET PAPERS March 2023 DENVER VOICE 9 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 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. DONATE YOUR CAR!
NATIONAL STORY DEATH ON THE STREETS: AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY BY ISRAEL BAYER IN THE WINTER OF 2017, Portland, Oregon was hit with an unusually long ice storm. It would be deadly for people experiencing homelessness. Four people would tragically die of exposure. An older woman would walk into a downtown parking garage and die an agonizing death alone in the unforgiving storm. Another victim froze to death at a bus stop, only blocks away from a family member’s home. The third and fourth victims died alone in the doorway of a local business and in a densely wooded area of the city. If that wasn’t enough, another homeless woman gave birth to a stillborn child in the freezing rain that dreadful week. After giving birth, presumably alone, the woman was found by police completely distraught and cradling her deceased child. She was homeless and experiencing a mental health collapse. It was more than devastating. A local reporter was interviewing me about the deaths. Did I know any of the victims that died? Has Portland ever seen anything like this? What was it really going to take to prevent these kinds of deaths on the streets in our community? Did I have thoughts…? My mind went blank. I didn’t have any answers. “Israel, are you there,” the reporter asked. “Yes, I’m here.” “Are you OK?” “Can I call you back?” “Absolutely, but I’m on deadline.” It’s hard to describe what homelessness does to the people experiencing it, their families, their friends, and the people working on the front lines of poverty. The trauma of homelessness is more than overwhelming. Reality is distorted. Logic is rare. Life is primal. There is nothing remotely rational about the circumstances of homelessness in, the USA, one of the richest countries in the world. Every time I wrote a story about someone who passed away on the streets, I would tell myself that the more stories like these are read, the more the public and/or government might want to take action to support housing justice in our community. Most days though, I wasn’t so sure. I had spent the better part of that week working on a story, including doing interviews with the family of one of the victims who had frozen to death on the streets. I was hoping to provide a snapshot of the harsh reality the families of people experiencing homelessness face when a loved one on the streets passes away and why we should be prioritizing more affordable housing in our community. Unfortunately, it was a story I had written before. At the last minute, the family decided they didn’t want the story of their father and husband to be told through the lens of a human being freezing to death homeless on the streets. While I was disappointed with the family’s decision to not talk to me on the record, I certainly couldn’t blame them. If I was honest with myself, I’m not sure I would have wanted a reporter presenting the legacy of my father or son through this lens either, regardless of how thoughtful the writer might have been. What a painful experience. Having worked on the streets for the previous two decades, the amount of trauma and death I had witnessed and reported on over the years had shaken me to the core. I had spent many sleepless nights at the bedsides of people on the streets that found themselves on the edge of death. Pneumonia. Heart attacks. Drug overdoses. Burn victims. Attempted deaths by 10 DENVER VOICE March 2023 know anything about depression. I didn’t know he was bipolar, then eventually paranoid schizophrenic. I found out about other mental disorders James was facing after I Googled all the medication found in his backpack after his death. There were voices in his head that wouldn’t leave him alone. Mental health and addiction took hold of his life and held him until his very last breath. Then, it was God that took him home.” “The average person doesn’t always know how to deal with addiction and mental disorders,” said Krista. “We feel stricken with fear for our suffering family members. We feel disgust in ourselves for not doing something more to help him.” It’s something I would hear over and over from the families A HOMELESS PERSON WHO PASSED AWAY ON THE STREETS OF MULTNOMAH COUNTY. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF STREET PAPERS suicide. Sometimes people pulled through; sometimes they didn’t. The experiences almost always left me completely wrecked and lacking any kind of normalcy. My world felt upside down. I thought about the first person I had ever written about who died on the streets: about a young woman who had taken her own life, and her mother, who had visited me afterward. I kept a worn-out copy of a poem I wrote about her tucked away in my desk drawer. Sometimes after talking to a family member who had died on the streets, or writing a story about homeless deaths, I would read it to myself and think about that girl and all the people who had died during my tenure of working on the front lines. For years my executive editor, Joanne Zuhl, and I had been writing about the stories of people that had died on the streets. Our collective work contributed to efforts by local