$ 2 SUGGESTED DONATION The LONELINESS EPIDEMIC HARVARD RESEARCH DESCRIBES LONELINESS AS THE NEW EPIDEMIC SWEEPING THE COUNTR. COMMUNITY LIVING OFFERS A SOLUTION. PAGE 10 CITIES URGED TO LEARN FROM THE PANDEMIC LESSONS LEARNED DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC COULD BE HARNESSED TO IMPROVE CITY LIFE FOR YEARS TO COME. PAGE 5 BASIC NEEDS INSECURITY IN U.S. COLLEGES STUDENTS NEGLECTED BY THEIR INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENT ARE COMBATING POVERTY WITH THE HELP OF NONPROFITS. PAGE 6 A STAR TOUCHES DOWN LIGHTLY IN DENVER A COLLABORATION OF GOVERNMENT, HEALTH CARE, AND NONPROFIT ENTITIES, STAR PROVIDES A UNIQUE MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE. PAGE 8 VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY PAGES 4, 11, 12 EVENTS / PUZZLES PAGE 13 RESOURCES PAGE 15 APRIL 2021 | Vol.26 Issue 4 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) @DenverVOICE FROM YOUR VENDOR: CREDIT: GILES CLASEN
IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL VOLUNTEER MONTH GIVING TIME COSTS NOTHING AND BENEFITS EVERYONE NIKKI LAWSON BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR BEING A LIFELONG VOLUNTEER is one of my proudest accomplishments. My first experience volunteering was as a Girl Scout at the Denver Dumb Friends League. I was there for an afternoon filling food and water bowls, sweeping up animal hair, and taking out the trash. It was a day I will never forget. After college, I moved to China to serve two years in the Peace Corps. Rather than sweeping up hair, I taught English to eager young adults on the doorstep of the Gobi Desert. I came back to Denver with more volunteer experience than I ever thought possible. In 2017, when I found out I was expecting my first child, I was eager to get back to volunteering. After spending so much time abroad, it was time to find a cause in the community my daughter would call home. Choosing to volunteer with the Denver VOICE was easy. As a long-time reader of the paper, I knew the VOICE is an organization that not only creates an excellent paper, but it also offers an incredible opportunity to the person vending it. Being a distribution volunteer for the VOICE has become the most rewarding volunteer role I have ever held. Volunteering is far more than giving your time, experience, and resources. It is committing to an organization because you believe in its cause and want the organization to succeed. Volunteering is a simple and accessible way to help your community and become a catalyst for positive change. It is also one of the few things in life that costs nothing but offers everyone involved something in return. Whether it is halfway across the world or in your own backyard, volunteering makes the world a better place. ■ April CONTRIBUTORS DENVERVOICE.ORG CE.ORG PAULA BARD is an award-winning fine art photographer, writer, and activist. She lives on a mountain top southwest of Denver. 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. ROBERT DAVIS is a freelance reporter for the Denver VOICE. His work has also appeared in Colorado Public Works Journal, Fansided, Colorado Journal, and Medium.com. @deeOCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Seybold MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan PROGRAM COORDINATOR Anthony Cornejo GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Bragg VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Ty Holter Kersten Jaeger Aaron Sullivan Laura Wing PHOTOGRAPHERS/ILLUSTRATORS Paula Bard Giles Clasen WRITERS 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 metro Denver area experiencing homelessness and poverty. Since 2007, we have put more than 4,000 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. 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: For the immediate future, we will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Orientation is held every day we are open, but prospective vendors must arrive by 10:00 a.m. John Alexander Lando Allen Paula Bard Giles Clasen Robert Davis David Gordon Nikki Lawson Benjamin Eric Nelson Jerry Rosen BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nikki Lawson, President Michelle Stapleton, Vice President Lori Holland, Treasurer Jeff Cuneo, Secretary Donovan Cordova Pamela Gravning Raelene Johnson Zephyr Wilkins 2 DENVER VOICE April 2021 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US
VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY OUR Streets: MARK AND JESSICA BY PAULA BARD MARK I’ve been homeless since I was 11 years old. When I wasn’t in prison, I had an apartment, and I lived with Jessica. I’m 43 now. I’ve been writing a book [about political scandals in Arapahoe County]. It’s almost finished. The police stole my bike. For this new bike, we found pieces of it behind a dumpster in Glendale. We put it together, and I can ride her in the front, a chariot! The dog has a home in the back. As we were getting ready to go live in the streets, I didn’t want Chico to have to feel the strain of it, so I made him the best seat in the house. I just felt like if we had a place to sit down and rest that things would just be better for us.” JESSICA I lost my place, I was renting a janitorial closet on Ogden with the plumbing, electricity, $450 a month. I’m 28. I can’t get an ID so I can’t get help for getting off heroin. My mom passed away 4 years ago, my grandpa died on the same day. My anxiety is just through the roof. I’ve never set foot in a shelter. I’d go hungry first. ■ 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 her city has abandoned. “I’VE NEVER SET FOOT IN A SHELTER. I’D GO HUNGRY FIRST.” CREDIT: PAULA BARD HOW TO HELP The money we take in from vendors helps us cover a portion of our printing costs, but we depend largely on donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations to help us pay our rent and keep the lights on. DONATE Donations to the Denver VOICE are tax-deductable. Go to denvervoice.org to give a one-time or recurring donation. You can also mail a check to: Denver VOICE | P.O. Box 1931 | Denver, CO 80201 GET THE WORD OUT We rely on grassroots marketing to get the word out about what we do. Talk to people about our organization and share us with your network. Support us on @denverVOICE ADVERTISE Our readership is loyal, well-educated, and socially concerned. Readers view purchasing the paper as a way to immediately help a person who is poor or homeless while supporting long-term solutions to end poverty. If you are interested in placing an ad or sponsoring a section of the paper, please contact us about rates at ads@denvervoice.org. VOLUNTEER We need volunteers to help with everything from newspaper distribution to event planning and management. Contact program@denvervoice.org for volunteering information. SUBSCRIBE If you are unable to regularly purchase a newspaper from our vendors, please consider a subscription. We ask subscribers to support our program with a 12-month pledge to give $10 a month, or a one-time donation of $120. Subscriptions help us cover our costs AND provide an amazing opportunity to those who need it most. Go to denvervoice.org/subscriptions for more information. April 2021 DENVER VOICE 3
