$2 SUGGESTED DONATION FIGHTING OUR WAY BACK WILL POST-SHUTDOWN LIFE CHANGE FOR DENVER’S UNHOUSED? PAGE 6 SWEEPS CONTINUE, DESPITE COVID THE CITY SWIFTLY SWEEPS ENCAMPMENT EVEN AS SHELTER ORDER CONTINUES PAGES 4-5 OUR STREETS JUST PASSING THROUGH, CHRISTOPHER AND TASHA TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE DURING THEIR BRIEF STAY IN DENVER. PAGE 3 ANTI-HOMELESS XERISCAPING “DECORATIVE” LARGE ROCKS PLACED ALONG DENVER MEDIANS MAY MINIMIZE THE USE OF WATER, BUT THEY ALSO ENSURE THE LACK OF ENCAMPMENTS. PAGE 10 VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY PAGES 3, 4, 7, 11 EVENTS / PUZZLES PAGE 13 RESOURCES PAGE 15 JUNE 2020 | Vol. 25 Issue 6 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: ART: REA BROWN
EDITOR’S NOTE I WOULD BE FINE if I never again hear the phrases “the new normal” or “in these challenging times.” Unfortunately, both terms are going vernacular, as we remain in the midst of incredibly challenging times, and it will be awhile until we discover what our new normal is. Yes, the past few months have ELISABETH MONAGHAN MANAGING EDITOR been a strain on all of us, but for those experiencing homelessness or extreme poverty, the obstacles have been numerous and brutal. While many citizens spilled onto city streets throughout the country because they wanted to go to the gym or beauty salons, those without stable housing were more concerned than usual about where they would wash their hands, store their personal belongings in the event of a sweep, or shelter-in-place when there was no place to shelter. In this issue’s “In Your Own Words,” four of our vendors share their thoughts about COVID-19. Raelene Johnson encourages VOICE readers to reconcile with the pain of their past. Kendall Clarke shares a “letter from COVID-19,” while Brian Augustine expresses the difficulty he had while isolated from the work and people he so enjoys chatting with when he vends papers. Lando Allen writes about conversations he had and observations he made during the shutdown. In the early stages of the shutdown, news shows, leaders emphasized advertisers, and community the message, “We are all in this together,” but very few of us PHOTOGRAPHERS/ILLUSTRATORS Paula Bard Giles Clasen Rea Brown 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. WRITERS Val U Able Lando Allen Brian Augustine Paula Bard Sue Blosten Giles Clasen Kendall Clarke Robert Davis Raelene Johnson Sue Volle BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nikki Lawson, President Michelle Stapleton, Vice President Lori Holland, Treasurer Jeff Cuneo, Secretary Donovan Cordova Raelene Johnson Josh Kauer Craig Solomon Zephyr Wilkins experienced being cast aside because there wasn’t enough room to shelter us. Because the shutdown resulted in the loss of many jobs, to become part our it is likely that we will see an increase in homelessness. For those individuals, the concept of returning to normal or figuring out what a new normal will look like is a luxury and one more thing I take for granted. ■ JUNE CONTRIBUTORS PAULA BARD is an award-winning fine art photographer, writer, and activist. She lives on a mountain top southwest of Denver. DENVERVOICE.ORG @denverVOICE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Seybold 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. MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan PROGRAM COORDINATOR Justin Canelas INTERIM ASSISTANT PROGRAM COORDINATOR Daniel Cohen GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Bragg VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Aaron Sullivan Laura Wing 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 • 303.539.7226 ADVERTISING ads@denvervoice.org MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 1931, Denver CO 80201 VENDOR OFFICE 1600 Downing St., Ste. 230, Denver, CO 80218 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. New vendors must arrive between 9 and 10 a.m. 2 DENVER VOICE June 2020 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US
VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY OUR Streets: CHRISTOPHER & TASHA BY PAULA BARD “I AM CHRISTOPHER, 42 years old. I’m from Long Island, New York. This is Tasha. We’re traveling, passing through. Kind of got stranded with money, actually. We took the Greyhound bus and Mega bus and jumped a freight train and hitchhiked the rest of the way here from New York.” “I was a taxi driver for five years out of St. Petersburg, Florida, for Independent Taxi. When we get to Oregon; we might do the Uber thing, you know, we can invest in a car and start driving for Uber. They pay twice as much as taxi drivers. We stay away from the Jesus Saves places. That place is a very violent place. People that are on parole. They are forced to stay in that area. And there’s crime. Since we’ve been in Denver Tasha’s MacBook Pro and her purse were stolen.” “Yeah, all my music, all my movies, my family photos. It was the only thing I had that was worth anything. It was our entertainment.” “She was sitting five feet from it. It was a set up.” “And our sleeping bags were stolen too. Sleeping bags! Who would take a sleeping bag?” “I gave a homeless guy the shoes off my feet. We’re not thieves, we’re not rogues, we are not vermin. We are just passing through and that’s the truth.” “You never travel without two pairs of shoes. And another thing about traveling, we don’t have insurance and we’re poor. And I chipped my tooth so there is no way I can get things taken care of till we get there, to start over. We’re okay, as long as we’re happy, we’re together, we don’t mind if we’re broke.” ■ Author’s Note: In the fall of 2015, just ahead of Colorado’s winter, Denver sent the full force of its police department and SWAT team to destroy five tiny homes that people “living without homes” had built north of downtown. Something in me snapped: Denver is behaving like a bully! Denver has more than 6,000 people without homes, and more than 3,000 trying to survive on its streets. It is an ugly business. In 2012, Denver passed an urban-camping ban making it illegal for the homeless to protect themselves with “any form of cover or protection from the elements other than clothing.” Violations can bring a $999 fine or a year in jail. I began walking those streets where the homeless are trying to survive, photographing the faces and collecting the stories of those my city has abandoned. So began OUR Streets – stories of Denver’s unhoused residents. 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 Give a one-time or recurring donation online through denvervoice.org. You can also mail a check to: Denver VOICE | P.O. Box 1931 | Denver, CO 80201 Donations to the Denver VOICE are tax-deductable. ADVERTISING 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. 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 VOLUNTEER SUBSCRIPTIONS We need volunteers to help with everything from newspaper distribution to event planning and management. Contact program@denvervoice.org for volunteering information. 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. June 2020 DENVER VOICE 3
