$ 2 SUGGESTED DONATION @DenverVOICE MOBILITY ACCESS APP IS PVING THE WY LAUNCHED IN 2023, ROLL MOBILITY STRIVES FOR A MORE INCLUSIVE, NAVIGABLE WORLD. PAGE 6 CVS INVESTS MILLIONS IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ARVADA SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN 2025, DEVELOPMENT WILL ADD 85 SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS. PAGE 3 REDUCING HARM IN RURAL COLORADO HARM REDUCTION ACTIVISTS FEAR OTHER COMMUNITIES WILL COPY PUEBLO’S NEEDLE EXCHANGE BAN. PAGE 8 WHAT ARE NANOPLASTICS? RESEARCHERS ARE WORKING TO UNDERSTAND NANOPLASTICS TO MANAGE AND MITIGATE THESE MATERIALS’ EFFECTS. PAGE 10 VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY PAGES 4, 12 EVENTS / PUZZLES PAGE 13 RESOURCES PAGE 15 JUNE 2024 | Vol.29 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: CREDIT: GILES CLASEN
EDITOR’S NOTE ELISABETH MONAGHAN MANAGING EDITOR this BEFORE ANYONE WHO USES A WHEELCHAIR or has other mobility issues heads to a grocery store, restaurant, office or apartment building, or outdoor venue, they have to plan their approach. Does the establishment have a ramp, elevator, or other wheelchairaccessible entrance? Does the interior layout have enough space for wheelchairs to navigate between doors, tables, or aisles? Can they get in and out of the bathroom with ease? In issue, VOICE contributor Frank DeAngeli introduces our readers to the Roll Mobility app. Roll Mobility is a platform, where people can discover businesses that are accessible to those in wheelchairs or who have other mobility challenges. As DeAngeli explains, the Roll Mobility team launched the app in February of last year. Just a little over a year later, the app now has reviews of more than 100 businesses and attractions in Denver. I suggest our readers keep an eye on this app because I truly believe that Roll Mobility is “going places.” Another highlight I am excited to point out this month is Denver VOICE vendor Raelene Johnson’s latest update on her health. While treatment for her cancer and other health challenges kept her from vending for nearly half of 2024, Johnson is on the mend. Her regular customers will be happy to see her at the Farmer’s Market in Boulder, and all of the vendors, volunteers, and staff at the VOICE are delighted to have her back in action. ■ FRANK DEANGELI is a PNW transplant who has spent six years in Colorado. He has previously spent much of his professional career working in case management at a homeless shelter. He loves movies, making music, and throwing any kind of flying disc. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR James Kay MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan PROGRAM COORDINATOR Connie Gaitan GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Bragg JACOB RICHARDS is a community organizer and writer on the western slope of Colorado. His columns have appeared across the West including The Denver Post, Salt Lake City Tribune, and The Daily Sentinel. When not working in the wilderness, he is working on a project called “A People’s History of the Grand Valley.” VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Lanie Lee Cook Aaron Sullivan ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Giles Clasen Gigi Galen WRITERS WHAT WE DO The Denver VOICE empowers homeless, impoverished, and transient individuals by creating job opportunities through our vendor program. We give our vendors a job and help them tell their stories; this creates a space for them to be part of a community again. Vendors purchase copies of the VOICE for 50 cents each at our distribution center. This money pays for a portion of our production costs. Vendors can buy as many papers as they want; they then sell those papers to the public for a suggested $2 donation. The difference in cost ($1.50) is theirs to keep. WHO WE ARE The Denver VOICE is a nonprofit that publishes a monthly street newspaper. Our vendors are men and women in the 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. 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 2 p.m. Orientation is held every day we are open, but prospective vendors must arrive by 10:00 a.m. Robert Davis Frank DeAngeli Alan Hudson Raelene Johnson Jason Martin Gabriel Pearce Jacob Richards Jerry Rosen Larmarques Smith Charles Spring BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chris Boulanger, Vice President Jeff Cuneo, President Antonio Diaz, Treasurer Michael Burkley Robert Davis Charity Von Guinness Nikki Lawson Cabal Yarne THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS ROBERT DAVIS is an award-winning freelance reporter for the Denver VOICE. His work has also appeared in Colorado Newsline, Business Insider, Westword, the Colorado Sun, and Medium.com. DENVERVOICE.ORG E.ORG @deeOCE 2 DENVER VOICE June 2024 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US
LOCAL NEWS CVS INVESTS $19.2 MILLION TO BUILD 85 AFFORDABLE HOMES IN ARVADA BY ROBERT DAVIS CVS HEALTH INVESTED $19.2 MILLION through Boston Financial to help developers complete a new 85-unit supportive housing project in Arvada known as the Marshall Street Landing. The new development is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2025, according to a press release. Each unit will be fully furnished and include amenities like a cooking range, refrigerator, air conditioning, and luxury vinyl floors. The complex will also feature a community kitchen, commercial laundry rooms, and on-site management. RENDERING OF MARSHALL STREET LANDING. CREDIT: SHOPWORKS ARCHITECTURE The development is being built by a partnership between Family Tree, a homeless service provider, and BlueLine Development, a real estate investment firm based in Missoula, Montana. Marshall