$ 2 SUGGESTED DONATION @DenverVOICE THANKFUL FOR VOLUNTEERS BIPOC ROLLER DERBY R Y MEMBERS OF COLORADO SHINERS SEEK TO INFLUENCE CONVERSATION ABOUT EQU LITY PAGE 6 MB NE NVE UAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR CONNIE GAITAN SHARES HER APPRECIATION FOR OUR VOLUNTEERS. PAGE 2 FOOD BENEFITS TO SHRINK LOW-INCOME AMERICANS WILL LOSE THEIR ELIGIBILITY FOR PANDEMIC-ERA BENEFITS PAGE 4 IMAGES CHANGE PERCEPTIONS INSP INTERVIEWED DENVER VOICE CONTRIBUTOR GILES CLASEN ABOUT HIS APPROACH TO PHOTOGRAPHY PAGE 5 HIDDEN HOMELESSNESS WOMEN, 55 AND OLDER, ARE BEARING THE BRUNT OF ESCALATING HOUSING CRISIS PAGE 10 VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY PAGES 3, 12 EVENTS / PUZZLES PAGE 13 RESOURCES PAGE 15 APRIL 2023 | Vol.28 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) FROM YOUR VENDOR: “JAMS BOND” HELPED FOUND BOTH THE BIPOC BOWL AND THE COLORADO SHINERS. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN
PROGRAM UPDATE APRIL IS NATIONAL VOLUNTEER MONTH, and because I work so closely with the volunteers who come to our office or help us with our events, I wanted to celebrate volunteerism by recognizing the team of volunteers who bring so much to the Denver VOICE. I am very thankful to have CONNIE GAITAN PROGRAM COORDINATOR met such amazing people in our community that help us meet our mission to serve our unhoused neighbors. In the short amount of time that I’ve been with the Denver VOICE, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a few astounding volunteers. These people are dedicated and proud to do the work behind the scenes and make a difference, no matter how big or small the job is. That is why I’d like to spotlight two of our volunteers, Rose and Terry, whose time and effort makes such a difference to the Denver VOICE vendors and all of us on staff. I had the pleasure of meeting Rose Villela when I had just started working at the VOICE. Rose helped me rearrange our office space to make it more open and inviting. Not only does she exude this vibrant positive energy, but she’s also very generous and kind. When she heard the news of our longtime vendor Brian’s passing she stopped by our office and embraced me with a heartfelt hug and some flowers, while also expressing her condolences. She also made sure to let the staff know that if we needed anything to give her a call. She’s an advocate for many organizations that support those experiencing homelessness, and I look forward to working with her at our Rise and Thrive fundraising event next month. Terry’s been buying the Denver VOICE newspaper since the ’90s. Describing her work with the VOICE, Terry said, “It’s been a good experience to provide helpful resources, give vendors positive advice, and be a good support system for the vendors.” Terry stops by the office three times a week to count newspapers, sanitize surfaces, water the plants, and welcome vendors. She also refers people to our vendor program. Terry attends our gatherings, helps with the clean-up after, and makes small donations to help our vendors. I appreciate Terry’s dedication and willingness to show up – even when we are experiencing extremely cold days. In a short time, I’ve built great relationships with Rose and Terry, and I’m excited to highlight the importance of why their help at the Denver VOICE has made an impact on our organization. ■ 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. VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Aaron Sullivan Laura Wing 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. ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Giles Clasen WRITERS Zakkayiah Brooks Rea Brown Connie Gaitan Raelene Johnson Andrew McClenton Jerry Rosen 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. LeMarquis Smith BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nikki Lawson, President Chris Boulanger, Vice President Jeff Cuneo, Treasurer Zephyr Wilkins, Secretary Albert Bland Donovan Cordova Antonio Diaz Raelene Johnson Jennifer Seybold Julia Watson Cabal Yarne With the money they make selling the VOICE, vendors are able to pay for their basic needs. Our program provides vendors with an immediate income and a support group of dedicated staff members and volunteers. Vendors are independent contractors who receive no base pay. EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT editor@denvervoice.org VENDOR PROGRAM program@denvervoice.org • (720) 320-2155 ADVERTISING ads@denvervoice.org MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 1931, Denver CO 80201 VENDOR OFFICE 989 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204 OFFICE HOURS: Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Orientation is held every day we are open, but prospective vendors must arrive by 10:00 a.m. 2 DENVER VOICE April 2023 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US
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. Q What is your special talent? A ANDREW MCCLENTON Landscaping. I cut, weed, and edge. Also, I can draw cars. LEMARQUIS SMITH Well, I know one of my special talents is cooking. I have the uncanny ability to make anything (and I do mean anything) taste the way it is supposed to taste. I have three chili cook-offs under my belt already. I also believe I have a special talent to be able to say anything to anyone without them being offended. I’m a firm believer that you can say anything to anyone if you use the right words… Anything at all! JERRY ROSEN My special talent is being able to help people. I’m a very diligent and hard worker. I like to do more than I can handle. I’m very industrious and willing to do different things. RAELENE JOHNSON I believe my special ability is to help people understand there is a way out. I’m able to calm people down really easily, too. I truly believe all the pain I have suffered has given me a better understanding of others’ pain. I’m always tuned in to other people’s troubles. I feel it’s a blessing because I get to help people. 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. April 2023 DENVER VOICE 3