LOCAL NEWS Rather than focusing its efforts on finding an area for an DENVER SWEEPS CAMP FROM ST. JOHN’S CATHEDRAL BY ROBERT DAVIS FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS, Ryan Taylor has been the pastor at Network Coffee House, an urban ministry focused on building relationships with Denver’s homeless community. After witnessing what he considers a coordinated effort to sabotage a homeless community camping on the lawn of St. John’s Cathedral, he has begun describing himself as an activist. On the morning of May 20, city officials dispersed encampments on the Cathedral property, supposedly to clean the campsite. The city had alerted campers of the cleaning the week prior and told them they would be allowed to return to the campsite once the cleaning was complete. Instead, campers returned to find the city had put up temporary fences around St. John’s and that the site was closed for sidewalk repairs. Housing advocates agree with Taylor that this act was just a disguised sweep rather than an actual cleaning. “What I witnessed was the most clear human rights violation I’ve ever seen,” Taylor told the Denver VOICE in an interview. “It was a ruse, a trick.” Many of the campers were regulars at Network, Taylor admits. He explained that some won’t go inside [shelters] because of traumatic experiences they endured in their youth, physical or sexual. Those experiences had driven some of them to hitchhike, train-hop, or join the military, all of which furthered the trauma. “When you get to know their backstory, you’re going to hear a story about trauma that’s led many of them to be afraid of being indoors. It’s a trigger for them,” Taylor said. Taylor said he has reached out to Mayor Hancock’s office and District 6 Representative Paul Kashmann about the incident but has not received any answers. Even though St. John’s was tolerant of the camp, Taylor said this act made the City’s intentions unequivocally clear. Denver area service providers have been working with the Mayor’s office since April to develop safe outdoor spaces for homeless communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, Pitkin County dedicated the Brush Creek Park and Ride as a place where Aspen’s homeless communities can safely camp. However, Denver’s leadership has been reluctant to implement a similar plan. outdoor homeless community, Denver has been working to develop a temporary outdoor expansion plan for restaurants and bars that would allow businesses to expand into parking lots and sidewalks to accommodate social distancing requirements. There are 14 restaurants and bars within a quarter-mile radius from St. John’s, but none have been designated as a campsite for the homeless, who were displaced from their previous location at St. John’s. The few city officials Taylor has contacted have provided no clear answers to his requests for information about where homeless people can find essential services. In one instance, Taylor called the City to help a homelessman with cancer find resperatory care but was passed between different departments until the call dropped. “This whole ordeal has been very disappointing. These people [who were sheltered safely in the encampment] have nowhere else to go,” Taylor said. ■ CDPHE TO DENVER’S HOMELESS: YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN BY ROBERT DAVIS RECENTLY, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) argued in a court filing that the agency has no responsibility to protect individual members of Denver’s homeless population from contracting the COVID-19 virus. The filing is in response to a lawsuit filed in April on behalf of several homeless advocacy groups asking CDPHE to abide by its statutory mandate and provide housing for homeless in communities affected by the virus. “The Department is tasked with protecting the public at large,” the motion reads. “Because this is the case, the Department does not owe any of the plaintiffs an individual duty, much less a clean non-discretionary duty. The Department does not have housing, and providing housing is far outside its statutory mandate.” The agency further argued that the lawsuit would not survive judicial review because the petitioners failed to state a factual claim against CDPHE. However, since the petitioners filed a Writ of Mandamus – asking the court to force a state agency or government officials to properly fulfill its or their official duties or to correct an abuse of discretion – the petitioners simply have to show that CDPHE is not abiding by its statutory mandate. CDPHE is regulated by Title 25 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, which says the agency reserves the administrative power “to establish, maintain, and enforce isolation and quarantine, and, in pursuance thereof and for this purpose only, to exercise such physical control over property and the persons of the people within this state as the department may find necessary for the protection of the public health.” While the word “housing” is not explicitly mentioned anywhere in the agency’s mandate, the attorney for the homeless advocacy groups argues it can be reasonably inferred that the agency’s powers require it to work with the state government to get homeless people off the streets during the pandemic. “All they had to do was work with Governor Polis to issue a temporary order removing local barriers to housing and we could have saved lives,” said Jason Flores-Williams, attorney for the advocacy groups. Recently, the agency utilized its powers to create a Residential Outbreak Task Force, charged with mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in high-density, group-living settings such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities. No such task force exists for homeless shelters even though both types of settings are exempt from the State’s public health order limiting gatherings to 10 people or fewer. The city has said that exempting homeless shelters from the public health order is necessary in order to control the spread of COVID among homeless communities. This exemption allowed the city to open temporary shelters