Ask a VENDOR THIS COLUMN IS A PLACE FOR DENVER VOICE VENDORS TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS FROM OUR READERS AND STAFF. Do you plan to get a COVID vaccine? If so, once you are vaccinated, will you feel safer vending the VOICE? Q A DAVID GORDON I plan to get the vaccine for COVID. I will feel safer however, what would ultimately make me feel even safer would be if vaccines distribution increases while the number of cases goes down. I will still protect myself and others until the numbers dictate so. I will feel safer... JOHN ALEXANDER Yes. I have been blessed with victory because I had the COVID virus. I was in the hospital for a little over two months. I was in the hospital for COVID blood clots, and a double stroke – all related to the virus. During the first two weeks, I was on my death bed, and my family was making funeral arrangements. I have learned firsthand that the diagnosis of COVID is not an automatic death sentence, but I do have familiarities with this disease, and I will feel very much safer vending the Denver VOICE once I do get my vaccinations. RAELENE JOHNSON Yes, I will feel safer! I have COPD, and this last year was very hard on me! I felt safer not working than to end up dead! I am thankful the end is in sight. I know the vendors will see more people out and about. Thank you, Everyone, who worked to make and distribute the vaccinations! JERRY ROSEN Yes, I plan to get a vaccine, as I was told it was very safe. Yes, I will feel safer, as I know it will be effective in many ways. Vendors interested in receiving the vaccination can speak to Program Coordinator Anthony Cornejo. What do YOU want to ask? If you have a question or issue you would like vendors to discuss, please email community@denvervoice.org. INSIDE THE RESTROOM. PHOTO COURTESY OF DENVER’S DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE 4 DENVER VOICE April 2021 RESTROOM LOWERED INTO FOUNDATION. PHOTO COURTESY OF DENVER’S DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE RENDERING OF FINISHED AREA. PHOTO COURTESY OF DENVER’S DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE The new restrooms come five years after the City initially DENVER TO OPEN PUBLIC RESTROOMS DOWNTOWN BY ROBERT DAVIS DENVER’S DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE (DOTI) announced Wednesday the City will open public restrooms downtown near Champa Street. and the 16th Street Mall. The freestanding unit includes one standard restroom and one American with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant room. DOTI said it anticipates the facilities opening in the spring after the utility connections and other site work details are complete. It measures approximately 18 feet by 7.5 feet and is installed in what was previously a parking lane along Champa St. “I’m proud to have worked with city agencies to launch the creative, mobile restroom program that expanded access to sanitation for those who are away from home or living without one in Central Denver,” At-large Councilwoman Robin Kniech said in a statement. “I look forward to building upon this success to ensure our infrastructure matches the vibrancy and needs of our city,” she added. piloted a public restroom program. In 2016, the city parked mobile restrooms on Clarkson Street in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood and along East Colfax for 50 days to gather data about the need. Each unit was in operation for 12 hours per day. In 2018, the City released its final report about the pilot, which described the data it collected as “compelling” evidence to continue the program. It found that some locations would see as many as 200 users per day. One-third of the users were people experiencing homelessness. LOCAL NEWS
NATIONAL STORY DOTI said the program is designed to offer “convenient, clean, and safe facilities for the whole community.” Amenities include a full-time attendant, security cameras, waste and recycling stations, and a micro-mobility station for users to park their bicycles. “Providing residents and visitors with access to a comfortable, clean restroom meets a basic and universal human need and we’re proud to deliver this facility to the people of Denver,” said Mayor Michael B. Hancock. “By making restroom facilities more accessible to all, we increase people’s ability to get out and enjoy our downtown area with confidence and improve quality of life and the way our city looks and functions,” he continued. ■ TURNING POINT: CITIES URGED TO ACT ON LESSONS LEARNED IN PANDEMIC BY CAREY L. BIRON From Chicago to Mumbai, the public health crisis created by the coronavirus could be a chance to tackle long-standing problems in major cities – from social inequality to infectious diseases. FROM BETTER HYGIENE to greater awareness of inequality and recognition of ‘essential workers’, lessons learned during the coronavirus pandemic could be harnessed to improve city life for years to come. The health crisis has gutted urban economies, emptied offices and public transport, and shuttered communal spaces, but it might mark a watershed as cities seek to get back on their feet, the annual CityLab global summit heard. “One of the big headlines coming out of the pandemic is that the things we thought were impossible before are actually possible and really absolutely necessary,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told the three-day event, this year held virtually. COVID-19 has laid bare “a lot of the economic fault lines around race, around class, gender and inequalities that people believed were intractable – too big to actually solve,” Lightfoot said. In the United States, the pandemic’s economic effects have taken a far heavier toll on Black and Hispanic families, while federal data from December showed women have been disproportionately affected by job losses. “The crises we face have made clear the inequity and injustice that persist,” U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris told the event. “We want our cities and countries to thrive, not just survive.” There are hopeful signs, several participants said. The pandemic creates an opening to tackle issues exposed over the past year, such as the financial struggles of low-paid workers and their lack of social protection, said Ai-jen Poo, executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. “Now we all see that some of the work that was least visible to us is actually essential – to our safety, health, and our well-being,” Poo said. She noted advances made amid the pandemic for domestic workers, most of whom are women and from minorities, including a new “bill of rights” in Philadelphia and a push in Chicago to ensure fair wages, time off, and safe workplaces. Such opportunities are not limited to rich countries, said Reuben Abraham, chief executive of the IDFC Foundation and IDFC Institute in Mumbai, suggesting the pandemic could be a “turning point” for cities in the developing world. “Is there a way for us to embed the good behaviors that we’ve learned during COVID?” he said, noting the possibility of addressing “crowding” in cities through land use management, zoning, and the provision of affordable housing. Diseases such as cholera and typhoid have dropped substantially in Mumbai due to COVID-related hygiene practices such as hand-washing, Abraham said, while the wearing of face masks has had a significant effect on tuberculosis. “[The pandemic] has been a disaster for all of us,” he said. “But if we do the right thing now, net-net we end up with a positive outcome.” ■ Courtesy of Reuters / Thomson Reuters Foundation / INSP.ngo NEW ITEMS NEEDED: Socks Bottled water, non-perishable snacks Hand-warmers, toothpaste, deodorant, chapstick Paper products for the office GENTLY USED ITEMS NEEDED: Refurbished laptops or desktop computers Backpacks Gloves Heavy jackets (Men’s L, XL, XXL; Women’s M, L, XL) Spring WISH LIST PEDESTRIANS WALK PAST A STORE WITH GUIDELINES FOR SOCIAL DISTANCE AND FACE MASKS AS THE GLOBAL OUTBREAK OF THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19) CONTINUES, IN NEW YORK CITY, U.S., NOVEMBER 14, 2020. REUTERS/CAITLIN OCHS DENVERVOICE.ORG/VENDOR-NEEDS Drop-offs are accepted Mon, Weds, Fri., 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., or schedule a drop-off by emailing program@denvervoice.org. April 2021 DENVER VOICE 5