governments in the region to create a methodology and system to track and report the number and causes of homeless deaths in the region. Their stories were almost always heartbreaking. Holding back tears, Krista Campbell, a mother whose son had passed away on the streets talked to me about her son’s experience. At 42 years old, James Michael Bostick had lived a hard life. Her son had been battling addiction and homelessness for more than 13 years. “Some people might see him as just another homeless junkie that died, but he was an incredible man,” said Krista. “He had an incredible heart. He was my precious baby. I suppose in the back of my mind I had been expecting the call for years. I prayed for him every single day. When the call came, nothing I’ve been through in my life prepared me for what had happened. We’ve both lived a hard life. Still, I’ve lost my son. My dear son.” James left behind a mother, a brother, and three daughters. There’s nothing that can prepare someone for that kind of conversation. All you can do is listen and provide support. As I held back tears of my own, not having any real answers, we talked for nearly an hour. I listened to Krista laugh and cry, telling me countless stories about James, sometimes pausing to tell me she couldn’t believe he was gone. She told me about his bright blue eyes and beautiful smile. She told me that he was a kind and comforting man that loved Jesus. Like many people, Krista said she didn’t understand the mental health issues her son faced. “Demons grabbed hold of my son years ago, and I felt helpless,” Krista would say. “I didn’t of people who have passed away on the streets. Not only are people dealing with the trauma of losing a child, but individuals or families are also often grieving alone. The loss of a child or a death in the family is never easy. It can be even harder when the family member is homeless. The feeling of judgment from peers and the stigmas attached to having a family member die on the streets can be isolating and torturous. The average age of homeless deaths in many communities across the country hovers between 40 and 50 years old. One would have to go back decades, possibly centuries, to find another demographic of people that were dying that young in America. The leading causes of death for people on the streets are accidental drug overdoses, natural causes, and death by suicide. “People experiencing homelessness die young, and from often preventable causes,” said Paul Lewis, a former health officer for Multnomah County. “You can’t help but conclude that the lack of housing has contributed to these realities.” Research has long shown living on the streets exacerbates existing health problems and causes new ones. Chronic diseases are difficult to manage under stressful circumstances. Acute problems such as infections, injuries, and pneumonia are difficult to heal when there is no place to call home. It’s not uncommon in America for many people experiencing homelessness that are dealing with life-threatening ailments to be released straight from the emergency room right back to the streets, or into a crowded shelter. “Everyone’s family has a story, and this is part of our story,” Mary, the sister of a man who died on the streets of Portland once told me. “It’s a devastating story. We could have helped him, absolutely. I’m not holding anybody responsible, but as a society, we let him down.” Research shows that at least 20 people in America die homeless every single day. The numbers are absolutely staggering. It’s unconscionable. Needless to say, I never did get back to that reporter. I’m still not sure what I would have said. After more than 20 years of working on the front lines of homelessness, it’s hard to find any kind of logic in a land where housing remains a commodity and human beings on the streets hold no actual value in the eyes of the federal government. A land where thousands of people experiencing homelessness are left to die every year, alone and forgotten. Their stories untold. Ghosts left to haunt our streets with no safe place to call home. A real American tragedy. We have such a long way to go. ■ Israel Bayer is an award-winning writer and housing advocate and works with the International Network of Street Papers. Courtesy of the International Network of Street Papers
NATIONAL STORY THE ETHICAL DILEMMAS BEHIND PLANS FOR INVOLUNTARY TREATMENT TO TARGET HOMELESSNESS, MENTAL ILLNESS, AND ADDICTION BY KATHERINE DRABIAK Over the past year, cities across the United States have unveiled new policy plans to address homelessness amid rising concerns about health and crime – for homeless people themselves, as well as for surrounding communities. Notably, several proposals include civil commitment, also referred to as involuntary treatment, for people with severe mental illness or substance use disorders. But this has thrown up important ethical questions. OVER THE PAST YEAR, cities across the United States have unveiled new policy plans to address homelessness amid rising concerns about health and crime – for homeless people themselves, as well as for surrounding communities. Notably, several proposals include civil commitment, also referred to as involuntary treatment, for people with severe mental illness or substance use disorders. In