Street Landing will also include services for people exiting homelessness. For instance, the Jefferson Center for Mental Health will provide mental health and substance abuse counseling. Family Tree will also provide trauma-informed case management, advocacy, crisis assistance, and life-skills educational training. “Marshall Street Landing is a testament to what we can achieve when we come together with a shared vision of compassion and inclusivity,” Dontae Latson, CEO of Family Tree, said in a press release. “Permanent supportive housing is not merely a place to live; it is a foundation for life. It offers individuals and families who have faced homelessness or disabling conditions not just shelter, but a community and a sense of belonging.” CVS Health made the $19.2 million investment through Boston Financial, an investment firm that specializes in investing in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties. This isn’t the first time that CVS Health has invested in a subsidized housing development in Colorado. To date, the company has spent more than $43 million to create more than 2,100 housing units in the state. Across the country, CVS Health has helped create more than 22,600 affordable rental units, including 14,300 units for families and another 5,800 for senior citizens. ■ 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. June 2024 DENVER VOICE 3
SUMMER WISH LIST Q Drop-offs are accepted Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., or by appointment. NEW ITEMS NEEDED: Socks Toiletries (individual or travel-size) Toothpaste, deodorant Chapstick, sunscreen Hand warmers GENTLY-USED ITEMS NEEDED: Men’s shoes or boots (sizes 8-12) Men’s jackets (sizes L, XL, XXL) Women’s jackets (sizes M, L, XL) Backpacks, carrier bags USB-C charging cables Ball caps, hats Fold-up umbrellas, backpacks 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! A ASK A VENDOR THIS COLUMN IS A PLACE FOR DENVER VOICE VENDORS TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS FROM OUR READERS AND STAFF. THIS MONTH’S QUESTION WAS SUGGESTED BY DENVER VOICE VENDOR CHARLES SPRING. When you were a child what or who did you want to be when you grew up? ALAN HUDSON When I was a kid, I wanted to be a police officer, but it didn’t go as planned. I ended up just working for my uncle’s lawn services, and to be honest, I still want to be a police officer. I’m trying to get my life better, so I can be who I want in my life. JASON MARTIN When I was very young, I looked up to my father, who was a Sergeant Major in the U.S. Army. The whole military thing intrigued me. My father would come home in the original HumVee, and he would be driving, and I would also be driving on the passenger’s side. (There was a steering wheel there.) GABRIEL PEARCE I love the homeless. I know how they feel, so I want to be an owner of a homeless shelter, [where I can] make people safe and keep their stuff safe. They also need counselors for drug abuse and psychiatrists for their other mental health issues. JERRY ROSEN That is a hard question to answer. I would like to be someone who is very respectable in society and one of the very nicest people. I would like to be myself and not be someone who isn’t. It is very important to be yourself. LARMARQUES SMITH When I was a child, I wanted to be a volcanologist! I always had a fascination with volcanos. It started with the May 1980 eruption of Mt. St Helens. There is not much that can compare. Learning about St. Helens opened the door to my interest in other volcanos, like Mount Vesuvius and the volcanos in Hawaii. Although that dream has faded, I still enjoy learning about them. Hopefully, I will get to visit a few before I die… CHARLES SPRING When I was five years old, I wanted to be an astronaut, and then, when I turned 10, I wanted to join the Marines because everyone in my family was in some branch of the military. @DenverVOICE 4 DENVER VOICE June 2024
NATIONAL STORY COURTESY OF THE CONVERSATION / INSP.NGO CITIES WITH BLACK FEMALE POLICE CHIEFS HAD LESS STREET VIOLENCE DURING BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS BY KAYLA STAJKOVIC AND ALEX STAJKOVIC BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS in U.S. cities with Black women police chiefs experienced significantly lower levels of violence – from both police and protesters – than cities with police chiefs of other racial backgrounds and gender, according to our newly published paper. After George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police on 25 May 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement surged. Advocating for social justice, the movement galvanized over 11,000 protest events across thousands of cities in all 50 states. Most demonstrations were peaceful, but others were not, and city police chiefs had the job of dealing with street violence. In some communities, they engaged in dialogue with protesters; in others, they responded with force. Our research included analyzing 11,540 protests that occurred between 25 May and 29 August 2020, in 3,338 cities, spanning 1,481 counties across all states. To ensure robustness and eliminate bias, we measured violence based on an independent categorization of violence, protest event descriptions, numbers of arrests, and severity of the charges. We also researched the gender and racial background of the local police chief. Our analysis, published in the Journal of Management, found that protests in cities with police departments led by Black women tended to be relatively peaceful. Consider, for instance, Black female Chief Catrina Thompson in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who chose dialogue over force. She conveyed solidarity with the