PAGE TITLE NATIONAL STORY SPRING WISH LIST RESIDENTS RECEIVE FREE GROCERIES AT A FOOD PANTRY PROVIDED BY LA COLABORATIVA AMID THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19) PANDEMIC IN CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S., NOVEMBER 30, 2021. REUTERS/BRIAN SNYDER Drop-offs are accepted Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., or by appointment. ANALYSIS: U.S. FOOD BENEFITS FOR POOR TO SHRINK AS PANDEMIC PROVISIONS END NEW ITEMS NEEDED: Socks Toiletries (individual or travel-size) Toothpaste, deodorant, chapstick Bottled water BY LEAH DOUGLAS LOW-INCOME AMERICANS will soon receive less in food assistance or completely lose their eligibility for the benefits, as the federal government ends policies adopted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that kept millions from going hungry at a time of lockdowns and rising unemployment. Anti-hunger advocates warned that the looming drop in aid 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 VENMO YOUR VENDOR: If you would like to help out a specific 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! could undo progress toward a Biden administration goal to end US hunger by 2030. The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives may also pursue further cuts to food assistance to shrink the U.S. deficit. “It’s going to put millions of households at risk of hunger,” said Eric Mitchell, president of the Alliance to End Hunger. The changes mean cuts of about $82 a month beginning in March for recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, said Ellen Vollinger of the Food Research & Action Center, an anti-hunger group. The average SNAP benefit will be about $157 after the reduction. Since Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in March 2020, states have been able to allocate the maximum allowable benefits to SNAP recipients, instead of applying deductions tied to income and other factors. Initially, those “emergency allotments” were linked to the pandemic public health emergency. But in December’s spending bill fight, Congress negotiated a compromise to end them in February in exchange for a new summer food program for children. President Joe Biden’s administration has also said it will lift the coronavirus public health emergency in May. This will end other changes that expanded access to SNAP, like a suspension of the program’s three-month time limit for adults without children and exemptions for some college students. In recent months, the additional benefits tied to the pandemic response have come to about $3 billion a month, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). Those higher benefits kept the percentage of Americans @DenverVOICE experiencing food insecurity steady at 10% through 2021, even as the first two years of the pandemic drove up unemployment, said Dottie Rosenbaum, senior fellow, and director of federal SNAP policy at CBPP. 4 DENVER VOICE April 2023 Meanwhile, food insufficiency - a more severe form of food insecurity wherein households sometimes or often do not have enough to eat - dropped by about 9%, according to a study by North Western University’s Institute for Policy Research. A separate study from the Urban Institute said the benefits kept 4.2 million people out of poverty. Anti-hunger advocates worry the looming reduction in aid could reverse those gains. In states where expanded benefits have already ended, 29% of SNAP recipients visited food pantries in December, compared to 22% in states that still had the benefits, according to data collected by Propel, a technology company that makes financial products for low-income people. ‘WAY TOO LOW’ The debate over U.S. spending on food assistance is likely to heat up in the coming months as lawmakers negotiate a new farm bill, a legislative package passed every five years that funds nutrition, commodity, and conservation programs. More than 76% of the current farm bill’s $428 billion price tag went to food assistance programs that serve 41 million people annually. The bill expires on September 30. Democrats generally support expanding benefits, while Republicans typically oppose expansion. “The SNAP benefit was already way too low, even before the pandemic,” Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, a Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, said in an email. “We need to seriously boost benefit levels to reflect the reality of food costs today,” he said. Food prices are up 10% since last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. House Republicans have indicated they might review and tighten SNAP work requirements as part of farm bill negotiations. The House Budget Committee has also floated cuts to SNAP as a means of reducing spending in the ongoing debt limit fight. ■ Courtesy of Reuters / International Network of Street Papers
LOCAL PROFILE Q&A: DENVER VOICE PHOTOGRAPHER GILES CLASEN ON USING IMAGES TO CHANGE PERCEPTIONS INTERVIEW BY TONY INGLIS Photographer Giles Clasen has been taking pictures for Colorado, USA street paper the Denver VOICE for about 15 years. Here, he discusses his approach to photographing vulnerable subjects, and how the opportunity to work with the street paper gave him purpose when a Traumatic Brain Injury left him unable to work. INSP: When did you become interested in practicing photography, and when did you want to pursue it further as work and as an art form? GILES CLASEN: I became interested in photography when I was in high school. Back then my family didn’t have a lot of money and I asked my mother for a camera for Christmas. I don’t know how she did it, but somehow she scraped together about $400 to buy me a Canon single lens reflex camera. I always worked a part-time job to pay for my film and I was hooked from then on. In college, I developed my skill further. But it wasn’t until I began working with homeless families that I realized the real storytelling power of photography. Were you aware of street papers before you began working with the Denver VOICE? I was. I studied journalism in college and one of my textbooks mentioned street papers. I have always had the drive to