November 2022, for example, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a plan to use mental health laws to facilitate involuntary treatment when people are unable to care for themselves, or when their actions endanger others. Court-mandated treatment could include therapy, social workers, housing referrals, medication, or other interventions, either in hospitals or on an outpatient basis. New York’s plan builds on other recent initiatives to connect more homeless and mentally ill people with shelters or supportive housing. Political leaders in California and Portland, Oregon, have approved similar plans to use civil commitment laws. HOW CIVIL COMMITMENT WORKS Civil commitment laws have been around for decades. However, they only recently appear to have regained traction as a strategy for addressing the intersection of homelessness, mental illness, and substance use disorder. States have enacted these laws based on two theories. First, under the doctrine of parens patriae, a Latin phrase that means “parent of the nation,” states have a legal and ethical obligation to step in and help vulnerable people who cannot act for themselves. Second, in public health law, the concept of police power means that states have a duty to pass and enforce laws to preserve public health and safety, which can be impacted by homelessness. Every state has different laws outlining civil commitment. Importantly, these laws are a civil mechanism for courts to oversee a treatment plan for people with severe mental illness or substance use disorders that meet specific criteria. For example, a court could assess testimony and evidence from clinicians that a person has such a severe substance use disorder that he repeatedly loses consciousness, will not accept assistance, and risks freezing to death outside. These laws do not “criminalize” or punish homelessness. During the initial assessment process, the person receives care in a hospital, where clinicians determine their medical needs. Afterward, the court may order a treatment plan that would outline requirements for the person to accept shelter and maintain weekly appointments such as attending therapy or drug treatment. Treatment in inpatient hospitals is generally only used in cases of severe illness, and laws require using the least restrictive plan possible. Civil commitment laws also require due process, or a fair procedure for people to participate in the process, object, and have assistance from legal counsel. UNDERSTANDING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS What is often called “the homeless” population is actually multiple groups with different needs, including youth, families, veterans, people with short episodes of homelessness spurred by job loss or unexpected bills, and the chronically homeless. However, the most visible population – those who are chronically homeless without shelter – suffer from high rates of untreated severe substance use disorders and mental illness, though estimates vary. The University of California’s California Policy Lab analyzed surveys of 64,000 people who were homeless across 15 different states and found that 78 percent of the unsheltered homeless suffered from mental illness and 75 percent from a substance abuse disorder. Fifty percent experienced both. Clinicians note that mental illness and substance use disorders can contribute to homelessness, and worsen it, too. ETHICAL ISSUES Civil commitment aims to improve the well-being of individuals and communities. A HOMELESS PERSON SITS ON THE STREET DURING COLD TEMPERATURE AND HIGH WINDS IN MANHATTAN, AS DEEP COLD SPREAD ACROSS THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES IN NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, U.S., FEBRUARY 4, 2023. REUTERS/JEENAH MOON March 2023 DENVER VOICE 11 But it raises difficult questions about core ethical issues such as autonomy – people’s right to make medical decisions for themselves – and beneficence, or ensuring that interventions provide more benefit than harm. Some experts oppose using civil commitment laws and assert that states should rely on voluntary services. Voluntary treatment, some of them contend, is just as effective but preserves autonomy and the freedom to choose or decline treatment. Critics also assert that involuntary commitment violates the principle of beneficence because it can stigmatize homeless people with severe mental health and substance use disorders by implying that they do not belong in public. Others contend it is cruel and coercive. Advocates for plans like New York City’s, on the other hand, assert that civil commitment laws are not only effective at connecting people with help, but fulfill a moral obligation to prevent people from suffering on city streets. In most instances, healthcare workers and ethicists presume that adults can make their own medical choices in line with their values and needs. But people with severe mental illness or substance use disorder may experience impairment in their ability to deliberate, assess their needs, and make decisions, which compromises their autonomy. Though involuntary treatment violates autonomy, it can also help people regain it through stabilization and recovery. Many clinicians and outreach workers argue that glossing over the impact