Black Lives Matter cause and affirmed that peaceful protests could spur change without destroying the city. By contrast, a protest in Lincoln, Nebraska in late May 2020 saw a group of protesters break store windows and threaten police officers, which resulted in police officers – in a department led by white male Chief Jeff Bliemeister – firing pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets. This and other research have found that through their personal and professional experience, as they rise through the ranks of a traditionally male, white profession, Black women tend to develop a strong understanding of racial dynamics and use their knowledge to devise flexible strategies. Of course, not all Black women lead in exactly the same ways, but they tend to share similar experiences that can help foster peaceful outcomes in times of social unrest. WHY IT MATTERS Amid a backdrop of widespread protests and calls for social justice, public safety depends on peaceful interactions between police and demonstrators. The study highlights the significance of having diverse leadership voices and the importance of recognizing and elevating individual identities. Despite a rise in the appointment of Black police chiefs over the past decade, Black women continue to be underrepresented in law enforcement leadership positions. This research highlights the value to society of including diverse perspectives and leadership approaches informed by the intersections of people’s identities. WHAT STILL ISN’T KNOWN Despite these insights, several questions remain unanswered. We do not yet know the specific way in which the leadership of Black women police chiefs translates into lower violence levels. We suggest the mechanism is a complex result of their communication strategies, community engagement practices, and decision-making processes – but we do not know which has the most influence. Our study also raises questions about how these findings about Black women at a time of Black protest might be applied to other civic leaders’ handling of demonstrations from different types of social movements. WHAT’S NEXT The study paves the way for more in-depth research into how intersecting identities – such as gender and race – affect leadership approaches and outcomes across various professions, not just law enforcement. Ongoing research efforts – our own and others – are directed at better understanding how people’s identities inform their leadership styles and how they handle conflict. Future studies are also needed to explore how organizations and communities can better support Black women and promote them into leadership roles, ensuring their perspectives and skills benefit society as a whole. ■ Courtesy of The Conversation / INSP.ngo June 2024 DENVER VOICE 5
COMMUNITY FEATURE ROLL MOBILITY TEAM FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: MEREDITH BERKOWITZ, LAURA SPORRER, JOE FOSTER, RACHEL ZOELLER. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN ROLL MOBILITY PAVES THE WAY FOR A MORE INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE FUTURE BY FRANK DEANGELI ONE OF DENVER’S BIGGEST DRAWS TO LOCAL RESIDENTS AND VISITORS is its easy access to outdoor recreation, charming mountain towns, and natural beauty. However, for anyone who uses wheelchairs or has mobility issues, some obstacles to accessibility begin in areas much closer to home — at bars, cafes, restaurants, office buildings, and residences. Roll Mobility, a Denver-based app and accessibility tool, is seeking to make its hometown, as well as cities across the world, more navigable for wheelchair users and other individuals who face mobility challenges. Officially launched in February of 2023, the app allows CREDIT: GILES CLASEN community members to submit reviews, photos, and videos of different businesses, listing their strengths and weaknesses in making their places of business accessible to all. These submissions help to paint a picture of a location’s overall ease of access for community members with disabilities, who then can make decisions on where to live or socialize, based on the ratings and reviews from similarly challenged individuals. 6 DENVER VOICE June 2024 Joe Foster, one of the founders of Roll Mobility, explained that the idea for the app started almost three years ago as written notes on the back of a napkin. “We said ‘Well, this must already exist. We must just not be Googling it correctly.’ We were just kind of blown away that this gap existed.” Speaking with people with disabilities, Foster found that, typically, options for gauging a business’ accessibility can be limited and are often unreliable. “Folks with disabilities would call and talk to a host to get information on accessibility,” Foster said. “And unfortunately, it sounds like that information was incorrect eight out of 10 times. They’d hear things like ‘We’ve got stairs, but don’t worry; we’ll just carry you up the stairs.’ A lot of adults don’t want to be carried anywhere.” The Roll Mobility app prompts users to leave reviews of a location by filling out a 13-item questionnaire. Eight of the questions are about the facility itself, and five are about the bathroom. These questions include “Are there accessible