in the National Western Complex and the downtown hotel Aloft so that homeless people could receive essential services while abiding by social distancing protocols. Housing advocates say these exemptions don’t go far enough to protect the city’s most vulnerable residents. “Despite having a Democratic governor, a progressive attorney general and an agency that calls itself the Department of Public Health, the State of Colorado has done less for the poor and voiceless during this epidemic than many cities and states around the country,” advocates from Denver Homeless Out Loud wrote in a press release about CDPHE’s filing. As a statement posted on Denver Homeless Out Loud’s Facebook page satirically summed up CDPHE’s apparent message to the exponentially increasing number of unemployed and unhoused: “Drop Dead.” ■ Vendors of the Denver VOICE are looking forward to seeing their customers again and also to introduce new readers to the street paper. The Denver VOICE team would like your thoughts on what would we could do to protect our vendors and readers from spreading COVID-19 or other contagious diseases. To help us, please take our brief survey online: DENVERVOICE.ORG/SAFETY-SURVEY YOUR OPINION MATTERS TO US! 4 DENVER VOICE June 2020
LOCAL NEWS COMMENTS FROM THOSE AFFECTED BY THE CLEANUP OF THE ENCAMPMENT AT ST. JOHN’S CATHEDRAL PHOTOS BY GILES CLASEN REIKO. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN REIKO REIKO STANDS IN FRONT of the site near 14th and Washington, where he had been camping with other individuals living on the street. Reiko said homeless advocates, police. and a printed document had communicated to the individuals living at the site that the City planned to clean the area on May 20, 2020. All communication assured the individuals camping at the site indicated that they would be allowed to return once the area was cleaned. But before individuals could return people came and created a barrier preventing those living on the streets from returning. “I don’t think they should be allowed to put up the fence without fair warning,” Reiko said. “If you’re trying to do what’s right stand on what’s right, don’t sneak around and do it the way they did, the way the city allowed it.” ROY. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN ROY “I DON’T WORRY ABOUT COVID because if it’s my time, it’s my time. It’s always constantly survival, survival, food, sleep, food, sleep, water, water, food, sleep. That’s what I worry about. I’ve seen people and friends become suicidal. “I served in the infantry in the Army. Did two tours in Afghanistan. Took shrapnel in my right leg and head and got two Purple Hearts. I got in a fight. I hit the wrong person and got discharged. My wife left me, cheated on me, and here I am [living on the streets without a home]. “Most people look at us like dogs. They treat us like dogs. Now, they keep their distance more, and care less [about unhoused people]. Everyone’s scared of getting sick. So, everyone cares less about others. They treat us like we have bugs. People call the police because we go through dumpsters looking for food. “It is so hard to get food or anything right now. “I don’t think the world owes us anything. But I think there should be opportunity. They should let us clean the alleys or the street or let us mow your lawns and let us take care of ourselves. Let us work so we can feed ourselves. “The law hates us. “I don’t use drugs but if someone buys me a Budweiser, I’ll drink it. I drink a little because it eases my pain. There is so much pain on the streets. It’s hard to survive because the city makes it hard. Even if you have ID or a Social Security card you don’t have an address - so you can’t get a job. What choice do we have? We can’t clean our clothes. We can’t get a job because we stink. When I see the sun come up in the morning, I’m happy because the night’s over. “When I find food in the trash can I thank god because I’ve gotten something to eat to feel better. “People don’t want us in the city because we bring the value of their homes down. “We have to pee and poop outside. Do you think we want to? No. But there’s no choice. There’s no mercy. “Where were sitting right now, they can come run us off or arrest us. We don’t have a choice. “There’s no restrooms. We don’t have a choice. The city doesn’t give us a choice. Then they arrest us for making the wrong choice. For going to the bathroom outside. For sitting in the sidewalk. For anything. “They don’t want to see us, no one wants to see us. And if they do see us they want to have us arrested not help us. “My feet are black and blistered. My feet are falling apart because sometimes I have to walk for three days straight without a decent rest. Walking, walking, walking, looking for some place to stop and rest and sleep. But there is no place to stop in this city. No place for rest and no place for mercy.” DARRIAN. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN DARRIAN DARIAN STARTED L&D GIVES, a nonprofit that focuses on providing homeless individuals with the necessities they need to be on the streets. Right now, they are also providing masks. “We have been getting donations of masks and I’ve had some made to give out to people.” ■ June 2020 DENVER VOICE 5
LOCAL FEATURE CREDIT: PAULA BARD SHELTERING IN PLACE WHILE UNHOUSED BY PAULA BARD ACCORDING TO THE Metro Denver Homeless Initiative’s Point in Time (PIT) report, there are more than 5,755 unhoused citizens in Denver. Of these, 700 men have been bussed out to the National Western Complex, 700 of the vulnerable and frail have been offered free hotel rooms, and between 1,500 and 2,000 individuals occupy Denver’s additional shelter beds. This leaves Denver with possibly more than 2,000 unhoused individuals carving out an edgy existence on its streets. Meanwhile, the coronavirus stalks, and public health issues loom dangerously on the horizon. In this dystopian cityscape, the remaining unhoused and economically disenfranchised citizens have just created a new city within our city, north of downtown. At the center of this pop-up city is Denver’s blue mobile public restroom equipped with a mere three stalls and a few hand-washing stations scattered throughout the area. None of these resources are sufficient for an at-risk population of 2,000 citizens. Stepping up to help, Denver Homeless Out Loud and Mutual Aid Denver will donate four additional portable toilets, along with hand-washing and trash stations in late April. ■ CREDIT: PAULA BARD 6 DENVER VOICE June 2020