NATIONAL STORY PHOTO BY NATHAN DUMLAO ON UNSPLASH THE KNIGHTS FOR NUTRITION PANTRY RECEIVES ITS DONATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY. PHOTO COURTESY OF INSP.NGO U.S. COLLEGE STUDENTS BATTLE BASIC NEEDS INSECURITY BY JILL SHAUGHNESSY Three in five college students in the United States faced problems like housing insecurity or hunger in 2020. Despite their effort to receive a higher education, many students are neglected by their institutions and the government in terms of basic needs. Strides are being made across the U.S. by students and nonprofits to combat these issues. THE STORY OF THE “STRUGGLING COLLEGE STUDENT” is perpetuated in the United States. It may bring to mind the idea of subsisting on a diet of Ramen noodles or couch surfing for a semester. The example of a hungry, poor college student has been made out to be a common rite of passage. It’s considered almost normal to “struggle” during those crazy, college years. A demographic often overlooked in terms of hunger and homelessness is college-aged citizens and those enrolled in college. In some cases, these problems arise because parent support stops when entering college, while others have experienced hunger or housing insecurity prior. Some college students may find themselves financially unprepared to meet their basic needs after paying for tuition. Beyond that, universities are often ill-equipped to help these students. The COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened this. In 2020, when many schools were forced to hold only virtual classes, some students had to scramble for accommodation. While many students find themselves back with their parents, others just don’t have the option. Those who used to rely on university meal plans may no longer have this accessible food resource. The Hope Center is a nonprofit aiming to assist colleges and universities with research and resources about food and housing insecurity. Their study surveying over 38,000 college students found 3 in 5 students were experiencing basic needs insecurity. Food insecurity affected 44% of students at two-year colleges and 38% at four-year institutions. 15% of the students surveyed who attended 4-year colleges were experiencing homelessness due to the pandemic. Maya is a 21-year-old college student who currently attends Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Maya struggled with food insecurity before going to college. As a high school student, she relied on her mother’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly referred to as food stamps, to supplement her family. When she entered university, she was no longer receiving any government benefits nor financial support from her mother. Maya was used to working 40 hours a week to help support herself, her sisters, and her mother. Once entering college, this all changed. “I think a lot of people think college at a four-year university is a luxury, but it shouldn’t be,” she says. “When I was living with my mom, she couldn’t really help me, I was helping her. Since parents can’t always step in, the government should be the helping hand because we are just starting off on our own”. Maya recalls a time when she was not able to make ends meet for the semester. She was denied a loan and couldn’t figure out how to continue to take all of her classes and pay for groceries. She sat down with her roommates and they looked at her budget. She had bills to pay and was unable to manage everything. Her roommates offered to pay for her food for the term. “They had the resources, and they were kind enough to help. But I just don’t want to rely on anybody else. It’s not their responsibility to take care of me,” she says emotionally. Existing challenges have been only compounded by the pandemic in the past year. For example, Maya received the stimulus check from the United States government which helped her during the pandemic, but other students were excluded from this relief bill. The first 2 rounds of stimulus checks did not grant college-aged dependents the benefits. The term ‘dependent’ refers to an adult that is still claimed on their parent’s taxes. It is often not the choice of the student. The government ignored dependents; despite the fact the group was hit hard by the pandemic. With dining halls shut down and student housing paused, the stimulus check would have gone far for many students. Many schools have been trying to fix these problems and make sure their students can meet their basic needs. At Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania, this meant allowing housing-insecure students to continue living on campus while the majority of the school was shut down. In addition, they are helping students by offering a free food service, called Knight’s for Nutrition Food Pantry, to supplement their food needs. The Knight Pantry was to combat the obstacle of college hunger. There are no started before the pandemic 6 DENVER VOICE April 2021
NATIONAL STORY restrictions on who can get food or what items can be taken. They have a “no questions asked policy” for the students. The pantry is managed by the housing office but almost completely student-run. Tyanna Taylor operates the pantry three days a week. “I will say there has been a high demand for the pantry. We are trying to do our best to destigmatize its use. We want everyone to feel comfortable coming to get the things you need for free because you have the right to feed yourself,” she says. The pantry has things like feminine hygiene products, laundry detergent, and deodorant, as well. There is an option for groceries to be delivered at no cost right to the student’s doors through a larger local pantry, if needed. These services go a long way for the food insecure. Taylor says keeping up with studies at a university is a full-time job. She believes college students should not have to worry about feeding themselves, especially in a pandemic. Taylor says: “We are trying to make it known that it is not just a food pantry, but a resource pantry. We want to be able to educate students, like how you can apply for food stamps. We want to be that bridge for students.” There are other efforts being made across the country to tackle college hunger. Swipe Out Hunger is a national nonprofit based in California. They were founded in 2010 to help college students and universities design anti-hunger programs. Tenille Metti Bowling is the communications director for Swipe Out Hunger. She describes one of their more popular resources, the Swipe Drive, as a project that “allows students from different colleges to use their leftover meal swipes for their peers on campus who are facing food insecurity.” In most colleges in the U.S., meal plans work on a swipe system where students have a certain number of swipes or points that can be exchanged for access to a dining hall or a meal. The students who have extra, unused “swipes” are able to give them to students who are food insecure at no charge. The eligibility for this resource varies between the 130 campuses affiliated with Swipe Out Hunger. Swipe Out Hunger believes in “the lowest barrier to access” for college students. They work directly with different universities to allow students to receive the help they need with projects like the Swipe Drive. The nonprofit is determined to destigmatize college hunger by allowing students to be at the forefront of the cause. “We know no matter who you are or where you come from, food insecurity really can affect you. It’s a spectrum. I know I was most struck to hear some of our students who started programs at their universities did so because some of their friends who are athletes, who are representing their school, were hungry. I think hunger is right in front of us, but we haven’t really been able to identify it as such because of the stigma associated with food insecurity,” says Metti Bowling. She discusses how different programs have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some schools are partnering with Grubhub to allow students access to discounted, delivered food despite closed