of untreated mental illness and substance use disorder violates the principle of beneficence, because avoiding treatment may result in more health harm. WIDER EFFECTS Ethics debates must also grapple with how treatment affects the surrounding community, such as safety – including for other people experiencing homelessness. As one data point, the San Diego District Attorney’s Office has compiled data showing people who are homeless are far more likely to be the victims of crime. Its data found that this population commits dramatically higher rates of vandalism, arson, assault, and burglary as well, although there are few nationwide studies. And while most people who are homeless, have a mental health illness, or have a substance use disorder are not violent, some studies suggest people with a severe mental health illness are three to four times more likely to display violent behavior. Some evidence suggests that civil commitment can increase follow-through with treatment plans, reduce acute hospitalization and decrease violent behavior. Proponents assert that despite the coercive nature of civil commitment, it provides benefits as a step toward restoring the health of each person, and of society. ■ Katherine Drabiak is an associate professor of health law, public health law, and medical ethics at the University of South Florida. Courtesy of The Conversation / International Network of Street Papers
IN YOUR OWN WORDS BACK ON THE STREETS BY REA BROWN, VOICE VENDOR SPRING EQUINOX BY BREEZ, VOICE VENDOR REA BROWN. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN BRIAN AUGUSTINE BELIEVED that there are four basic needs to live: water, food, shelter, and love, which he equated to human contact a handshake or a hug. But I will go further because for some, it’s a drug, a kiss or sexual oneness unifying bliss. Brian mentioned how mankind has few sources from which to get love family, friends, and those special people that win your attraction, and although he spoke of puppy love, I believe even Brian would agree that pets are a source of love for everybody. In other words, there’s no reason for anyone to be without love. I used to wonder why a homeless person would want a pet, but now I think I understand a little how the human heart works. When COVID hit, it was the first time in my life that I ever heard of the animal shelters being empty, which says to me, people who are not used to loneliness normally have a harder time than those that are. So much so, that people from ALL walks of life, for the purpose of mental health, will seek out companionship in isolation. How much more the poor back on the streets with no roof and no door outcast and ignored. ■ ILLUSTRATION BY BREEZ 12 DENVER VOICE March 2023
EVENTS WHEN: Mar 3, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: 40 West Arts District, 1560 Teller St. INFO: 40westarts.org COURTESY OF DEBORAH LASTOWKA PUZZLES COLFAX ART CRAWL: MARDI GRAS Join 40 West Arts District for a free, family-friendly Mardi Gras street party. Event to include a traveling brass band, beads, new exhibitions, food trucks, installations, and more. Costumes are encouraged! COURTESY OF STREETROOTS ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 15 COLORADO DRAGON BOAT FILM FESTIVAL Founded in 2016, this four-day festival will feature in-person film screenings, community conversations, and special events celebrating the power of filmmaking within Asian communities. WHEN: Mar 9 – Mar 12 COST: Prices vary; see website for details. WHERE: Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax INFO: denverfilm.org ACROSS FRIDAY MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION A regular meditation practice can help you cultivate kindness and inner peace—two things we desperately need in these stressful times. Each class will include instruction on some mindfulness themes, followed by 30 minutes of practice. All are welcome! WHEN: Mar 10, 17, 24, and 31, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. COST: Free but registration is required. WHERE: Online INFO: denverlibrary.org/events/upcoming WHAT WE’RE WATCHING WITH JOHN ANZALONE In Sudden Fear (1952), an ambitious actor insinuates himself into the life of a wealthy middle-aged woman, then plots her murder with his mistress. Join film professor, John Anzalone, for an in-depth look at this classic noir thriller. WHEN: Mar 12, 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. COST: Free but online registration is required. WHERE: Online INFO: denverlibrary.org/events 1. HS exams many colleges no longer require for admission 5. Achy 9. Declares 14. Actress Polo 15. Playing an extra NBA quarter 16. First blank space on a form 17. “Dies ___” (Judgment Day hymn) 18. Heart of the matter 19. Unoriginal, in modern slang 20. Cuts off at the pass 23. Carefully followed, as a plan 24. Entertain 27. Farm division 29. Paperless boarding pass 31. Big month for the IRS 34. 50 years 36. Salacious look 38. Adverb suffix? 39. Lingerie item 40. Necessity for a spy or fugitive 45. “Malcolm X” director 46. Immobile sculpture 47. It’s hailed by city dwellers 49. Garbage 50. Pie chart part 54. Separate (from) 58. Hasbro game that says its own name 61. Like Jack Sprat’s diet 62. Are, in Argentina 63. Boredom 64. Carnival 65. Suffix with gang 66. Doctrine 67. Comrade in arms 68. School session DOWN 1. Skunk defense 2. Cliffside dwelling spelled very similarly to 26-Down 3. “The Sound of Music” family name 4. Sonora snooze 5. Madame, in Italian 6. “Don’t bet ___!” 