COMMUNITY FEATURE sidewalks/ramps outside the entrance?”, “Are you able to access every part with a power chair?”, “Are there plenty of low-top tables with removable chairs?”, and “Is there a rollunder sink?”. According to Foster, Roll Mobility has intentionally created these questions with objective “yes” or “no” answers to ensure that users know which places meet their specific needs. Currently, the Roll Mobility team is developing a questionnaire tailored specifically to address the accessibility of outdoor trails. Since the Roll Mobility app’s inception, users have given it glowing reviews. One reviewer mentioned that having the app is akin to having a friend who has visited a business before and can speak directly to its accessibility. Many testimonials mentioned that knowing whether or not a place will have accessible bathrooms is often a concern, particularly at drinking establishments, and Roll Mobility has helped to assuage that particular anxiety. The consensus among reviewers is that an app like Roll Mobility is long overdue. Foster said that accessibility in Denver can vary widely from location to location, and he commends local businesses that have made a great effort on this front. Brewability in Englewood previously applied for and received a grant from the City of Englewood to install an automatic door. Sanitas Brewing Company, which also is located in Englewood, went out of its way to build a low-height bar. This addition has made the brewery more accessible for wheelchair users. According to Foster, the vast majority of feedback from businesses has been positive. Foster also stresses that for the app to continue to exist and thrive, it relies on the community’s input. “Our job throughout this whole process has been not to tell people what they want, but to ask people what they need,” Foster said. “We really feel like this is a community, and engaging the community is really important to us. That’s our true mission.” As of May 2024, more than 100 businesses and attractions in the Denver metro area have reviews on the Roll Mobility app. Additionally, reviews have been submitted in 45 different countries. Roll Mobility partners with organizations that are also working towards building a more equitable, inclusive, and accessible world For example, on June 8, in partnership with Dateability, a company that has designed a dating app specifically signed a dating app specifically for people with disabilities, Roll Mobility is hosting a Spring Fling Pub Crawl through downtown Denver. For information on the Spring Fling Pub Crawl, visit Eventbrite.com. To learn more about Roll Mobility or to download the app, visit RollMobility.com. ■ JOE FOSTER. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN MEREDITH BERKOWITZ. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN LAURA SPORRER. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN RACHEL ZOELLER. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN June 2024 DENVER VOICE 7
COMMUNITY PROFILE MAGGIE SELDEEN, MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE AT. COURTESY OF HIGH ROCKIES HARM REDUCTION REDUCING HARM IN RURAL COLORADO BY JACOB RICHARDS A SOUTHERN COLORADO ORGANIZATION says it kept 59,300 needles off the streets of Pueblo last year. Needle exchanges, like those offered by Southern Colorado Health Network and Southern Colorado Harm Reduction Association, are central to the harm reduction movement, which uses an evidence-based strategy that “meets people where they are at” to help reduce negative outcomes associated with drug use. But despite a meeting packed with supporters of the programs, Pueblo City Council voted in May to ban needle exchanges. Now, there is a fear among harm reduction activists that Pueblo’s needle exchange ban will be replicated in other communities across Colorado, even as they struggle to combat the stigma of reducing harm among drug users. Harm reduction looks different Junction-based organization Inman, director of the all-volunteer group. “We are the boots on the ground.” “As a former drug user, I wish I would have had this sort of service,” Inman said. “As the director of a nonprofit, I act as an ally and advocate ... but open ears are rare.” Solidarity Not Charity has found partner nonprofits “frown on distribution of safer smoking and snorting supplies,” Inman said, adding that “local government prohibits distribution of any safer use items on government-owned property, which means we are often distributing from the back of our automobiles, which does nothing to decrease stigma.” In the Roaring Fork Valley, Maggie Seldeen grew up “surrounded by drug and alcohol misuse as a child and adolescent.” As a former drug user, Seldeen saw many close friends contract Hepatitis C and has lost “countless friends to unnecessary overdose death.” “I also lost my mother to a heroin overdose in 2006,” she said. Armed with lived experience and a degree from Colorado in each community. There is no universal formula, and nowhere is that truer than in rural areas of western Colorado. Grand Solidarity Not Charity regularly does camp outreach and has served weekly meals since 2008. “We are in a unique position to provide safe access to DURANGO STREET MEDICS AT BUCKLEY PARK DURANGO. COURTESY OF DURANGO STREET MEDICS 8 DENVER VOICE June 2024 sterile syringes, safer smoking and snorting supplies, overdose prevention kits, fentanyl tests, and wound care/ hygiene supplies” to underserved populations, said Nicole Mesa University, Seldeen launched High Rockies Harm Reduction in 2020. The organization serves a huge geographic area of Garfield, Summit, Eagle, Pitkin, and Lake Counties. Offering a wide range of services to these five counties with just two paid employees is the biggest challenge Seldeen’s group faces. “Road and weather conditions make traveling across this region very difficult … while trying to bring mobile services to a historically underserved region,” Seldeen said. High Rockies Harm Reduction has received support from local law enforcement agencies, municipalities, and health departments, but Seldeen acknowledges that “there is still a lot of stigma associated with accessing these services in the first place.”