fight for social justice. I believe journalism can change public perception on issues. When I read about street papers I remember thinking, “That. I want to do that.” I sent an email to the Denver VOICE in 2007 or 2008 asking to contribute. I remember being really nervous and excited. I was thrilled when they gave me a chance. At the time I was recovering from a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and unable to work. I was near homeless, living on the food donated to me by my church and paying rent with help from my family. When Tim Covi, then an editor with the Denver VOICE, gave me a chance to write and take photos, it gave me purpose at a point in my life when I wasn’t sure I had any future. The TBI impacted many aspects of my life. I continue to experience severe pain and have double vision today. I can’t actually tell if my photos are any good until I see them on a giant screen. In 2008, less than a year after the injury, it was all much more severe. I wasn’t sure if I would ever return to work. I wasn’t sure what life would be like for me moving forward. Tim took a risk on me, and I will forever be grateful. It was hard to write and take photos with such limited vision. But working for the Denver VOICE, working with Tim, showed me I could still do some great things. It was both a fulfillment of a college goal and to some degree a lifesaving venture for me. I only have what I have today because of the street paper. Every job I have worked since has been in part because of what the Denver VOICE has given me. CREDIT: XXXX Elisabeth, our current editor, took over four years ago and built off of our previous success. She pushed me early on in her tenure to write and develop my own articles rather than taking photos to accompany other writers’ articles. Her push and encouragement changed me and my work in profound ways. I wouldn’t have felt so bold to tell the stories I am telling today without her efforts. Do you have any key principles generally when taking photos? My driving principle is to get permission from the subject and be transparent in how I plan to use the images. I understand that in the United States photographers have a right to take photos in public spaces. There is a rich history of street photography documenting the public space. For individuals experiencing homelessness, their private spaces are public. We must respect and honor this. I don’t care how much good you intend on doing in documenting unhoused communities. If you start out by secretly taking a photo, or taking a photo without permission, then you aren’t on solid footing. When working with people who may be vulnerable or from marginalized backgrounds, do you alter the way your work in any way to accommodate them? Yes. I always ask for permission, and I always show the photo to the individual before publication to make sure they are comfortable with the image. I also try to document truthfully but I don’t really know what that is beyond the abstract idea. The lens is not objective and the choices I make can sensationalize or humanize and sometimes it does both. The final goal is to force the viewer to feel something about the subject. I don’t know if it always works. One responsibility of street papers is to impact public perception of people on the fringes of society. How do you think good photos play into that? I think when the photographer spends time with the subject and truly cares about the subject there is a different image you get to present. It is important to take risks as an artist and to get to know the community. I want to see Denver in the way those experiencing homelessness see Denver. I want to show what the cold does to a person, what a hot summer day does to a person. I want to show the impact of public policy in personal ways. I think when you take risks to get to know and care for individuals living outside what is considered normal you begin to see a different world – one of survival and love. This is what I try to show to people. I try to show the real-life circumstances that go unseen and are taken for granted. Is there a particular photo or story that you’ve worked on as a photographer that has had a significant effect on you? Every story I work on impacts me. I actually think of my life in the time periods of doing different stories. July of 2022 was this story; August 2023 was that story. There have been a few that really hit home. My story on the impact of COVID-19 on a specific region of the Navajo community in Arizona altered me. I joined the board of the non-profit I covered and continue to work to help that community. The story I did in 2022 on individuals living in campers on the streets of Denver impacted me. I continue to document those communities and be a part of those communities. I am about to publish a story on a BIPOC Roller Derby training squad in Denver – and I can’t begin to express how that story has changed the trajectory of my life. I guess some people look to meditation or self-help books for improvement. I find communities I want to document and dig into learning, changing, and growing as part of the process. These stories change the way I see and act in the world. How could I not change after someone struggling with a heroin addiction opens up to me? When someone is generous enough to share their story with me, I have to be generous enough to listen and care. Caring changes everything. ■ Courtesy of the International Network of Street Papers April 2023 DENVER VOICE 5