dining halls and programs. Furthermore, the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice was founded in 2013 and is currently located at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Part of their initiative is #RealCollege, that is “redefining what it means to be a student-ready college.” The Hope Center and #RealCollege understand basic needs like food and a safe place to stay are needed for learning and that “students are human first.” In addition to research, The Hope Center is dedicated to informing students about the resources available to them. From food pantries to programs like the Swipe Drive, the Hope Center compiles the different types of support on their website. Dr. Jennifer King, a practitioner-researcher at the Hope Center, notes that the issue of basic needs insecurity existed prior, but the coronavirus pandemic has further exposed the situation. “We encourage all thinkers and doers in higher education to view the Hungry to Learn documentary, which features the lives of #RealCollege students navigating their academic journey while managing a host of vulnerabilities that were practically nonexistent 20 years ago,” she says. The documentary, presented by Soledad O’Brien, shows what college hunger is like for four unique students. Within the Hope Center, the Policy and Advocacy staff follow legislation regarding this issue and systematic change on both the federal and state levels. Dr. King says: “Number one is the research. We want research to be actionable through engagement and communication with colleges, universities, and students, as well, about what’s going on, and what can be done. That communication then extends itself to state and federal legislation to ensure these are not just institutional changes, but there is systemic change, for college students to thrive, while they’re completing their degree.” In January of 2021, President Joe Biden announced his $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan which includes hopeful policy for college students facing basic needs insecurity. As of early March 2021, the plan has been approved by the Senate and awaits a final vote in the House of Representatives before receiving the President’s signature. The bill aims to extend the third stimulus legislation to include adult dependents. This would mean eligible college students would receive the $1,400 stimulus check. In addition, part of this plan allowed qualifying college students the option to receive food stamps after being excluded previously. Although these efforts are slowly coming along, many students will be able to benefit from the food stamps. It is important to mention: this is temporary SNAP eligibility due to the pandemic. A statement by the Hope Center reads: “We hope the administration will build on this stimulus plan, and codify many of the opportunities and expanded support that are set to disappear when COVID-19 is finally eradicated.” Permanent actions will still need to be examined and established in the future. With the help from resources like the Hope Center, Swipe Out Hunger, and more, progress can be made. “As students, we are just getting our feet in the door. In college, you still have to perform like everyone else, even if you’re struggling. Being expected to pay my bills, earn enough to feed myself, and attend college full time is a lot to handle alone,” says Maya. In the U.S., a college education is not a given. Many students cannot afford to attend university at all. But for those trying to get a higher education, their basic needs should not be neglected. After all, college is more than “living on Ramen.” ■ Courtesy of INSP.ngo THE STUDENTS HAVE THE OPTIONS TO PICK UP PRE-STOCKED BAGS OF GROCERIES. PHOTO COURTESY OF INSP.NGO BOARD MEMBERS WANTED! The Denver VOICE is looking for volunteer board members to help lead and strengthen our programs to provide economic empowerment and education tools to those experiencing homelessness or poverty in our community. If you are looking for a meaningful way to participate in advocating on behalf of those we serve, email your resume or CV to president@denvervoice.org Ideal candidates will have nonprofi t development and or fundraising experience and have a passion for making a difference in traditionally marginalized communities. April 2021 DENVER VOICE 7
COMMUNITY PROFILE A STAR TOUCHES DOWN LIGHTLY IN DENVER BY PAULA BARD Prior to STAR, the Denver 911 system, with its one million calls for service in the City and County of Denver, routed calls to either the criminal justice system or the health/hospital system. STAR now offers a third path to the de-escalation of crises and can provide an entry into services that may be available for people in crises. Carefully directed calls now go to STAR and its social workers and paramedics instead of an emergency department visit or law enforcement. For the city, this third path also increases efficiency. It offers costsaving while allowing traditional police, fire, and emergency medical services to be directed toward calls requiring their training and experience. Carleigh Sailon and Chris Richardson, the two clinical social workers who ride with the van, offer blankets, water, food, warmth, rides to safety, and a healthy dose of kindness. Sailon and Richardson have solid backgrounds in accessing resources for folks in crises and de-escalating public health emergencies. They see the STAR van as a perfect resource for Denver, as does Lateef Hodge, the Montbello paramedic who rides with STAR. The STAR van can be assigned to a call for service in three ways: 1. 911 call takers flag incoming calls and directly dispatch STAR. This accounted for 313 calls or 41.8% of the call load. 2. Police requests STAR to respond on-scene. This accounted for 260 calls or 34.8% of the call load. 3. STAR initiates a response in the field. This accounted for 175 or 23.4% of the call load. CREDIT: PAULA BARD 911 CALLS “Someone called 911 because the woman was sitting on a curb, crying and drinking a beer,” recalled Carleigh Sailon, a social worker with the STAR program. “They were concerned about her well-being and wanted to see if they could get her some help. STAR was dispatched, and I approached her, it was the middle of July. It was really hot. “She was sitting there, and we said, ‘We’re here to help you today. What’s going on?’ She basically just said that she’d gotten stranded in that part of town that she wasn’t familiar with and didn’t have any way to get anywhere else. No transportation and no fare for the bus, and it was really hot. She didn’t have any water. It was a retail area. She was just having a bad day. But she was crying, you know, and they were concerned about her, so they called 911. We carry water and snacks on the STAR van. So, I offered her some of that pretty quickly because of the heat. Asked her where she was trying to go, you know. We told her, ‘We’d be happy to give you a ride,’ and she said, ‘You know, I’d really just like to get somewhere inside, and, you know, sleep inside tonight.’ “I said ‘We’d be happy to give you a ride where you’d like to go?’ And she was really kind of pleasantly surprised that we were able to transport her. And we were happy to do that. “She was able to seek shelter and get some air conditioning and, you know, access to food and all those things at the shelter. And she was really grateful and gave us really positive feedback that felt really supportive. She couldn’t believe that people in a van would just kind of roll up and give her water and give her a ride!” HOW DID WE GET HERE? STAR, or the Support Team Assisted Response, was up and running by June 2020. This innovative program was launching about the same time that Denver’s streets were exploding with police brutality protests, and the program provides one remedy which could help to reduce conflict. The two-person STAR team consists of an experienced social worker and a paramedic who drive around in a nondescript blue and white van. STAR is called on for nonviolent public health crises when there are no weapons. Much of their interface with the community revolves around Denver’s unhoused community, amounting to a huge 68% of their calls. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., five days a week, they patrol the central business district and along the South Broadway corridor. Many of the issues they are called to address involve trespassing. In its first six-month pilot program, the STAR van responded to 748 calls for service. During the same period in the Denver Police Department, District 6 responded to 92,482 incidents. STAR was able to respond to 2.8% of the overall call load. STAR is made possible through collaboration between the Caring for Denver Foundation, Denver Police Department, Mental Health Center of Denver (MHCD), Denver Health Paramedic Division, Denver 911, and community support and resources. It provides mobile crisis response to community members experiencing mental health problems, poverty, homelessness, or trespassing. These public health issues are not often easily or appropriately addressed and are often exacerbated, in fact, by a police presence. 8 DENVER VOICE April 2021 DENVER POLICE PERSPECTIVE Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen, one of STAR’s founders, is now a strong advocate. STAR has been at least three years in the making. “My involvement in this goes back to a lunch at a restaurant in north Denver, where four of us sat down and asked if there could be an alternative response to the 911 calls that did not involve violence or weapons,” Pazen explains. The group began exploring organizations like Cahoots in Eugene, Ore., which had an innovative track record of 31 years of providing a nonpolice response for crises involving mental illness, homelessness, and addiction. “We did a lot of research on this, and then we shared that,” says Pazen. “We learned with other stakeholders, including Denver Homeless Out Loud and Denver Justice Project, folks from our 911 call center, and Caring Denver. We had numerous conversations with the folks from up there and the police chief.” The group sent a team up to learn about their program first-hand, and they came back very impressed and ready to implement it in Denver. “We want better outcomes for individuals that are in crisis,” says Pazen. “We believe that STAR is a critical component when people are in crisis or in need, where there’s not a weapon or where the individual is not demonstrating violence.” The 911 Call Center uses a decision tree; asking multiple questions to determine which calls go to the police and which would instead be a low-level, nonviolent crisis and appropriate for the STAR van. Often, the police determine that a call does not require police presence, and they call the STAR van themselves. Pazen believes that STAR’s impact on the unsheltered community is overwhelmingly positive. “And for the police,” Pazen says, “we see the value in having a medical professional
COMMUNITY PROFILE and a mental health clinician address individuals who are in crisis. They can get us better outcomes. I can tell you that our officers all say, ‘Hey, this is great! It frees up police officers to focus on crime issues, property crime and violent crime, and traffic safety.’” According to Pazen, the mayor is committed and has essentially put $3 million going forward into expanding the project. This will bring more vans, a larger coverage area, and extended hours. The city would like to see the program expanded to additional police districts. Pazen calls the program’s success a “win-win for the people that we are serving, which is most important, right?” STREET PERSPECTIVE Denver still wrestles with grief around the trauma and heartbreak caused by some of the community’s high-profile deaths at the hands of the Denver Police over the last 25 years. If these deaths could have been avoided by a STAR team with a lighter touch, then names like Michael Marshall, Paul Castaway, Paul Childs, Marvin Booker, Jessica Hernandez, and Aurora’s Elijah McClain might not be seared into the DNA of the city, still painfully echoing years after the deaths. Cities may never truly grieve or accept the loss of life at the hands of their own police. “STAR IS DEFINITELY AN IMPROVEMENT, YOU KNOW, FROM LIKE SENDING BADGES AND GUNS IN TO TELL PEOPLE TO CALM DOWN.” — THERESE HOWARD Therese Howard of of Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL) was involved with the inception of STAR. She has watched the police presence and accompanying trauma and criminalization inflicted on the unhoused for many years. But she does not see the STAR van as a strong presence yet out on the street. “I don’t know that people on the streets even know who they are or what they are,” said Howard. “It’s not like a presence that people are that aware of. I mean, there’s only one unit.” Howard thinks the social workers, Sailon and Richardson, are good at de-escalating crisis situations. “Carleigh and Chris, I’ve spoken to both of them. They’re great. I personally really like them both a lot. They’re both really good at connecting people and resources.” Howard also thinks it is better than the previous heavy-handed police involvement in the unsheltered communities. “STAR is definitely an improvement, you know, from like sending badges and guns in to tell people to calm down. Yeah, that is not necessary. So, it has actually cut down on trauma. STAR is able to be part of an official presence but to do it in a more humane way. They are able to de-escalate.” But for Howard, “a huge amount of their time and energy is being spent nicely telling homeless folks to stay off private property. Having nice people to tell them to move is of course better, but, ultimately, the issue is that they don’t have anywhere to be. It’s not wrong that they have mental illness or whatever. The issue is housing.” Howard supports the project. She also feels that it is heavily tilted toward police influence and needs more community direction. Howard says, “It’s like it’s one of those situations where we have agreement on enough of a front. There is a lot that we like. But moving forward, there definitely needs to be a lot of work to keep the city from just turning it into another basically nicer police department.” “WE USE OUR POLICE IN OUR CITY TO CRIMINALIZE UNHOUSED PEOPLE.” — VINNIE CERVANTES Vinnie Cervantes recounts that Denver Alliance for Street Health Response (DASHR) was one of the program’s main drivers. “In 2017, members of the community created DASHR specifically to bring a nonpolice response to street crises in Denver, which eventually became STAR. It’s been a good proof-of-concept that we can do something different and that it could be a more effective, humane approach to issues like homelessness, substance abuse, and health crisis.” Cervantes has been involved for many years in criminal justice reform efforts, “And, you know, we were pretty successful in those efforts, but from my end, I really wanted to do something that more closely aligned with my values.” This brought him to help implement STAR. Now he is focused on creating alternatives to police, in general, getting away from using the criminal justice system to solve social conflict. “The calls STAR receives are overwhelmingly around trespassing,” Cervantes says. “I knew that that would be a big component of this program. We use our police in our city to criminalize unhoused people, and it hasn’t had the really deep impact that I wanted it to with the homeless so far. I think as the program continues to build and to expand, becoming more effective, it will continue to become ingrained into the communities around Denver that need this kind of support.” Cervantes says DASHR has talked to about 10 different