COMMUNITY PROFILE SOLIDARITY NOT CHARITY’S WEEKLY ‘FEED’ AND OUTREACH. COURTESY OF SOLIDARITY NOT CHARITY In Durango, Amy Landrum can be found at Buckley Park on most Sundays. Landrum was a single parent on Medicaid, living paycheck to paycheck when she decided to go to nursing school. “I’ve been treated poorly by the health care system. I get how difficult it can be to try to access services in a hostile environment,” she said. Now a licensed nurse practitioner and a volunteer with Durango Street Medics, Landrum runs a medical supply distribution and free health clinic at the park, alongside the mutual aid distribution and community meal provided by Durango Food Not Bombs. “I frequently witness how incompetent, racist, classist, and profit-driven U.S. health care can be,” said Landrum, who has been working as a health care professional for over 10 years. “I can’t topple the current system, but I can use my license to try to make health care a bit more accessible and comfortable for people in my community.” Landrum also leads Stop the Bleed, making use of her training as a wound specialist. “Violence, especially against certain groups, is a reality. Knowing how to control bleeding can make a real difference for an injured person’s chance of survival,” Landrum said. Even as the harm reduction community faces challenges, there has been some movement toward acceptance. Narcan, for example, was hard to acquire when Landrum first started doing harm reduction in La Plata County a few years ago. “I had to purchase it myself or beg for it from established harm reduction agencies,” Landrum said. But “now with expanded access like the Colorado bulk fund” — a state program that allows bulk naloxone purchases at low or no cost — “it is much easier to get Narcan and put it in the hands of people who benefit from it.” According to Landurm, her efforts still receive the occasional negative comment, and stigma still exists. But she keeps in mind that people are actively working to change that. “A lot of folks — current and former drug users, harm reduction activists, and people who have been directly impacted by overdoses or poisonings — have been working really hard for years to reduce stigma and improve harm reduction access in Colorado,” she said. “So, I’m thankful for those people because, without their efforts, it’s unlikely I would have the freedom and supplies to do this work.” ■ AMY LANDRUM, NURSE PRACTITIONER AND WOUND SPECIALIST WITH DURANGO STREET MEDICS. COURTESY OF DURANGO STREET MEDICS MAGGIE SELDEEN DEMONSTRATES A NARCAN APPLICATOR. COURTESY OF HIGH ROCKIES HARM REDUCTION SOLIDARITY NOT CHARITY HARM REDUCTION TABLE, GRAND JUNCTION. COURTESY OF SOLIDARITY NOT CHARITY June 2024 DENVER VOICE 9
INTERNATIONAL STORY PHOTO COURTESY OF NAJA BERTOLT JENSEN ON UNSPLASH WHAT ARE NANOPLASTICS? BY MOHAN QIN IT’S BECOME COMMON TO READ that microplastics – little bits of plastic, smaller than a pencil eraser – are turning up everywhere and in everything, including the ocean, farmland, food, and human bodies. Now a new term is gaining attention: nanoplastics. These particles are even tinier than microplastics – so small that they’re invisible to the naked eye. Nanoplastics are a type of microplastic, distinguished by their extremely small size. Microplastics are usually less than 5 millimeters across; nanoplastics are between 1 and 1,000 nanometers across. For comparison, an average human hair is roughly 80,000-100,000 nanometers wide. Nanoplastics are attracting growing concern thanks to recent technological advances that have made researchers more able to detect and analyze them. Their smaller size means that they are more easily transported over long distances and into more diverse environments than microplastics. They can more easily penetrate cells and tissues in living organisms, which could lead to different and more acute toxicological effects. Studies in the past two years have found nanoplastics in human blood, liver and lung cells, and reproductive tissues such as the placenta and the testes. Around the world, nanoplastics have been found in the air, in seawater, in snow, and soil. We already know that microplastics are present from the heights of Mount Everest to deep ocean trenches. Now there is growing evidence that nanoplastics are more prevalent than larger microplastics in the environment. WHERE THEY COME FROM AND WHERE THEY GO Nanoplastics are created when everyday products such as clothes, food and beverage packaging, home furnishings, plastic bags, toys, and toiletries degrade. This can be caused by environmental factors such as sunlight or wear and tear from mechanical action. Many personal care products, such as scrubs and shampoos, can also release nanoplastics. Like larger plastic particles, nanoplastics can come from a variety of polymer types, including polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride. Because plastic products are widely used, it is hard to avoid nanoplastics in our daily lives. When plastics reach the nanoscale, they present unique questions and challenges because of their tiny size and varying surface properties and composition. Since nanoplastics are small, they can easily penetrate cells and tissues that larger particles cannot. If they accumulate within living organisms, they could potentially cause adverse biological effects. The fate of nanoplastics in the environment is an ongoing research topic. Scientists don’t know yet whether nanoplastics further degrade in various environments into smaller particles, or