LOCAL FEATURE LIVING ON THE STREETS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PHOTOS BY GILES CLASEN OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, Giles Clasen, who is a regular contributor to the Denver VOICE, has captured images of the streets of Downtown Denver (while practicing social distancing and protecting himself and those he photographed). These are comments from a few of those with whom he spoke. ■ MICHAEL— “EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED FOR US. THERE IS NO ACCESS TO BATHROOMS. THERE IS NO ABILITY TO GET FOOD ANYMORE. EVERYTHING IS CLOSED. AND IT AIN’T POPULAR TO SAY, BUT THERE IS NO ACCESS TO NARCOTICS. YOU TRY LIVING ON THE STREETS SOBER. IT AIN’T POPULAR, BUT IT AIN’T EASY BEING ON THE STREET, AND THIS IS MAKING IT HARDER.” CREDIT: GILES CLASEN JOSEPH MITCHELL— “THE CORONAVIRUS IS MESSING WITH EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE. THE LITTLE SUPPORT AVAILABLE [TO HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS] IS GONE. NO ONE IS OUT, SO THERE IS NO CHARITY, NO CARE. I CAN’T EVEN RAISE ENOUGH MONEY IN A DAY TO BUY A HAMBURGER FROM WENDY’S. TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE TOLD ME ABOUT THE CHECKS FROM THE GOVERNMENT. BUT HOW CAN I GET THEM? HOW? I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE PAYMENT. I DON’T KNOW HOW TO GET IT OR EVEN HOW TO START. I JUST FEEL VERY ALONE AND AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO.” CREDIT: GILES CLASEN SPRAY— “WE DON’T KNOW ANYONE WHO HAS GOTTEN SICK, BUT THIS IS HARD. THERE ARE SOME BRIGHT SPOTS. THEY ARE LETTING US SET UP TENTS AND LEAVING US BE. THE COPS ARE BOTHERING US LESS AND BEING NICE WHEN THEY CHECK ON US. WE ARE TRYING TO BE CLEANER AND RESPECTFUL. BUT FOR PEOPLE ON THE BOTTOM, PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW HARD IT IS TO SURVIVE THIS, HOW HARD IT IS TO GET A JOB. PEOPLE SAY WE’RE LAZY, WE NEED TO JUST GET A JOB. IT ISN’T AS EASY AS GETTING A JOB. IT IS HARD TO GET CLEAN AND PRESENTABLE. IT IS HARD TO GET TO AN INTERVIEW ON TIME. AND THIS - WELL THIS IS MAKING EVERYTHING HARDER. FORGET GETTING A JOB - TRY GETTING FOOD NOW.” CREDIT: GILES CLASEN June 2020 DENVER VOICE 7
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE JACKIE HALIBURTON POSES OUTSIDE HER CLOSED-UP GASTOWN APPAREL STORE ANGEL VANCOUVER. THE MURAL BEHIND HER WAS PAINTED BY BREECE AUSTIN. JACKIE HALIBURTON POSES OUTSIDE HER CLOSED-UP GASTOWN APPAREL STORE ANGEL VANCOUVER. THE MURAL BEHIND HER WAS PAINTED BY BREECE AUSTIN. IN VANCOUVER, ART PLAYS A PART DURING COVID-19 SHUTDOWN Local artists transform boarded-up shops in Vancouver neighbourhood Gastown with colourful public health messages in a heart-warming show of community and support in the face of the coronavirus crisis. STORY AND PHOTOS BY BOAZ JOSEPH EVEN IN THE CASE OF EMERGENCY, Kim Briscoe wasn’t interested in breaking glass. On 28 March, six days after the closure of Kimprints — her Gastown arts supply and framing store—to avoid break-ins and vandalism, like other merchants around the iconic sixstory Hotel Europe, she boarded up. The COVID-19 shutdown had reached the business 8 DENVER VOICE June 2020 community of Vancouver neighborhood Gastown. “When this all started happening, we lasted as long as we could,” she notes. “Our last day was the 22nd [of March], but there was nobody coming in. Everybody was told to go home and stay home.” Briscoe’s shop sits where Carrall, Alexander, and Powell Streets intersect a few steps away from the statue of Gassy Jack. She’d been paying close attention to the novel coronavirus news coming out of China and Italy and expected the worst for Gastown’s residents. But she didn’t like the ugly, derelict new look of her shuttered business. After thinking overnight about what to do, Briscoe reached out to her contacts in the arts community. “We boarded up on the 28th and started painting on the 30th,” she says. The first, and most iconic of the images, was the face of Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, painted by artist Breece Austin. “I thought, ‘okay, that’s pretty good. That looks better’,” Briscoe recalls. Word got around, and portraits of other health officials soon appeared: BC Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry (painted by abstract artist and Breece’s friend Abi Taylor); Alberta’s Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw (painted by Breece’s brother David Austin); and across the street at the Angel Vancouver clothing store, Federal Minister of Health Patty Hajdu (also painted by Breece Austin). Izzie Cheung (@this_iz_art on Instagram) a recently graduated respiratory therapist who works at Vancouver General Hospital, painted the masked faces of three coworkers, Andrew, Natasha, and Kenny, all in light-blue scrubs. While artists put their portrait stills to work on the wooden panels, other participants, including non-artists, worked on messaging, with thank-you notes and advice for passers-by. “We love you Vancouver,” wrote Briscoe’s daughter (and non-artist) Sydney Alleyne, 18, on one of her murals. “Stay safe, stay strong.” Another posting by Alleyne thanked garbage collectors and janitors, pharmacists, postal workers, teachers, grocery store workers, and delivery drivers. A few blocks away, artist James “Smokey D” Hardy, known locally for his visual messages about drug overdoses, targeted the marginalized population of the Downtown Eastside with a COVID-19 mural featuring warnings about flattening the curve, keeping distance from others, washing hands, and not touching one’s face. “It may seem surreal, but it’s not,” he wrote, signing off, “Love to all, Smokey.” The Gastown Business Improvement Society (GBIS) rallied to the cause with appeals to owners of the closed stores asking for permission for artists to decorate the plywood covering their storefronts. “While I’m personally doing well, my heart went out to the businesses,” says GBIS Executive Director Stefanie Schulz, who says more than 20 stores quickly got involved. About 35 murals are now up in the community, with more expected. Some locals, in coordination with GBIS, donated supplies such as hand sanitizer, ladders, and food vouchers. “This is a story of true community resilience,” adds Schulz. Public attention to the project brought in more artists and support from Dulux Paints and the City of Vancouver, which teamed up to launch the Give a Hand Mural Program, which provides up to $400 in paints and supplies to artists who sign up for the project. Lisa Parker, branch manager of Street Activities in the city’s engineering department, says she got on board as soon as she saw the murals of Drs. Tam and Henry in the first week of April.