COMMUNITY PROFILE BIPOC ROLLER DERBY: MEMBERS OF COLORADO SHINERS SEEK TO INFLUENCE CONVERSATION ABOUT EQUALITY BY GILES CLASEN THERE WAS A LOT OF EXCITEMENT when registration for the 2023 BIPOC Bowl roller derby tournament was announced. The BIPOC Bowl, which takes place April 15 and 16, is a Denver-based roller derby tournament exclusively for skaters of color to join together and compete against one another. Demand to participate was so high, it was a scramble for skaters from all around the world to snag a highly coveted roster spot. While other roller derby tournaments experienced a slow restart following the pandemic, the BIPOC Bowl, which is in its second year, filled all its skating spots in less than eight hours. “There’s nothing else like it,” said BIPOC Bowl founder, Samantha Mack, who goes by her derby name Jams Bond, or, just Jams. “There is not another opportunity on the planet where people of color can skate with other people of color like this.” Like wrestling names, derby names are both theatrical and revealing about a player. Some names focus on a player’s skating style, others evoke personality traits. All are designed to highlight the individual in a team sport. The BIPOC Bowl grew out of Jams’ other BIPOC-specific derby venture, the Colorado Shiners, which Abena WatsonSiriboe helped found. Watson-Siriboe uses the derby name Norah P Neffrin, which is generally shortened to Norm. CREATING A SAFE HAVEN Norm and Jams are both trainers with the Colorado Shiners, a team that is dedicated to introducing the Denver BIPOC community to roller derby and eliminating barriers to participation. BIPOC is an inclusive designation meaning Black Indigenous and People of Color intentionally avoiding victim-centered language like “marginalized,” or “minority.” “Roller derby is a very white sport,” Norm said. “Throughout my 13 years, I’ve run into other skaters of color, and we kikied whenever we saw each other because we realized just how rare that was.” JAMS BOND PERFORMS AN APEX JUMP AT ROLLERCON IN JULY 2022. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN 6 DENVER VOICE April 2023
COMMUNITY PROFILE MELODY “WAIKIKI WARRIOR” SANTIAGO WAIKIKI TRAINS AS A BLOCKER AT THE COLORADO SHINERS. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN It can cost $500 or more to begin skating in roller derby, and the Shiners have found ways to reduce or eliminate these costs to individuals who aren’t yet sure about roller derby. Case in point, Jams has secured sponsorships with skating brand Triple 8 NYC, to provide pads to new skaters, and also with the Denver Skates Shop, to help new skaters secure skates. The Shiners also seek to address more than the financial barriers to participating in roller derby. “Being together and celebrating skating is tremendous,” Tammy, ‘Queen of Hertz,’ or ‘Q,’ said. “I look forward to Friday nights because I just get to be me.” Q asked that her last name not be used for privacy reasons. According to Q, learning about the BIPOC training team opened the door for her to participate in roller derby. “Through the Shiners, I know I have people who are on my side, who have my back, and who understand,” Q said. “Not everybody understands what people of color go through on a daily basis.” Q had never skated in roller derby before joining the Shiners. She had roller skated in middle school and rollerbladed as an adult, but when she first attempted derby, she didn’t have the skills to make it around the track without falling, let alone play roller derby. “I pretty much hugged the wall the entire first night, but I was so excited and thrilled just to be there and watching everyone else. The practice was just really inspiring,” Q said. Jams and Norm both said the Shiners team is special because it is one of the few places the BIPOC community can go without worrying about stereotypes, microaggressions, or worse. Friday night at the Rollerdome in Denver is always a night when they feel they get to be their true selves. BUILDING EACH OTHER UP Roller derby can be intimidating. The rules are unlike any other sport. There isn’t a ball to throw or catch, and it can be difficult for those watching it for the first time to understand the game. The sport looks like a mix between Olympic speed skating and a rugby scrum. Roller derby is simultaneously artistic movement and brute force. Although the game is played on wheels, the players are on their toe brakes and in the air as frequently as when they roll across the arena floor on all eight wheels. Gameplay involves one jammer and four blockers from each team on the track. The skaters move counterclockwise around the track, and jammers can score points by lapping each blocker. It takes a lot of strategy, teamwork, and deft footwork to build a winning team, and it can take months, or even years, ELIZABETH “BLAZIN” MCCUNE WAITS FOR SHINER PRACTICE TO BEGIN. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN to master the nuance of the sport. While other Denver roller derby leagues train new players, none offer the one-on-one coaching that the Shiners do. Jams directs each practice, but rather than stick with a concrete plan, she likes to build the practice around the individuals who show up each night. Some nights, both high-level and low-level skaters arrive, and Jams plans those practices on the fly to meet both skater type’s needs. Jams’ name is a play on the Derby position jammer, which Jams excels at. She recently won the tournament MVP at the Louisiana-based Y’allstars Southern Skate Showdown. At nearly 6 feet tall, Jams has the unique ability as a jammer to skate with power, speed, and agility. She brings this experience and knowledge to every Shiners’ practice, helping other skaters advance in their skill level. Norm is a powerful blocker, who often takes on two opposing skaters at once. She coaches other skaters on gaining leverage and adjusting their positioning to effectively stop opposing jammers and break up opposing defenses. Q started skating in April of 2022 and has made impressive progress quickly. She is learning the rules of derby while training with the Shiners and two other Denver leagues. The combination of her dedication, and frequent one-on-one training from Jams and Norm, has helped Q go from barely being able to stay upright to skating backward, developing derby-level footwork, and learning to play as a blocker. She even is learning to referee derby events, which she believes will help her develop a deeper understanding of the sport. Q is hoping to play in the BIPOC Bowl, but that will depend on whether she recovers in time from a recent injury. THE SHINERS WAIT FOR PRACTICE TO BEGIN. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN According to Q, her rapid development as a derby skater wouldn’t have been possible without the safety and camaraderie she experiences in the Shiners’ practices. Q said that it is impossible for a white individual to understand the presence of racism a person of color experiences in everyday life. For example, when she eats at any restaurant, regardless of the cuisine, it isn’t unusual to have another patron assume that because Q is Asian, she is part of the wait staff. It also is common for white people to tell her she speaks great English, even when she tells them she was born in the United States. Some don’t believe her name is Tammy and demand to know her REAL name, a name that sounds more Asian. Jams hopes the Shiners can continue to provide support to its members, whether in or out of the roller derby arena. “This is a space for people who recognize and understand who I am because they have my shared experience,” Jams said. “This is a space where you can be vulnerable with other people of color and Black folks.” Continued on page 8 April 2023 DENVER VOICE 7
COMMUNITY PROFILE NATALIE “KILLIFORNIA” DAVIDSON WAITS TO BE BANDAGED BY MEDICS AT THE 2021 BIPOC BOWL. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN Continued from page 7 IN SEARCH OF GENUINE INCLUSIVITY Because the roller derby community seeks to be inclusive, it is common to see Pride flags and Black Lives Matter flags hanging in roller derby arenas. It also is not unusual to see skaters wearing stickers on their helmets that designate their preferred pronouns. Despite the surface acceptance, when it comes to the BIPOC community, the roller derby world has encountered recent missteps The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, one of the sport’s governing bodies, had to issue new guidelines on diversity, equity, and inclusion following the 2019 East Coast Derby Extravaganza in Feasterville, PA, which was hosted by Philly roller derby. Typically, officials calling bouts identify a player who has committed a penalty by referencing that player’s number and uniform color. During the event in Feasterville, however, officials misidentified and confused skaters of color with one another. Philly Roller Derby said in an apology posted to Facebook that officials also identified those who had committed penalties by the player’s skin color rather than by uniform color. In their apology, Philly Roller Derby said, “These mistakes were not made in an attempt to cause harm, but these subconscious errors reveal a harmful systemic problem that we need to consciously address.” These types of microaggressions and racist practices create long-lasting wounds in the BIPOC community and can’t be repaired easily. WFTDA lead a series of DEI workshops available via Zoom and issued a new series of inclusivity guidelines for all leagues. Jams said she does not believe there is a genuine effort to allow the BIPOC community to participate fully in roller derby, which is why she said she has worked hard to create the Shiners, the BIPOC Bowl, and provide deeper knowledge of the issue. At Rollercon 2022, which is one of the largest roller derby events in the world, held in Las Vegas each year, Jams taught a class on how to make leagues more just for all participants and more inclusive for BIPOC skaters. While the class was open to everyone, only BIPOC skaters attended. But, Jams’ effort goes beyond seeking equal treatment on the track. “We want to be a part of the Denver community,” Jams said. “The Shiners is a place for Denver’s BIPOC community to come together and be in the community sharing our experiences and making space [for each other].” Norm hopes the Shiners and the BIPOC Bowl will help force change, outside of the small world of roller derby. “You come across people who are true allies, but then, you also have people who are in their journeys learning about these issues we raise,” Norm said. “I think derby really is a STEPHANIE “COSMO” KRAMER SKATES AS THE JAMMER AT THE 2021 BIPOC BOWL. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN JAMS SITS WITH OTHER SKATERS WAITING FOR THEIR NEXT CHANCE TO SKATE AT ROLLERCON IN JULY, 2022. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN Q AND NORM PRACTICE BLOCKING AND LEARNING TO USE LEVERAGE TO MOVE OTHER SKATERS AROUND THE TRACK. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN 8 DENVER VOICE April 2023
COMMUNITY PROFILE SKATERS WORK ON CHANGING POSITIONS DURING SHINERS’ PRACTICE. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN Q WORKS ON HER TURNS WITH GUIDANCE FROM NORM AT A SHINERS’ PRACTICE. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN microcosm of the real world, both good and bad. We just happened to be throwing our bodies at each other.” For Q, the BIPOC Bowl has already changed her life. Last year’s tournament inspired her to dedicate herself to roller derby. “The BIPOC Bowl was my first experience at a tournament,” Q said. “I volunteered because I wasn’t skateready. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. After that weekend I was like, ‘this is what I wanted to do. I want to play roller derby.’” ■ NORM FIGHTS OFF TWO DEFENDERS AT THE DENVER-BASED DERBY TO THE NINES TOURNAMENT IN DECEMBER 2022. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN April 2023 DENVER VOICE 9