into polymers, which are their basic building blocks – large molecules made of many small molecules strung together. DETECTING NANOPLASTICS Finding nanoplastics is challenging because they are so tiny and have diverse chemical compositions and structures. Researchers are refining different approaches for detecting nanoplastics, using techniques including Raman spectroscopy, chromatography , and mass spectrometry. These methods can see the shapes and analyze the properties of nanoplastic particles. In a 2024 study, researchers from Columbia University presented a new technology that was able to see and count nanoplastics in bottled water with high sensitivity and specificity. Unlike previous studies that could detect only a limited amount of nanoplastic particles, this study found that each liter of bottled water that was analyzed contained more than 100,000 plastic particles, most of which were nanoplastics. More studies need to be done before scientists can conclude whether all bottled water contains nanoplastics. But this new technique opens the door for further research. ARE NANOPLASTIC PARTICLES TOXIC? The toxicity of nanoplastics is another field of ongoing research. Some studies have suggested that these particles could pose significant risks to ecosystems and human health. One recent study suggested that they may be a risk factor for heart disease. Another concern is that chemical pollutants, heavy metals, and pathogens may stick to nanoplastics and become concentrated in the environment. This process could potentially expose living organisms to high concentrations of these harmful substances. Nanoplastics clearly are a part of modern environments, but scientists need more research and information to understand what kinds of threats they could pose. As toxicologists often say, “The dose makes the poison.” In other words, actual exposure matters a lot. It is difficult to assess toxicity without knowing actual concentrations. It is well known that larger plastic debris can fragment into nanoplastics, but there is much to learn about how these fragments degrade further. Researchers are working to detect and understand environments so that they can develop effective strategies to manage and mitigate these materials’ effects on people and the planet. ■ Courtesy of The Conversation / INSP.ngo nanoplastics across many 10 DENVER VOICE June 2024
NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT COMMUNITY PROFILE 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. PHOTO COURTESY OF VITOLDA KLEIN ON UNSPLASH IMPROVING CHILDHOOD NUTRITION BEGINS WITH PARENTAL MODELING, RESEARCH SUGGESTS BY KELLEY GULLO WIGHT AND PEGGY LIU MOST PARENTS, EDUCATORS, AND POLICYMAKERS agree that children should eat healthy foods. However, our peerreviewed paper suggests that the strategy adults often use to achieve that can sometimes backfire. Fortunately, there is an easy fix. We, along with fellow marketing scholars Lingrui Zhou and Gavan Fitzsimons, conducted five experiments with over 3,800 parents as well as 10 in-depth interviews. We found that parents tend to choose unhealthy foods for themselves after choosing a healthy meal for their young children. This happens because parents are uncertain whether their child will eat their healthy dishes, and so they use their own meal as backup to share to ensure that their child at least eats something. This dynamic is not ideal. It could result in parents eating unhealthier foods, and children may also end up eating unhealthily if they eat mostly from their parent’s plate. Additionally, it does not set a good example of healthy eating. How, then, to change this dynamic? After testing several interventions, one stood out as particularly simple and effective: nudging parents to think of their meals as their own, rather than backup options for their children. We partnered with a nursery school that was interested in promoting healthier eating among children. Parents associated with the school were offered a free family dinner. Parents first chose a meal for their child from a healthy children’s menu. They then chose a meal for themselves from a menu that had a mix of healthy and unhealthy options. Half of the parents – randomly assigned – saw a menu that prompted them to think of their own meal as “for you and only you!” The other half did not see this additional prompt to think of their own meal as only for them. This intervention was successful: by encouraging parents to think of their meal as their own, it made about a third more likely to choose the healthy option for themselves. Our findings suggest that policymakers and schools may want to consider the role that parents – and their food choices – play in efforts to encourage healthy eating among children. As for parents, we suggest nixing the backup plan and ensuring that both you and your children are eating nutritiously. ■ Courtesy of The Conversation / INSP.ngo VOLUNTEER WITH US! We are looking for volunteers to help with paper distribution and basic offi ce administration at the Denver VOICE offi ce (989 Santa Fe. Dr.), as well as event support. If you are interested and would like to know more, contact us at program@denvervoice.org. June 2024 DENVER VOICE 11 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 HEALING MY BODY BY RAELENE JOHNSON, VOICE VENDOR I HAVE FINALLY GOTTEN MY SURGERY DONE. After all of the pain I had been in, I know that in a short time, I will feel so much better. It has been hard on my body – the cancer, and the impact of the car wreck I