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE SPRING WISH LIST DENVERVOICE.ORG/VENDOR-NEEDS ARTIST IZZIE CHEUNG IS A RESPIRATORY THERAPIST AT VGH AND PAINTED THIS MEDICAL TRIBUTE TO CO-WORKERS. The city already had a graffiti management program in place with resources, including vouchers for paint, to support mural activities on private properties, Parker explains. Schulz says it would have been difficult for the project to be as successful without outside help. “The city has been truly amazing to work with. We’re all quick to talk about how slow (a bureaucracy) can be. Not in this case.” Fresh, creative artists kept coming. Tattoo artist @iamextinkt, 24, a part-time Shaolin monk with 18,400 Instagram followers, brought a decidedly theological angle to the north side of the triangular building. “I haven’t painted in a long time, so this is good practice” she says from a ladder while working on detailed images of Buddha, Jesus and Shiva, the third god in the Hindu triumvirate—the deity tasked with destroying the universe in order to re-create it. @iamextinkt specializes in single-needle tattoos and focuses on religious and animal images. For the Islamic elements to complete her four-religion mural, she used a crescent moon and wrote poetry in Arabic and Farsi calligraphy. Second-year Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) student and North Vancouver resident Emerald RepardDenniston, 20, painted a light-blue mural with 40 faces, nearly half with masks on, adding short phrases from her mother’s poetry. “I’ve been doing a lot of abstract faces this year,” she says. “I was (thinking) this was the perfect opportunity to put what I had in my sketch book on a larger scale.” For her third and final year at OCAD, Repard-Denniston had planned on joining an exchange program in Italy for the fall semester. “I don’t think that’s happening anymore,” she says. ■ Courtesy of Megaphone / INSP.ngo JAMES “SMOKEY D” HARDY, KNOWN LOCALLY FOR HIS VISUAL MESSAGES ABOUT DRUG OVERDOSES, TARGETED THE MARGINALIZED POPULATION OF THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE USING A COVID-19 MURAL WITH WARNINGS ABOUT FLATTENING THE CURVE, KEEPING DISTANCE FROM OTHERS, WASHING HANDS, AND NOT TOUCHING ONE’S FACE. HEARTS FOR HEROES Some of the hand-written thank you messages for heroes on a board put up by Sydney Alleyne include these: “Julien Lacroix for driving Whole Foods truck” “Everyone who keeps their masks on” “My mom” “Heather Clark for managing and cooking for the food programs that feed hundreds in DTES daily” “Gregg and Lori” “People staying home” “Wal-Mart for letting me steal all sorts of stuff” In light of current events, instead of providing a list of items for our vendor wish list, we encourage you to contribute financially at DENVERVOICE.ORG/DONATE. This will allow us to direct funds to the most immediate needs at the VOICE during an unpredictable and challenging time for us all. If you are not able to make a financial contribution and would like to donate hand sanitizer, masks, gloves, bottled water, snacks, or gently used clothing and backpacks, please email us to coordinate – at program@denvervoice.org. P.S. Social distancing does not mean social isolation. Be aware, be safe, and remember that we’re all in this together! June 2020 DENVER VOICE 9
LOCAL STORY XERISCAPING KEEPS CREDIT: PAULA BARD HOMELESS OFF MEDIANS NORTH OF DOWNTOWN DENVER BY PAULA BARD DENVER HAS BEEN BUSY XERISCAPING ITS MEDIANS north of downtown by strewing around various large rocks on these small scraps of green space. This conveniently minimizes the use of water for the grass (try mowing over these rocks!) and will now, passively, keep encampments off as well. ■ CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD 10 DENVER VOICE June 2020
IN YOUR OWN WORDS WRITING THROUGH HARD TIMES Each month, the Denver VOICE publishes a selection of writing from workshops sponsored by Lighthouse Writers Workshop. The Hard Times Writing Workshop is a collaboration between Denver Public Library and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. This workshop is open to all members of the public—especially those experiencing homelessness. Contact the Lighthouse Writers Workshop for details about virtual Hard Times writing workshops: lighthousewriters.org/workshop/denver-public-library-hard-times The Lighthouse sponsored workshop at The Gathering Place is specifically for that organization’s clients. To check out more writing by the poets featured in this column, go to writedenver.org. SUE VOLLE WHEN I WEAR MY BACKPACK I love my backpack It’s a status symbol When I wear my backpack I belong I feel sorry for those people The ones with leather purses And nice shoes They’re blind They don’t see love. When I wear my backpack They honk at me “Get out of the street!” When I wear my backpack No one sits with me at the church social I like it that way My backpack protects me When I wear my backpack I am accepted by The Rejected Ones I have friends on the street I can talk to anyone SUE BLOSTEN CORONATION Hi there Where are you? Why do you hide Crowned thorn in our sides? Who will host you Oh king of beasts Not to be seen With our eyes? We’ve heard of you And seen your strength. We hide from you. When can we come back To life as we knew it? VAL U ABLE SPRING FORWARD As a youngster, I was taught the mnemonic “Spring forward / Fall back” to assist in recalling which way to move the short arm of the clock when Daylight Savings Time commenced — and concluded — each year: Spring forward an hour in the vernal season. Fall back one hour in the autumn. While the positive connotation of “Spring forward” evokes a certain energy of momentum, the harsh reality is…we thereby lose an hour of precious time! Time is our most valuable commodity. Is it therefore a benefit to “Spring forward” while simultaneously sacrificing 60 elusive minutes? Conclusion: At times, advancement comes at a cost. This Spring, as I sit enclosed in my secluded snow globe, sheltered in place, I can’t help but believe this worldwide pandemic will thrust us ahead in advancements yet to unfold… I hold onto this hope while eagerly awaiting that hour I will reclaim this Fall! PRESENTED BY: June 2020 DENVER VOICE 11