INTERNATIONAL STORY HIDDEN HOMELESSNESS AMONG OLDER WOMEN BY SOPHIE QUICK WHEN GEORGINA* MOVED from her family home in Melbourne to Sydney, aged 19, she saw homelessness on the streets for the first time. There were people sleeping rough at Central Station. “It was an eye-opener to me,” she says. “I’d lived a sheltered life. I’d never seen it before. I didn’t know such a thing existed.” That was a long time ago. Now Georgina is 78 and she’s experiencing homelessness herself. “My story is hard to explain but it’s not unique,” she says. “People think it’s one thing in life, one big event, that brings you down. But it’s not always that simple. It’s the combination of things.” In Georgina’s case, and in the case of many older women living with housing insecurity, it’s also how these things compound over time. Older women are bearing the brunt of Australia’s escalating housing crisis. It’s been happening for years. Women aged 55 and over were the fastest-growing cohort of people experiencing homelessness in Australia between 2011 and 2016, increasing by 31%, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. By 2030, it’s predicted that 15,000 Australian women over 55 will be without a home. It’s a problem that hasn’t always been well understood. Older women tend to use different strategies than younger people, and men, to cope with housing insecurity. They are less likely to sleep rough. They’re more likely to live in cars, couch surf, or sleep in improvised dwellings on other people’s property. This means they’re less visible – “the hidden homeless”. Crisis and community housing services say many women seeking emergency housing in their fifties or sixties have stable housing histories. Many are seeking support for the first time in their lives. That’s Maria’s* situation. She’s worked full-time for her entire adult life. At one point, she ran her own business. But she couldn’t find any place to rent in Adelaide in 2022. “I was getting knocked back everywhere, even though I had good rental references, a good credit background. Demand just doesn’t meet supply… One day I woke up and I realized, ‘Oh my god, I’m homeless. I’m a statistic,’” she says. It was Maria’s first housing crisis, but it wasn’t her first life crisis. Many years earlier, she moved across the country to escape her violent husband. The experience took its toll, including financially, but she’d managed to get back on her feet and married again in her late forties. In 2019, Maria was living in Alice Springs, working as the office manager for her second husband’s business. But he became terminally ill and they had to move to Adelaide for medical care. “I was his full-time carer until he passed,” Maria says. “I’ve struggled with mental health on and off, especially depression. It was a dark time that led to an even darker time.” Money from the sale of the house in Alice Springs went to her husband’s children. Maria inherited her husband’s super, but that didn’t last long. She used it to pay rent and was struggling to find a job while grieving. She’d already been through most of her own savings while her husband was sick. “About seven months after he passed, I was told there was going to be a rent increase. I was scrambling to find a job but now there was a big gap in my résumé. I was scrambling to find a home for my two German shepherds, too, because nobody wants a tenant with dogs.” Maria couldn’t even get a rental without the dogs. “I found a beautiful new home for them, thank God. In the end, I just couldn’t find anywhere for myself and I fell into a total black hole of depression.” This was the breaking point for Maria. She ended up at s short-stay mental health unit. And after several other short stays, she was able to stabilize her medication and find her ILLUSTRATION BY LUCI EVERETT 10 DENVER VOICE April 2023
INTERNATIONAL STORY PAGE TITLE way to Catherine House, an accommodation and support service for women experiencing homelessness. “If I can do anything to break down the stereotypes of, ‘Oh well, they’re too busy drinking,’ or, ‘They’re too lazy to get up and work,’ then that’s what I want to do,” she says. “It isn’t as simple as finding a job and finding a new place to live. It just isn’t.” Family violence, mental health issues, caring responsibilities, and housing supply and demand. As Georgina says, it’s not just one thing – it’s a combination. For Maria, taking time out of paid work to care for her husband was when her situation really began to slide. But what else was she supposed to do? Economists call the kind of unpaid work Maria was doing – unpaid caring for family members – “informal care work”. A 2020 Deloitte report estimated that the replacement cost of all the unpaid informal care work done in Australia per year would be $77.9 billion. Most of this work – at least 60% – is done by women. Unpaid childcare is, of course, a large part of this picture, too. In 2017 Price Waterhouse Cooper found that women undertake 72% of all unpaid work in Australia, including childcare and housework. With women doing so much unpaid labor and planning their paid work around their caring commitments, is it any wonder they’re not putting much money away for retirement? The median superannuation balance for men aged 60–64 years is $204,107, whereas, for women in the same age group, it is $146,900. Caring work has had an enormous impact on Georgina’s financial and housing situation. She had worked full-time in office jobs for many years when she became a single mother in her early forties. When Georgina’s child was young, her own mother became seriously ill. For 11 years, she was her carer. “She had an aneurysm, which is very painful, and she had heart problems. You name it, she had it,” says Georgina. “She needed 24-hour care. I was basically a nurse.” Georgina managed to do some casual and freelance work during those years, but it wasn’t possible – with both her daughter and mother as dependants – for her to do the kind of paid work you need to do to get ahead, to save money, or to pay for house maintenance. “Caring work isolates you,” she says. “It can really impact your life in a huge way. It’s very tiring. I became very depressed. I felt like a prisoner.” After her mother died, Georgina and her daughter moved around for years after that, sometimes staying in hotels – “crummy ones” – and in various unsuitable and expensive rentals. “My daughter and I both had health issues. If your child is sick and has to see a specialist – well, the money just evaporates.” Georgina, by this stage, had not been in steady, paid work for a long time. “I was getting on in years by then,” she says with a laugh. “One day, I looked in the mirror and said, ‘My god, who’s that?’” Georgina now lives in a place she calls a “short-term hotel”. The rent is much higher than her pension and she’s always behind with payments. There’s no heating, no cooling. The main problem, Georgina