cities around Colorado about this kind of nonpolice intervention to address public safety crises. According to Cervantes, Aurora will be rolling out their version very soon. “I think it’s in a really interesting stage right now because the pilot program still is under the Police Department,” says Cervantes. “That’s where it started. But it’s already been expanded. So, the program and its expanded model actually live with the Denver Department of Health and Environment. It’s not gonna be with the Police Department, won’t even be in the Department of Safety, but still kind of a Department of Safety umbrella. So, I think that there is kind of a fear that it lives with the police too closely, right now.” He projects that it will be healthier when it moves further away from the Police Department, becoming more accountable and community-driven. STAR LIGHTS A NEW DIRECTION FOR OUR COMMUNITY Many 911 calls reflect not violent emergencies but cultural, economic, racial misunderstandings and conflict. Police are ill-equipped to deal with many of these nonviolent emergencies. For Denver, the STAR van is pointing in a new and hopeful direction for our community. It provides part of a possible answer to the protests against police brutality that exploded last summer in Denver. It definitely lowers the heat on unhoused communities. ■ CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD April 2021 DENVER VOICE 9
LOCAL STORY the second-highest group with 51% of respondents. Overall, 43% of Americans reported feeling increasingly lonely. And increased loneliness and isolation come with serious health costs. According to the study, loneliness is linked to “early mortality and a wide array of serious physical and emotional problems, including depression, anxiety, heart disease, substance abuse, and domestic abuse.” Brogan admitted she’s been feeling irritable lately, which she knows to be a sign of her depression. She began battling depression more than 20 years ago, before her first stint in homelessness. She’s seeing a therapist now and is fostering kittens to help abate the loneliness. However, Brogan also developed an infection in her GI tract because of the stress and anxiety she’s felt since midMarch of last year. Over the summer, her condition was so bad that she only ate bowls of chicken stock and white rice. Some therapists say that this loneliness can also manifest in misdirected anger, from sharp tones in casual conversation to episodes of outright rage online. In an interview with Vice News, Therapist Ashley McHan reported that she’s noticed an increasing number of incidences of misdirected anger among her patients. According to McHan, “Over time, we get fatigued. If there hasn’t been change happening around us or there hasn’t been improvement of situations, our ability to tolerate them is going to decrease...our ability to cope might eventually piddle out.” Andrea Bonior, a therapist and author of the upcoming book “Detox Your Thoughts” shared similar insight. “We are, right now, just chronically living under threat; even the smallest decisions that normally we would take for granted now feel very threatening,” she told VICE News. ROCHELLE BROGAN SITS IN HER APARTMENT BENEATH A PAINTING MADE FOR HER BY JOSE ACEVES, WHO PAINTED MURALS AS PART OF THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION. BROGAN, LIKE MANY, HAS FELT GREATER ISOLATION AND LONELINESS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN “We’re also just more irritable because most of us are in situations where we’re stifled, we maybe feel trapped, and we’re not able to actually do what we want to do.” COMMUNITY LIVING OFFERS SOLUTION TO LONELINESS EPIDEMIC BY GILES CLASEN AND ROBERT DAVIS ROCHELLE BROGAN, 60, still talks about the hug she shared with her son last October. “That hug was great. It was the best; my kids give good hugs,” she told the Denver VOICE. She said she could feel the weight of the pandemic lift off her chest as she held him tight. Prior to that day, Brogan struggled to cope with the social isolation caused by the pandemic. As a self-proclaimed extreme extrovert, she clamored for her former life—one filled with people: hugs, handshakes, and all. Before the pandemic hit, Brogan worked as a peer resource navigator at Denver Rescue Mission. In her role, she helped 10 DENVER VOICE April 2021 people find resources to escape homelessness or get substance abuse treatment. She also worked shifts at the Denver Public Library until her physical health began to decline. Brogan was also active in her church and volunteered with the Colorado Safe Parking Initiative, a campaign to allow people experiencing homelessness in Denver to sleep in a legally parked car that they own. As she held her son, Brogan thought about how she had not seen either of her children in over six months. Her daughter was pregnant with Brogan’s first grandchild, and to be safe and maintain social distancing, Brogan did not go near them. She always wanted to be a part of her daughter’s pregnancy journey, from rubbing her feet when they hurt to watching her grow into her new role as a mother. To Brogan, these are more would-be memories that COVID-19 prevented from becoming reality. “My energy and life are enhanced by interacting with people. I wasn’t getting my energy and stimulation,” Brogan said. “I couldn’t see my kids and it was killing me. I couldn’t see my granddaughter and it was killing me.” It would be another three months before the family could reunite. THE LONELINESS EPIDEMIC Recent research by the Harvard Graduate School of Education describes feelings of loneliness as a new epidemic sweeping the country. The study found that 36% of Americans, like Brogan, are experiencing “serious loneliness.” This condition is defined by researchers as being isolated “frequently, almost all the time, or all the time.” This epidemic is primarily impacting young people aged 16 to 25 years old. Sixty percent of respondents in this age group reported feeling increasingly isolated. Mothers were COMMUNITY LIVING, COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS Social isolation and loneliness are causes for significant concern, especially in regard to persons from vulnerable and marginalized groups who are at risk of experiencing homelessness. However, some alternative housing advocates in Denver say a solution to the city’s ailments is right underneath its nose: community living. The term “community living” often refers to three types of living arrangements—collectives, cooperatives, and co-housing properties. There are several types of each living arrangement, but some of the most common are rental collectives, market-rate cooperatives, and nonprofit cooperatives. Rental collectives can be operated in single-family homes, apartments, townhomes, or condos. Oftentimes the building is owned by an offsite landlord. Roommates often vote on cable and internet packages or rules regarding food storage and common space usage. For example, an individual who purchases a share of a group equity cooperative is required to return an agreedupon percentage of their share’s equity to the cooperative once the share is sold. This arrangement helps ensure the cooperative stays affordable for future members. Market-rate cooperatives allow residents to purchase a share of the corporation that owns the building. An example of this is the Holly Street Townhomes, a potential project developed by the Co-Own Company in Hilltop that will bring 24 affordable units to the neighborhood. Nonprofit cooperatives offer subsidized affordable housing to people earning between 30% and 60% of an area’s median income. The building is owned and operated by the nonprofit organization to ensure affordability. These arrangements sometimes come with “group equity” arrangements, which prohibit property owners from draining a property’s equity after selling it.