IN YOUR OWN WORDS CORONAVIRUS AND THE HOMELESS BY LANDO ALLEN, VOICE VENDOR A LETTER FROM COVID-19 BY KENDALL CLARKE, VOICE VENDOR TODAY, I’M GOING TO TALK ABOUT the coronavirus and how it has affected the homeless people in Denver. First, the VOICE closed its office, which took me out of a job. I tried to go to the labor pool to make things work, but it was slow there. Some of the people who sell LANDO ALLEN CREDIT: JESSE BORRELL the VOICE kept working to try to make it. I bought a camper and tried to stay safe, but the bills kept coming. The VOICE did me give us some relief by giving us some cash to pay some bills, but I still needed more to fix my camper and keep food on the table. After the Denver VOICE office closed the office, KENDALL CLARKE CREDIT: JUSTIN CANELAS they called me about a part-time job opportunity. The news of work made me happy, and I decided to write a story about it. So, what was cool about this job is I started interviewing homeless people about how they felt about the coronavirus. They told me that the government forgot about them; they felt misplaced, and some people couldn’t even work to support themselves. We started to talk about how rents were jacked up when we voted in favor of marijuana. After that, the government took away the project apartments, along with the option for the apartment owners to let those with low incomes stay there. I wrote an article for the VOICE at that time, and I told people we could do better – build project apartments tiny houses, and trailers – that’s what I meant when I said we could do better. Now, the coronavirus has us at a disadvantage. Meanwhile, I witnessed two bodies being wheeled out of a shelter on the same day. Later that day, there was a guy on a building ready to jump off. Firefighters and cops had to come to get him down. As all of this was happening, the temporary job I had ended because the organization I was working for ran out of funds. The VOICE gave me cash that helped me. I knew I couldn’t get by for the month, so I turned back to vending papers. I talked to another vendor, who was still selling, and he said everything was cool, so I started selling papers part-time. Then, I ran into a friend who works in healthcare, and we started talking about what was going on in the hospital where he works. He told me the hospital has three floors dedicated to patients with the coronavirus. He said he was scared to work on those floors. He also told me that the doctors had to take a pay cut, while the “suits” all received bonuses. That day, after an hour of vending, I got on the bus and started talking to homeless people. They told me that some people went to different shelters, like the National Western Complex, Crossroads, and Jesus Saves [the Denver Rescue Mission]. The people who were sick were put up in motels, where they got to eat better food than what the shelters provide. I wish the services and shelters we have now had been as good when I needed them and before I bought my camper. And about my camper, I got it to run, but I still have to get a tune-up for it. I also bought tires, so I need to have them put on, and then I need to build a bathroom and shower. ■ BRIAN AUGUSTINE CREDIT: JESSE BORRELL DEAR FELLAS, WOMEN, everybody listening, this just may be a letter for the children I’m coming through With something real sickening Coughing and sneezing, breathing then you’re wheezing You think you’re HOT, huh? Now you’re freezing! You sleep then you woke ya folks in western slopes like the snow Sippin on ice-cold coke when they smoke ■ I COULD BECOME A HERMIT BY BRIAN AUGUSTINE, VOICE VENDOR I COULD BECOME A HERMIT, as this stay at home order goes on. I figured out one thing. I’m okay being by myself. I’m not lonely. Don’t get me wrong. I do miss people. Working on my corners. Seeing people smile. Talking with my friends. But, I’m not lonely. I don’t feel any pressure to get away from myself. Because when you’re with other people, you don’t rely on who you are. You have someone else to share time with. In public, people can give you a sense of who you are. but I don’t rely on other people to do that for me. I’m a good person with good moral values. Why? I like me. I can live every day with me. Of course, with my belief system, I never consider myself to be truly alone. He’s always in my heart. Guiding me through my decisions. Without Him, I would still be a bad guy. Not caring what He thought of me. I do really miss all my friends that I saw regularly on my corners. I will go back there to greet them as they go to work. Trying to make their day a little bit better. Seeing them smile. I’m okay being by myself, but that doesn’t mean that I want it that way. Yes, I could be a hermit, but, why, with all the beautiful people out there? I’m going to start back on my corners soon. I know I won’t see the smiles because of the protective masks. (I’ll be wearing one, too) But I know those smiles will be there. Mine will be there, also. See you then. Love always. Brian ■ RAELENE JOHNSON CREDIT: CORTNEY TABERNA BEFORE YOU PASS ON PAIN BY RAELENE JOHNSON, VOICE VENDOR IF BAD THINGS HAPPENED TO YOU when you were young, get help. Don’t run away from the pain because you will run and stay lost and stay broken. Don’t do drugs or alcohol, thinking you will be able to escape the pain of your past; it will not happen! You will become a victim of other people’s abuse, and over time, you will believe that you deserve it when you don’t! Don’t run from people who are really reaching out to you and trying to help you because you may lose your opportunity to get the help that you need! Don’t have children just to have someone to love you because it doesn’t work that way! You will be bringing a child into this world that you’re not ready for, and the pain of your past and what you’re going through will end up being put onto your child! You need to have yourself together before you pass on pain that you can’t change in your child’s life that they will have to deal with in the future because of your lack of help for yourself! Don’t pass onto your children the pains of your past because then your children will have to deal with a lot of pain that they shouldn’t otherwise have to go through! When you don’t get help for your problems, all you’re doing is passing on your problems to your family, your kids, and everyone that loves you! Think about the damage you will do to your child if you’re having it just to be loved! I know you want to be loved, but if you don’t love yourself, you don’t have to love to give others, and that’s being selfish to a newborn! I now have to deal with the pain that my children went through when they were young because of how broken I was when I had them! We do not want to keep this cycle going from child to mother, mother to child because passing the pain from one generation to the other means nobody gets help with anything! It is not a sign of weakness to admit that you need help! Seeking help shows that you want to get healthy and that you want to deal with whatever happened to you in the past because it’s keeping you stuck now in the future. As long as you keep thinking about the past and keep going over it, you’re missing the future, which