7. ___ Hashanah 8. Kitchen extension? 9. Egg white protein 10. Railroad bridges 11. Lt.’s inferior, in the Navy 12. Outdoor gear retailer 13. Amniotic ___ 21. Allergic reaction 22. Diminish 25. Feature of the Jolly Roger 26. Bone-chilling 28. Say “y’all,” say 29. Big splash 30. Ilk 31. “Bummer!”, more quaintly 32. Annoyances 33. Cut again 35. Devotee 37. Certain element in the alkali metal group 41. Second Amendment word 42. Building additions 43. Bricklayer’s craft 44. Board member, for short 48. Least welcoming 51. Spoonful, say 52. Aquatic mammal 53. Violate a peace treaty, maybe 55. Italian car, briefly 56. Close, as an envelope 57. It’s rigged 58. It’s found in a garden or river 59. Musical Yoko 60. JPG alternative NERD NITE If you’re a fan of TED talks, the Discovery Channel, and/or Wikipedia binges, Nerd Nite is the show for you! Three experts will present on three different topics, while the audience drinks and thinks along the way. Be there and be square! WHEN: Mar 31, doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. COST: $10 in advance, $15 at the door WHERE: Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo St. INFO: bugtheatre.org March 2023 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 $25,000+ The NextFifty Initiative $10,000+ The Christian Foundation Acorn Hill Foundation Inc. $5,000 - $9,999 Bank of America Charitable Foundation Francis Trainer and Trainer Family Sustainable Housing and Development Foundation $1,000-$4,999 Katherine Standiford Walker Family Foundation Alexander Seavall Jill Haug Whole Foods Foundation Alex Salva Russell Peterson Pivotal Energy Partners USA, Inc. Meek-Cuneo Family Fund Chris and Susan Pappas Michael Dino Sidney B and Caleb F Gates Fund Frederic K Conover Trust Megan Arellano Keyrenter Property Management Denver SEI Giving Fund The Credit Union of Colorado Foundation Jana and Jim Cuneo Kroger Paul Manoogian Lori Holland Gaspar Terrana Warren and Betty Kuehner Maggie Holben Michael J. Fehn and Jan Monnier Jim Ashe Courage and Community Foundation George Lichter Family Foundation Lisa Wagner Joshua Kauer Elsbeth Williams Mathew Rezek $500-$999 John Gibson Fire on the Mountain Christopher Boulanger Sheryl Parker Laura Saunders Robert E and Anne T Sneed Family Foundation Barbara and Robert Ells Carol and Louis Irwin Donald Weaver Edwina Salazar James Stegman Jennifer Stedron Jeremy Anderson Stephen Saul WalMart Peter Iannuzzi Nikki Lawson CEDS Finance Graham Davis Impact Assets Courage and Community Foundation Louis Irwin Mary Livernois 14 DENVER VOICE March 2023 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, COUNSELING, EDUCATION, SHELTERS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, HOLIDAY ASSISTANCE, AND MORE. EMAIL EDITOR@DENVERVOICE.ORG WITH CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS. MEDICAL / MENTAL HEALTH / 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 DETOX LOCAL A resource that features abundant 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: 866-716-0142. Organizations that take Medicaid: drugrehabus.org/rehabs/treatment/medicaid/united-states/colorado/denver 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 LIVE ANOTHER DAY Live Another Day believes in equal access to life-saving mental health and substance use resources. This website provides extensive information on the best resources available: 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, 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 SOUTHEAST ADDICTION CENTER Top 50 resources for Black men who are struggling with substance use and/or their mental health. southeastaddictiontn.com/50-addiction-mental-health-resources-for-black-men SOUTHEAST DETOX Updated in 2023, this guide features over 50 fully-vetted resources for Black women. southeastdetoxga.com/black-women-addiction-mental-health-support 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, 1700 N Wheeling St., Aurora 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 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. CLARE’S MINISTRY AT ST. PETER AND ST. MARY 126 W. 2nd Ave., dinner at 4pm on Tues. Also offer a change of clothes, toiletries and sleeping bags when available. 303-722-8781 stpeterandmary.org 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 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.a-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 March 2023 DENVER VOICE 15 DON’T LOOK NOW! PUZZLES ARE ON PAGE 13
D E N V E R T V S O I A C F E A F 2 E U N B M D 2 G R METLO ROOFTOP 1111 N Broadway Denver, CO 80203 SUNDAY, MAY 7 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. A A , N I 7 JOIN THE DENVER VOICE FOR OUR ANNUAL RISE & THRIVE BREAKFAST! This complimentary event, put together by some of Denver’s best breakfast and brunch locations, helps raise awareness and funds for our programs and services. Together, we can give those experiencing homelessness and poverty the opportunity to earn a dignifi ed income. I S Y RSVP BY MAY 1 denvervoice.org/rise-and-thrive R 0 K 3
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