PAGE TITLE WRITING THROUGH HARD TIMES COURTESY OF DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY AND LIGHTHOUSE WRITERS WORKSHOP BENJAMIN ERIC NELSON PRAISING THE NIGHT’S SILENT DRUM Discipline Walking down dark road I see White ghost of sin Boiling remedy ROCHELLE BROGAN. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN Oppressed by dreams Left to become Tearing apart at the seams Choice of one There are no nonprofit cooperatives in Denver, but there are several collectives and co-housing properties. One of the most well-known is the Queen City Collaborative at 901 Clarkson St. in Capitol Hill. During a recent co-buying class hosted by LivWork Denver, Laura Cowperthwaite, who owns another co-housing arrangement known as Casa Gala, said she decided to invest in community housing because she didn’t want to couch surf after retiring. “Rather than handing down my homes to my children, I’m going to create housing for my community,” she said. As home values continue their meteoric rise across Denver, housing is becoming increasingly out of reach for many potential homebuyers. This is leading many to seek to split the costs with others, even total strangers, Cowperthwaite added. Economists at the World Economic Forum (WEF) expect co-living arrangements to become increasingly popular as COVID-19 upended the traditional office culture. Additionally, urban properties remain in high demand for younger homebuyers. WEF estimates up to 70% of people will live in cities by 2050. As a result, cities across the globe will need to find a way to adapt to an increase of tenants working from home. Community living provides both an environmentally and urban-friendly solution. Cowperthwaite said Denver’s housing market is already seeing increased demand for alternative living styles. According to the Colorado Association of Realtors, the average home price in Denver is now over $600,000, while the U.S. Census reports that the median household income from 2015 to 2019 was $68,592.00. “Now that COVID-19 happened, we’re seeing a lot more demand for live-work spaces because of the shift in work environments,” she added. “And, it’s shown no signs of slowing down.” ■ April 2021 DENVER VOICE 11 Fetter to this world... Hurting Wraith transcends fate Direction to being I elate That curse undone Praising the night’s silent drum 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
IN YOUR OWN WORDS Life’s Got to Get BETTER TODAY! BY LANDO ALLEN, VOICE VENDOR I THOUGHT MY LIFE WOULD BETTER. I made things work for me when it came to the papers I sell. I bought a camper. I’m also trying to get a truck and get my business to jump off. I was doing well until the pandemic got here. I found myself putting a lot of money to the camper just to keep it running. It scares me that the City isn’t nice to people that own [the campers]. So, when the pandemic hit Denver, they told us to stay home and stay safe, and the camper was the safest way to do that. But my camper wouldn’t work sometimes, and it didn’t feel like home. So, I had to do a lot of work to it. I already made up my mind to do what it takes to keep it clean and make it a good home because I got it for a good price, and if I wanted a better one, it would cost too much. So, I had it parked in a good place by the Crossroads Shelter, where I kept it for 9 months. Then, people with tents set up camp over there. That’s when it changed. You had people doing drugs. You also had gangs over there, people who would steal cars then leave them there. LANDO ALLEN. CREDIT: SARAH HARVEY One day, a guy got killed there where I parked my camper, and the City made us move. That’s when the nightmare began. I got to the spot where they let me park my camper; about 2 weeks later, my car broke down, and at the same time, my camper got towed away. We called the police every day to see if they would could release [my camper] and pay for the towing because the policeman didn’t leave me any warning that he was going to tow my camper. I was shocked that they left me with a broken-down car in the freezing cold. A friend had to talk me into getting my camper back, so the next day, I walked to the office and talked to the lady [at the front desk] of the impound lot. We talked about getting my camper out. I told her I had the money and insurance for it. She said “Why didn’t you have a tag?” I told her that it is the pandemic and it was hard to get down to Colorado Springs [where I bought my camper] to get my tags. She said that she didn’t care and told me that “cops own the city.” I got so mad that I walked out of the impound lot. I didn’t want to go back. That night, I was vending the VOICE and I broke down in tears. I realized that it would cost me way more money to buy anything else. Then, my girlfriend got her son to send us $150 to help us get the camper out. But when we got the camper, [my girlfriend] became very sick and ended up in the hospital. Meanwhile, we got to do something about the City robbing people and taking their cash. I think it’s a shame that they would do that. ■ Thank you, VOLUNTEERS! BY ELISABETH MONAGHAN, MANAGING EDITOR IN THIS ISSUE, Denver VOICE Board Chair Nikki Lawson shares her thoughts about volunteering. Some may read Lawson’s words and not give them another thought. For those of us in the Denver VOICE community, volunteers are unsung heroes whose time, knowledge and compassion make all the difference in our ability to fulfill our mission. In recognition of National Volunteer Month, the VOICE staff and vendors would like to acknowledge the wonderful people who donate their time and talents to the VOICE. ■ If you are interested in volunteering for the VOICE, visit denvervoice.org/volunteer. To explore volunteer opportunities in Denver, visit sparkthechangecolorado.org. KERSTEN JAEGER ANDREW KLOOSTER KATE MARSHALL AARON SULLIVAN LAURA WING WE MOVED! 12 DENVER VOICE April 2021 Our vendor offi ce is now located at : 989 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 We are still settling into our new Denver VOICE office. When it is safer to gather in large groups again, we hope you will stop by and say hello! LANIE LEE COOK TY HOLTER