had earlier this year. Then, I had to have surgery, where I was on the operating table for 2.5 hours. They kept me in the hospital for two days. I was finally discharged and sent home. My body has been to hell and back, and it is now on the road to recovery. I can’t wait for that to happen, so I can be around people again. Being a person who loves talking to everyone I meet, the isolation has been hard on me. When I feel I’ve been alone too long, I have to tell myself it won’t be much longer, and all of this will be behind me. LESSONS I WANT TO SHARE Staying still will let you have time for yourself. You must take time for yourself to be your best Self. You must eat right, exercise your mind and body, get the proper amount of sleep, and pay attention to everything you put in your mind and body. When you pamper yourself fully, you will have the energy to live a healthy life. You will want to see others do their best. (You can’t help others if you can’t do it for yourself.) Let go of things that upset you. Let people, who upset you RAELENE JOHNSON. CREDIT: KAREN BEEMAN when you’re around them, walk away. Don’t let anyone steal your joy, happiness, self-worth, self-respect, or peace of mind. Sometimes, letting go is very hard. Just know you will be better off. The enemy will take every chance to see you suffer and put people around you that cause you pain. You can’t allow anyone to have that much power over you, or over time, you’ll lose who you really are! Unhappiness sets in and the longer it stays, the less light you will see! (We must always stay in the light. It is so peaceful there.) So many people ask me how I can be so at peace, and I tell them that if I cry and bitch about life not being fair, or wonder, “Why me?” where would I be? I’d have no peace at all. Everything is temporary. I don’t let negativity grip my mind because that wouldn’t do me any good. Your body cannot heal if all it takes in is negativity. Nothing can grow in darkness. Things grow better in the light. Hope is better than doubt. Believing things will be okay is better than thinking the worst all the time. Staying strong is better than giving up. Loving people around you is better than giving up. Loving people around you when you’re trying to recover is better than having hateful people around you. How you recover is up to you. I choose only good to be around me, to keep a smile on my face rather than pout and complain. If you keep REAL PEACE inside you, everything will be easier than it will be if you worry or are afraid of what’s next! (What has worrying ever done for you? It made you sick or sicker.) Most of the things you worried about or allowed yourself to go crazy over were never as bad as what you thought might happen. You spent that energy on nothing, and you can’t get that time back. ■ CELEBRATING PRIDE ILLUSTRATION BY GIGI GALEN, VOICE VENDOR LOVE BY CHARLES SPRING, VOICE VENDOR Lifetime of you In my dreams You I woo My heart Screams In silence For your love Happiness My mind Cries To be noticed 12 DENVER VOICE June 2024
EVENTS WHEN: June 2, 9, and 23, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. COST: $20, includes a free drink after class. WHERE: Western Sky Bar & Taproom, 4361 S. Broadway INFO: westernskybar.com CITY PARK JAZZ Jazz in the park is back! Enjoy live music, sunsets, food trucks, adorable dogs, and a sense of community at this beloved city event. WHEN: June 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. COST: Free but donations accepted. WHERE: City Park Pavilion, 2001 Steele St. INFO: cityparkjazz.org DENVER GREEK FESTIVAL Opa! Get your Greek on at the 57th annual Denver Greek Festival! Festivalgoers can enjoy food, dancing, live music, a Greek boutique, beer, wine, family-friendly activities, more food, and more dancing. WHEN: June 7 – June 9, times vary. COST: $5, kids are free. WHERE: Theotokos Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 4610 E Alameda Ave. INFO: thegreekfestival.com COURTESY OF DEBORAH LASTOWKA PUZZLES SUNDAY YOGA Ease into your Sunday with a relaxed, community-minded flow. Please bring your mat and anything else you need to feel comfortable. COURTESY OF STREETROOTS ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 15 ACROSS DOWN 1. Moviegoer’s memento 5. Jellied garnish 10. Biblical pronoun 14. Read (over) 15. Struck hard 16. Part of the Corn Belt 17. Icelandic epic 18. Amazon, e.g. 19. On bended ___ 20. Made a plan to thwart another plan WORKOUT IN THE PARK Come hang out with Strength in the City and Travese Fitness for a monthly donaton-based park workout and hang. All proceeds go directly to the Strength in the City Foundation, which brings health and wellness to underserved communities in Denver. WHEN: June 18, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. COST: By donation, register online. WHERE: Washington Park, S. Franklin St. and E. Kentucky Ave. INFO: strengthinthecity.com 23. Bundle 24. Animal house 25. Kind of bar 28. Babycakes 33. Kind of hygiene 34. Wiped out 35. Back muscle, for short 36. Study abroad, e.g. 40. Hotel freebie 41. Was out 42. Handle roughly 43. Certain currents 45. Thinly spread 47. Untilled tract 48. Ogler 49. It may be stuck in a ball of yarn 56. Force on Earth, for short 57. Insect stage 58. “Jurassic Park” menace, briefly 59. Van Halen’s David Lee ___ 60. Pried (into) 61. Muscle quality 62. Door sign 63. Growls 64. Picks 1. On ___ (without a contract) 2. Kind of list 3. Pakistani tongue 4. Stick figure 5. Too 6. Campfire treat 7. Ceremonial splendor 8. Slanted type: Abbr. 9. The current geological era 10. Video-based social media site 11. Fine-tune 12. Was in the red 13. Abu Dhabi’s land, for short 21. Up to, informally 22. Kind of fairy 25. Bulgaria’s capital 26. Early spring blooms 27. Less typical 28. Measures 29. Dismissive call 30. Of an arm bone 31. Sorcerer 32. Commemorative marker 34. From the top 37. Speck in the ocean 38. Bad winner’s response 39. Almond liqueur 44. HBO’s “___ of the Conchords” 45. Church councils 46. ___ Dee River 48. Certain Halloween vandal 49. Fort ___ (gold site) 50. ___ pot (sinuscleaning apparatus) 51. “My turn” 52. Discovery grp. 53. Lozenge 54. Mardi Gras follower 55. Split personalities? 