is now! A lot of us lost our children to the system years ago! And when you get your children back in your life once they’re adults, you then have to deal with all the crap they went through because you thought that you wanted a baby to be loved by! Love yourself first before you pass pain to an innocent child who ends up having to deal with all of your crap. just because you had them for that reason! If your life is a mess, get help, if you reach out to someone and they’re not there for you, keep trying until you find the right person or organization that’s willing to help you! Learn to love yourself before you get into a relationship with someone you end up destroying! Do not pass your troubles or pain onto your children or family. It’s not fair! So, if you’re in pain from your past or even going through something bad now, please get help You are Worth it Today! My prayer is that this will reach someone who needs to hear it! God bless you, if this message reaches you! I had to learn the hard way about how the pain in my past affected my children’s future! ■ 12 DENVER VOICE June 2020
EVENTS DATE: Ongoing COST: Donations accepted MORE INFO: holdthephone.tv Offering live comedy and storytelling (almost) every night, HoldThePhone.TV allows you to get your LOL on without the two-drink minimum. BY DEAR DENVER FOR MORE EVENTS, CHECK OUT DEARDENVER.NET Thanks to Deborah Lastowka, with Dear Denver.net, for coming up with some great ideas for entertainment people can enjoy while practicing social distancing. PUZZLES DATE: Ongoing COST: Prices vary MORE INFO: voodoocomedy.com Voodoo Comedy hosts an assortment of online comedy classes including, drop-in improv, sketch writing, storytelling, scene work, and much more. COURTESY OF STREETROOTS ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 15 DATE: Mar 12, doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. COST: Sliding scale from $5 - $20 MORE INFO: DATE: Jun 20 and Jun 21 COST: Donations accepted MORE INFO: denverpride.org cleoparkerdance.org/academy Express yourself and learn something new by participating in these weekly classes from the comfort of your own home. Choose from pre-recorded and on-demand lessons for the whole family. Denver PrideFest 2020 is going online. Enjoy a virtual parade, virtual 5K, virtual dance party, online marketplace, and a pride decorating contest, while supporting the local LGBTQ community. ACROSS DOWN 1. Harrison’s “Star Wars” role 4. Refusals 7. Toy gun ammo 10. That woman’s 13. “This American Life” host Glass DATE: Ongoing COST: Donations go directly to the artists MORE INFO: facebook.com/ undergroundmusicshowcase The Underground Music Showcase presents daily live performances from local artists. 14. Ocean east of the USA 15. Platform for Siri 16. “Love ___ Battlefield” 17. Executive Director Kaia’s chess piece? 20. Trail (behind) 21. Showing no emotion 22. Sets (down) 23. Crossword component 24. Upper limit 26. “The View” cohost Joy and family 28. North African country 32. Newsworthy 35. Neighbor of Leb. 36. “Cat on a Hot ___ Roof” 38. Sea between Greece and Italy 39. Derisive look 42. Common sight in yoga class 44. Video game princess 45. Lacking 47-Across (or, more literally, low in hemoglobin) 47. Liveliness 49. Inc. relative 50. Comics troublemaker Dennis and his ilk 52. Up to now 55. Burnt crayon color 57. ET’s ship 58. “To ___ a Mockingbird” 60. Removes from the “No Parking” zone 62. Brief incursion 66. Former Notre Dame coach Parseghian 67. Board Member John’s pet rock? 69. Freight weight 70. “___ chance!” 71. Be in debt 72. Mom and pop school org. 73. Finale 74. Take to the skies 75. Freshly painted 76. What we breathe 1. Snake’s sound 2. “I smell ___!” 3. Type of iPod 4. Daytona 500 org. 5. Like non-Rx medications 6. Smack on the face 7. Once ___, twice shy 8. Russian ballet company 9. NNW’s opposite 10. Reporter Helen’s goat? 11. Jacob’s twin 12. All the ___ (trendy) 18. Casino cubes 19. Temp worker 23. Common sight during a construction boom 25. Cherry center 27. In alphabetical order 28. Region of India known for its 43-Down 29. Dick Cheney’s wife 30. Senior Reporter Emily’s lot? 31. Objective 33. Soup scoop 34. Put into law 37. Forty winks 40. Inbox contents 41. Paddy grain 43. Hot or iced beverage 46. Grand ___ Bakery 48. Downtown campus 51. Hoity-toity 53. Balance out 54. Stocking stuffer? 56. “How adorable!” 58. “Titanic” actress Winslet 59. Wrinkle remover 61. Winter forecast 63. ___ vieja (national dish of Cuba) 64. Against 65. Once around the sun 67. #1 buddy, for short 68. Country between Nor. and Fin. June 2020 DENVER VOICE 13 ONLINE COMEDY CLASSES DENVER PRIDEFEST STREAMS WITH GRIT CYBER DANCE HOLDTHEPHONE.TV CLASSES WITH CLEO PARKER ROBINSON 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
DONORS 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 $20,000+ Denver Foundation $10,000+ Kenneth King Foundation Max & Elaine Appel John & Laurie Mcwethy Charitable Fund $5,000 - $9,999 Community Foundation of Boulder County Jerry Conover $1,000-$4,999 Josh Kauer Bright Funds Network for Good Matthew Seashore & Nikki Lawson Arc Thrift Stores Jeremy Anderson City Side Remodeling Matthew Rezek Schuster Family Foundation Russell Peterson PEN America Craig & Teresa Solomon Jim Ashe Wynkoop Brewery George Lichter Family Foundation Walker Family Foundation The Sidney B. & Caleb F. Gates Jr. Fund Kauer Construction & Design Gaetanos Restaurant Patrick & Jan Rutty $500-$999 Comedy Works Michelle Stapleton & James Thompson Michael Dino Christine Muldoon and Pete Iannuzzi Jill Haug Caring Connection Alistair Davidson Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop, Inc. Keyrenter Property Management Denver Gaspar Terrana Elizabeth A. Mitchell Stephen Saul Leigh Bingham and Chris Forgham James Stegman William Thorland Betty & Warren Kuehner Zephyr Wilkins Celestina Pacheco ACM LLP Cuneo Law Firm Paul Hoffman Paul Manoogian 14 DENVER VOICE June 2020 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 add 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