EVENTS COURTESY OF DEBORAH LASTOWKA PUZZLES Thanks to Deborah Lastowka, who provides this list of ideas for entertainment people can enjoy while practicing social distancing. GARAGE BAND: FELIX AYODELE & THE NEW MOONS + THE GRAND ALLIANCE Discover your new favorite band…from the comfort of your own couch. The MCA’s live music series is back and this time, you have the option of watching from home. WHEN: Apr 2, 6 p.m. COST: Free; visit the site for in-person ticketing options as well. MORE INFO: mcadenver.org/events QI GONG EXPLORATION AND PRACTICE Qi Gong is the cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine. Sometimes called “meditation in motion”, Qi Gong includes slow, dance-like movements to improve breathing, reduce stress, and gently move and stretch the body. WHEN: Apr 6, 13, 20, and 27, 4 p.m. – 4:45 a.m. COST: Free but registration is required. MORE INFO: denverlibrary.org/events/upcoming ACROSS MUSICAL PERSPECTIVES (A MUSIC IN THE GALLERIES EXPERIENCE) The Clyfford Still Museum has teamed up with Friends of Chamber Music to offer unique selections of musical interludes that enhance the viewing experience of their spring– summer exhibition, Stories We Tell: The Collection Two Ways. Bring your smartphone or tablet with headphones or earbuds to partake in this multisensory experience. WHEN: Apr 11, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. COST: Free for members and those 17 and under; $6 - $10 for others. WHERE & MORE INFO: Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock St.; clyffordstillmuseum.org WOMEN+FILM FESTIVAL Now entering its 12th year, the Women+Film Festival celebrates outstanding cinema that examines the roles, challenges, and triumphs of women from all over. WHEN: Apr 13 – Apr 18, times vary COST: Individual tickets cost $12 for members, $15 for non-members. Festival passes are also available. MORE INFO: denverfilm.org LANDSCAPING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE We’re all striving to do our best to mitigate climate change, so why not start in your own backyard? Alison Peck of Matrix Garden shares how to decrease water, increase biodiversity, and why conserving resources at home can add up to make a big difference. WHEN: Apr 26, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. COST: Free MORE INFO: facebook.com/GardenInABoxCO 1. Drug buster 5. Container 9. Stallion, once 13. ___ shirt (colorful garment) 15. “Th e ___ Duckling” 16. Affi rm 17. “Encore!” 18. Income-driven plan for federal student loan reduction (Abbr.) 19. Remote button 20. Daff odils 22. Slender 24. Ornamental pond fi sh 25. 2004 Jon Heder movie “___ Dynamite” 27. Most people 30. Urban haze 31. Floor coverings 32. Oscar, e.g. 37. Be a bad winner 39. “Live from New York, ___ Saturday night!” 40. Early anesthetic 41. Is more important than 43. Oil company 44. High point 45. Showy 47. Victim of memory loss 51. Batman and Robin, e.g. 52. A place on Earth, according to Belinda Carlisle 53. Species of fl owering plants in the sunfl ower family, also called southernwood 58. Hamburg’s river 59. Heroic poem 61. Boot brand owned by Columbia Sportswear since 2000 62. Long, long time (Var.) 63. Breakaway group 64. S-shaped moldings 65. Money owed 66. Pseudonym of H. H. Munro 67. Bygone time DOWN 1. Indian bread 2. Aquatic plant 3. Big laugh 4. Native American nation forcibly moved to Oklahoma during the Trail of Tears 5. Tarot suit 6. Under time pressure 7. Craft y 8. Peacock tail feature 9. Beast of burden 10. Immature egg 11. Numbers game 12. Many a middle schooler 14. Negatively charged particle 21. A sib 23. Fashion magazine 26. Build up 27. Cornstarch brand 28. “Star Trek” navigator 29. “___ You Babe” (Sonny & Cher hit) 32. Greek letter 33. Branch of cultural anthropology 34. TV’s “___-Team” 35. Dry run 36. Gaelic language 38. Make fun of 42. Chilly attitude 45. Eccentric 46. Actress Rene 47. Coming up 48. Free-for-all 49. Mucky-muck 50. What’s happening 54. Italian wine region 55. ___ O’s (sugary Post cereal) 56. Swerve 57. “So what ___ is new?” 60. Podded plant COURTESY OF STREETROOTS ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 15 April 2021 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+ Denver Foundation The NextFifty Initiative Help Colorado Now $10,000+ John & Laurie Mcwethy Charitable Fund Kenneth King Foundation Max & Elaine Appel DEDO Nonprofit Emergency Relief Fund The Christian Foundation $5,000 - $9,999 Anschutz Family Foundation Meek-Cuneo Family Fund Jerry Conover Cranaleith Foundation, Inc $1,000-$4,999 BNSF Railway Foundation Kauer Construction and Design Bright Funds Russell Peterson Phoenix Capital, Inc. Signs by Tomorrow Energy Outreach Colorado City Side Remodeling SEI Giving Fund Matthew Seashore & Nikki Lawson Josh Kauer Caring Connection Jeff and Carrie Cuneo Kroger Gaelina Tesfaye Network for Good Charities Aid Foundation of America Jim Ashe Walker Family Foundation The Sidney B. & Caleb F. Gates Jr. Fund Matthew Rezek Conover/Wonder Family Fund The Sidney B. & Caleb F. Gates Jr. Fund Patrick & Jan Rutty Conover/Wonder Family Fund Phoenix Capital $500-$999 Colorado Cross Disability Colalition Graham Davis Betty & Warren Kuehner Jeremy Anderson Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop, Inc. Community Health Charities Michelle Stapleton & James Thompson Michael Dino Paul Hoffman Michael J. Fehn & Jan Monnier Jennifer Stedron Mr. Paul Manoogian 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 Gaspar Terrana Catherine Hegedus Christine Muldoon and Pete Iannuzzi James Stegman 3M Foundation 10X Business Consultants 14 DENVER VOICE April 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 April 2021 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 1 A F 2 E U 0 M N 2 B D G R A , METLO ROOFTOP 1111 N Broadway Denver, CO 80203 SUNDAY, MAY 16 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. A 6 N I Y JOIN THE DENVER VOICE FOR OUR ANNUAL RISE & THRIVE BREAKFAST, THIS YEAR HAPPENING BOTH IN-PERSON AND ONLINE! 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 1 RSVP BY MAY 1: INFO@DENVERVOICE.ORG In-person seating is limited – please reserve your spot early to participate. Online participation is unlimited, but requires registration to receive goodies provided by our breakfast sponsors! R K
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