says, is that it’s dangerous. Some of the other tenants are frightening. Drug deals are happening all around. “It’s like somewhere you would squat,” she says. “Almost worse than being on the street. It’s like watching something fall on you. It’s coming down slowly, but it’s coming.” Unpaid caring responsibilities make it hard to get ahead, but family violence is the leading cause of homelessness for all women and children in Australia. Kylie from Ballina, in northern New South Wales, has the double whammy. She’s a single mother of four and a survivor of domestic abuse. She split up with her husband years ago, but the violence during their marriage set in motion a chain of effects that she still feels today. “I didn’t know what was happening with the violence until it was happening,” she says. “The insecurity that has come from it, all the stress – it was a shock. I’d always been a worker, always had stability, but I’ve been stressed for 22 years now.” Kylie was able to keep living in the family home, with protective orders against her husband, for a few years after they split up. Then the landlord decided to sell. “Rents had gone up so much. I found another place nearby, but then I was paying about $600 per week. With $1500 per fortnight income to care for your kids, it’s a nightmare.” Australia’s housing crisis is hitting the regions hard. The Northern Rivers region – famous for its scenic valleys and suburban beaches – is now notorious for skyrocketing property prices and rising rents that price people like Kylie out of their own hometowns. Worker migration from the cities during the pandemic hasn’t helped. “You go to house inspections and somebody’ll just sidle up to the agent and say, ‘I’ll pay six months up front and an extra $50 per week,’ and that just puts someone like me completely out of the picture.” Things came to a head in July 2021, when Kylie’s landlord decided to renovate. She’d been on the public housing waiting list at this point, she says, for more than 10 years. She couldn’t find anywhere else to go. Now in her fifties, with four kids in high school, Kylie had to move into temporary accommodation in Lismore. She lost valuables in the floods and was almost on the street when local community service Social Futures helped her secure a small, self-contained house in a caravan park in Alstonville. “It is just such a relief to have this place, and I’m so grateful, but I’m sleeping on the dining room floor and I’ll be there for a while, I think.” Kylie’s a creative person – she’s a trained ballerina, she’s written a children’s book and she’s also a singer. While Kylie’s in Alstonville, she’ll be working towards some goals. “I want to find a way to get back to Ballina,” she says. “The kids’ school’s there, they all have after-school jobs there, and my elderly mum’s there. One day I’d love to get back to doing some gigs again, too.” That’s not a lot to ask. ■ *Names have been changed. ILLUSTRATION BY LUCI EVERETT Courtesy of The Big Issue Australia / International Network of Street Papers 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 April 2023 DENVER VOICE 11 DONATE YOUR CAR! 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.
IN YOUR OWN WORDS PEACE IS HARD TO COME BY BY RAELENE JOHNSON, VOICE VENDOR WHEN I THINK ABOUT SUCCESS IN HOMELESSNESS BY ZAKKAYIAH BROOKS, VOICE VENDOR RAELENE JOHNSON. CREDIT: CORTNEY TABERNA REAL PEACE IS SO HARD TO COME BY. People chase it all the time, and most will never find it fully. We let people control our minds by saying mean things. They may have hurt you so deeply, And you keep playing it your head, over and over again. You can’t let it go. You may have been wronged by family or a close friend. We, as people today, have trouble speaking up or just walking away. Today, everyone wants to be right all the time. I don’t understand why people keep letting others rent space in your head, And guess what? They don’t pay you any rent money to be staying in your head! If someone hurt you, or said hurtful things, LET IT GO! Why do we allow things to keep our mind running full speed and not in a good way? Until you stop giving your power to others, you will not find peace. Love yourself enough to stop letting others define who you are. Care enough to walk away from people who really want you to be in pain. People who are broken will hurt even more people. The old saying is so true, Misery loves company. So don’t fall for it, or in time, you will become someone who will hurt others. Stop hurting yourself. Eat and go to bed at the same time every day. Do something special weekly to help yourself unwind. Find what makes you happy, and remember, only you have the power to make your life as peaceful as you want it, or you can allow your life to be in turmoil. Peace, real peace, is hard to get, but if you are lucky enough to find it, hold on tight to it. Don’t let go, or start to allow others to take your happiness. Always keep your peace of mind. You are worth it, Self! ■ ZAKKAYIAH BROOKS. CREDIT: ANTHONY CORNEJO WHEN I THINK ABOUT SUCCESS, I think about dignity, pride, future, self-belief, [being] active, outgoing, openminded. When I think about homelessness, I think struggle, sad, depression, disappointed, let down, unfocused, disbelief. When I put the two words together, it’s success in homelessness. When I think about success in homelessness, I think about goal-making, putting the most important’s first, the needs first, not the wants Sacrifice the got to haves for the do withouts Success in homelessness means achievement, belief, prayer, God, get off your ass, making phone calls, getting resources, asking someone for help, taking a walk, talking to people, going into restaurants and putting in job applications going to day centers and using their computers P.S. All success in homelessness is because you achieved all of your needs instead of your wants to make it happen, to succeed I have come a long way, so I commend myself. Every day, I wake and go to work. I have worked hard enough to know these tactics work. ■ “BACK ON THE STREETS” BY REA BROWN, VOICE VENDOR REA BROWN. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN Editor’s note: For our March issue, Denver VOICE vendor, Rea Brown, wrote a piece for this section called “Back on the Streets.” He wrote it in homage to Brian Augustine, who passed away in January. When he died, Augustine was writing a monthly column about what it was like to return to living on the streets when he could no longer afford his rent. Brown intends to continue contributing, or to encourage other VOICE vendors to contribute something in honor of Brian Augustine’s legacy. IN LIGHT OF THE OVERWHELMING BLIGHT endured by so many who appear to have lost the fight or might. Burdened with the iron sky that rains fright, frost and die like a backpack that slacks, digs, and drags I. Glad tidings are wished by and bye but insurmountable mountain echoes it’s not worth the try. Under the heel of defeat on every side the eye sees amidst the dark abyss the likeness of a firefly that glows bolder as it draws closer to all alive surprise A stranger with strange behavior as if they wish to be your savior but under the circumstances can only do for you a favor with flavor they say, Sir may we offer you some pie. In other words, I use to wonder why people would eat when they got sad or depressed but the truth is I don’t know if it’s the fact that food is so hardwired into the human psyche that it can take your mind off your problems momentarily. Although I don’t believe it is good to over indulge it is my unprofessional opinion that homeless people could feel a lot better if they can enjoy a good meal in normal conditions sometimes. ■ 12 DENVER VOICE April 2023
EVENTS BAYAUD LAUNDRY TRUCK Bayaud Enterprises will be doing laundry for free outside of the Denver Central Library. Please arrive early as services are limited. The temperature must be at least 32 degrees for the truck to operate. WHEN: Apr 4, 11, 18, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Denver Public Library: Central Library; 10 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy. INFO: denverlibrary.org/events COURTESY OF DEBORAH LASTOWKA PUZZLES COURTESY OF STREETROOTS ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 15 INTRO TO IMPROV: DROP-IN CLASS Want to see if improv comedy is right for you? This drop-in class will let you take RISE Comedy’s improv classes for a test drive, in a safe, supportive, and fun environment! All levels are welcome. WHEN: Apr 6, 13, 20, and 27, 6 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. COST: $10 in advance; $11 at the door WHERE: RISE Comedy, 1260 22nd St. INFO: risecomedy.com ACROSS WOMEN+FILM FESTIVAL Women+Film showcases documentaries, narratives, and short fi lms celebrating the best in women-centric programming, both by and about women. These thought-provoking stories from around the world are sure to inspire all audiences. WHEN: Apr 13 – Apr 16, times vary. COST: Both individual tickets and festival passes are available. WHERE: Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. INFO: denverfilm.org WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW: STAND-UP COMEDY What the World Needs Now is a bi-weekly comedy showcase featuring some of the city’s best comedians, as well as its rising stars. This FREE event occurs every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month. WHEN: Apr 13 and 27, 8 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: First Draft Taproom & Kitchen, 1309 26th St. INFO: firstdraftdenver.com 1. Loud 7. Annoyance 13. Apple juice brand 14. Evoking strong feeling 16. Th ey hold your horses 17. Tackle or guard 18. Literally three 19. Give way, as to pedestrians 21. Smart-alecky 22. Paper covering the NYSE 23. Inc. relative 24. Game with matchsticks 25. Bucket of bolts 27. Spanish “Enough!” 29. ___ voom 30. Crew member 32. Scuffl es 34. Picnic pest 35. “Who, me?” 36. South American river in an Enya song title 40. Drooping 44. Rip apart 45. Th e fourth letter in “circle,” but not the fi rst 47. Final Four org. 48. World fi nance org. 49. Center X or O 50. Sixth sense, for short 51. Standard 53. Attack ad, maybe 55. Confront 56. Band follower 58. Salon treatment 60. “Evil Ways” band 61. Muffl es 62. Unsaturated alcohol (anagram of OSTLER) 63. Least ingenuous DOWN 1. Shrinking Asian lake 2. Glass cover on a Sylvia Plath novel 3. Response to “Shall we?” 4. Had a meal 5. One of the titular Gilmore girls 6. Greek letter 7. Patsy Walker’s comics alter ego 8. In the center of 9. Prince, to a king 10. Fret 11. In-between 12. Slippery 13. “Tommy” rockers 15. Colonic treatments 20. “A Nightmare on ___ Street” 26. Mind your ___ q’s 27. “Obvi!” 28. Poison plant 29. Churchill’s gesture 31. 6 on a phone 33. Saturate, in dialect 36. Rubber gaskets 37. Shark-riding fi sh 38. Ahead (of) 39. Breakfast staple 40. External memory holders for digital cameras 41. Mountain climbing tools 42. In the beginning stages 43. Rubberneckers 46. Carly ___ Jepsen 52. Setting you might turn on and off throughout a videoconference 53. ___-Japanese War 54. Fishing rod attachment 55. Grow dim 57. Golfer’s goal 59. Set (down) MOVIE CLUB Come on out every last Saturday for a movie, snacks, and a brief Q&A segment. WHEN: Apr 29, 2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales Branch Library, 1498 N. Irving St. INFO: denverlibrary.org/events April 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 Margaret Ramp 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 James and Cyndi Lesslie 14 DENVER VOICE April 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 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 60+. 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 TGTHR (FKA ATTENTION HOMES) Shelter: 303-447-1207, 3080 Broadway, Boulder. Open every day, 12:30-5pm, for anyone ages 12-24. Office: 303-447-1206. Offers safe shelter, supportive programming, and other services to youth up to age 24 tgthr.org 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 April 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 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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