RESOURCES RESOURCE LIST FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN DENVER DIAL 211 FOR A MORE COMPLETE LIST OF RESOURCES IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THIS LIST. IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS, PLEASE EMAIL EDITOR@DENVERVOICE.ORG. FREE MEALS AGAPE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 2501 California St., Sat., 11am CAPITOL HEIGHTS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 1100 Fillmore St., Saturday lunch at 11:30am 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 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. CHRIST IN THE CITY Home-cooked meal; Civic Center Park at Colfax & Lincoln at 1pm every Wed. & 2nd Sat. at 12pm CHURCH IN THE CITY 1580 Gaylord S., breakfast every Tues.-Thurs. at 8:30am, free hot meal every Thurs. at 4:30pm. CITYSQUARE DENVER 303.783.3777, 2575 S. Broadway; Food pantry Tues. 10-6 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 10-12pm. DENVER RESCUE MISSION 1130 Park Avenue West, 3 meals 7 days/week: 5:30am, 12pm, 6pm 303-294-0157 FATHER WOODY’S HAVEN OF HOPE 1101 W. 7th Ave. 303-607-0855. Monday-Friday 7-1. Not open weekends. Breakfast is at 8 a.m., and lunch is served at 11 a.m. FEEDING DENVER’S HUNGRY Food service on the second and fourth Thursday of each month; locations found at feedingdenvershungry.org/events FOOD NOT BOMBS Wed. 4pm/Civic Center Park HARE KRISHNA TEMPLE 1400 Cherry St., free vegetarian feast on Sun., 6:45pm-7:30pm HIS LOVE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH 910 Kalamath, community dinner on Thurs., 6-6:45pm, men’s breakfast 1st Sat. of the month, 8-10, women’s breakfast 2nd Sat., 9-11. HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH 1900 California St., sandwiches, Mon.-Sat., 10-10:30am JORDAN AME CHURCH 29th and Milwaukee Streets, Tuesday lunch 11:30-1:00 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 PEOPLE’S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 2780 York St, Hot lunch Mon. 11am-12:30pm. ST. ELIZABETH’S Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St. on Auraria campus, 7 days/week, 11:00am; food, coffee. ST. FRANCIS CENTER 2323 Curtis St., Wed. & Fri. 3-4:30pm (except third Wed. of each month). ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN 1600 Grant St., Street Reach meal Mon. 1-4:30pm. Grocery room open at 11:30am every Mon. ST. PETER AND ST. MARY 126 W. Second Ave., dinner at 6 on Tues. 303-722-8781 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 SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES 846 E. 18th Ave. 3 meals, Mon.-Fri. 7am-7pm; Sun. 11am-4pm. 55+ STREET BEAT, ARVADA SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS 7090 64th Ave. Arvada; food/clothing every 3rd Sat. 2-4pm. 303-422-2369 TRINITY UNITED METHODIST 1820 Broadway, meals served Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 11:45-12:15 URBAN OUTREACH DENVER 608 26th St., Thursday dinners, 6pm-7pm VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA 2877 Lawrence St., breakfast (8am), lunch (11:30am) and dinner (5pm) Mon.-Thurs., 12pm on Fri., 1pm on Sun. Food & clothing bank 9:30-4pm Mon.-Thurs. CAREER SERVICES COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTER, Level 4, Denver Central Library, 14th Ave. & Broadway. 720-865-1706. Hours: M & Tu 10am-8pm; W, Th, F 10am-6pm; Sat 9am-5pm & Su 1-5pm; FREE services include computer/internet use, wifi, computer classes, job search/resume classes and one-on-one tech help appointments. THE WESTSIDE ONE-STOP CAREER CENTER Denver Department of Human Services, 1200 Federal Blvd., M-F, 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. MEDICAL & DENTAL SERVICES ACS COMMUNITY L.I.F.T. CAREVAN at Open Door Ministries, 1567 Marion St. Tues. 9-12:30 DENVER HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER 303-436-6000, 777 Bannock St. HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER 303-572-7800; 231 East Colfax; Monday-Friday, 9 am -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. LIVER HEALTH CONNECTION 1325 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite B302, (800) 522-4372, info@hepc-connection.org The mission of Liver Health Connection is to educate the general public about hepatitis C and to provide resources and support for those affected by the virus. Free Hep C testing offered. INNER CITY HEALTH CENTER 303-296-1767, 3800 York St. Mon, Weds-Fri 8-5; Tues 9-5; Sat 8-2. Emergency walk-ins. SALUD CLINIC dental 303-286-6755, medical 303-286-8900, 6075 Parkway Drive, Ste. 160, Commerce City; 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 STOUT STREET CLINIC 303-293-2220, 2130 Stout Street; Clinic hours for new and established patients: 7am-4pm Mon., Tues., Thurs., & Fri. The clinic is open Wed. 11am-7pm. VA MEDICAL CENTER 303-399-8020, 1055 Clermont St. WORKNOW work-now.org; 720-389-0999; job recruitment, skills training, and job placement 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 CITYSQUARE DENVER 303.783.3777 2575 S. Broadway; Mon-Thurs 10-2, Denver Works helps with employment, IDs, birth certs; mail services and lockers FATHER WOODY’S HAVEN OF HOPE 303-607-0855; 1101 W. 7th Ave.; frwoodyshavenofhope.org/contact-us; Mon.-Fri. 7am-1pm. Six private showers & bathrooms, laundry, lunch & more. 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. Services include: meals, computer lab, phones, food bank, clothing, art programs, GED tutoring, and more. Also, referrals to other resources and services. HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER 303-572-7800, 231 East Colfax; Mon.-Fri. 9am-12pm. Provides clean syringes, syringe disposal, harm-reduction counseling, safe materials, Hepatitis C/HIV education, & health education classes. harmreductionactioncenter.org HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH 1900 California St., can help with lost IDs and birth certificates 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 OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES 1567 Marion St. Mon.-Fri. 7am-5:30pm. Drop-in center: bathrooms, coffee/tea, snacks, resources, WIFI ST. FRANCIS CENTER 303-297-1576; 2323 Curtis St., open daily from 6am-6pm; Storage for one bag offered, when space is available. Satellite Clinic hours- Mon., Tues., Thurs, and Fri. 7:30-3:30; Wed. 12:30-4:30 SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES 846 E. 18th Ave, TV room, bus tokens, mental/physical health outreach, and more for those 55 & older. SOX PLACE (YOUTH SERVICES) 2017 Larimer Street; Daytime drop-in shelter for youth 12-30 years old. Services include: 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. 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. URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES) Youth 14-24 in Denver & Colorado Springs. Services: overnight shelter, food, clothing, showers, case workers, job skills and training, ID and birth certificate assistance, GED assistance, counseling and housing. Urban Peak: 730 21st St. 303-974-2900. June 2020 DENVER VOICE 15 DON’T LOOK NOW! PUZZLES ARE ON PAGE 13
Since 2007, the VOICE has provided jobs for more than 4,400 people experiencing homelessness. For every dollar we take in, we put $3.00 directly back into the pockets of those who need it most. WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN DO MORE. DENVERVOICE.ORG/DONATE
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