56. Something to pick 7 DENVER PRIDE Come celebrate the 50th anniversary of Denver Pride! Attendees can enjoy the Pride Parade, Pride Fest, 5K, live entertainment, local vendors, and a number of other priderelated activities! WHEN: Jun 22 and Jun 23, times vary. COST: Free + open to the public. WHERE: Civic Center Park, 101 W. 14th Ave. INFO: denverpride.org 8 2 4 8 5 1 4 2 6 June 2024 DENVER VOICE 13 2 6 3 7 6 8 4 1 3 9 9 2 8 5 7 2 7 6 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 $10,000+ Meek-Cuneo Family Fund Anonymous Individual Donor Matt and Nikki Seashore Acorn Hill Foundation Inc. Pivotal Energy Partners USA, Inc. Cisco Francis Trainer and Trainer Family J. Albrecht Designs Master Goldsmith $5,000 - $9,999 Anschutz Family Foundation Laurie Duncan and Duncan-Mcwethy Foundation Colorado Housing and Finance Authority Alexander Seavall Frederic K Conover Trust Mary Walker & Walker Family Foundation The Christian Foundation Bank of America Charitable Foundation Sustainable Housing and Development Foundation Envestnet $1,000-$4,999 Christopher Boulanger Joshua Kauer Katherine Standiford Jill Haug Donald Weaver Whole Foods Foundation Michael Dino Alex Salva Signs By Tomorrow Rose Community Foundation Russell Peterson SEI Giving Fund Chris and Susan Pappas Julia and David Watson Gaspar Terrana Warren and Betty Kuehner Sidney B and Caleb F Gates Fund Megan Arellano James and Cyndi Lesslie Keyrenter Property Management Denver Mathew Rezek The Credit Union of Colorado Foundation Jana and Jim Cuneo Kroger Paul Manoogian Lori Holland Jeremy Anderson and Thomas Stalker Maggie Holben Michael J. Fehn and Jan Monnier Jim Ashe Courage and Community Foundation George Lichter Family Foundation Lisa Wagner Elsbeth Williams KO Law Firm Graham Davis Peter Iannuzzi $500-$999 Margaret Ramp John Gibson Sheryl Parker Ruth Henderson Fire on the Mountain Craig Solomon Laura Saunders Robert E and Anne T Sneed Family Foundation Barbara and Robert Ells Carol and Louis Irwin Edwina Salazar James Stegman Jennifer Stedron Stephen Saul WalMart Nikki Lawson CEDS Finance Impact Assets Courage and Community Foundation Louis Irwin Mary Livernois Mr B’s Liquor Wines For Humanity KL&A Engineers and Builders 14 DENVER VOICE June 2024 SPONSORSHIP LEVELS THE DENVER VOICE’S ANNUAL SPONSORSHIP SUPPORT LEVELS PROVIDE BUSINESSES LIKE YOURS THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN WORK EMPOWERMENT, HOMELESS PREVENTION, THE CHALLENGING OF COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS, AND TO BE A PART OF PROVIDING OUR COMMUNITY WITH QUALITY AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE THROUGH OUR WRITERS AND VENDORS – AN INVALUABLE PART OF DENVER’S COMMUNITY. YOUR INVOLVEMENT WILL HELP HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING POSITIVE ACTION TO COMBAT HOMELESSNESS AND IMPOVERISHMENT. AS A SPONSOR, YOU HAVE A WAY TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND GIVE SOMETHING BACK AT THE SAME TIME. ANNUAL SPONSORSHIPS BENEFITS INCLUDE YOUR LOGO LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE HOMEPAGE, MONTHLY AD SPACE IN OUR PAPER, AND SPECIAL EVENT PERKS FOR YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES ALL YEAR LONG. IT’S A GOOD DEAL FOR A GOOD CAUSE, AND YOUR GIFT IS 100% TAX-DEDUCTIBLE! ABOVE THE FOLD: $5,000 • One complimentary full page ad in the newspaper ($1,000 value) • Table of 10 and Sponsor recognition at annual Rise and Thrive Breakfast (200 attendees) • Sponsorship recognition at our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event (200 attendees) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Above the Fold Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper GALLEY: $2,500 • One complimentary half page ad in the newspaper ($600 value) • Table of 10 and Sponsor recognition at annual Rise and Thrive Breakfast (200 attendees) • Sponsorship recognition at our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event (200 attendees) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Galley Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper HONOR BOX: $1,000 • Table of 10 and Sponsor recognition at annual Rise and Thrive Breakfast (200 attendees) • Sponsorship recognition at our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event (200 attendees) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Honor Box Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper FLY SHEET: $500 • Two complimentary tickets to our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event ($50 value) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Fly Sheet Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper
RESOURCE LIST FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN DENVER DENVERVOICE.ORG/RESOURCE-LIST DIAL 211 FOR A MORE COMPLETE LIST OF RESOURCES IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR FOOD, MEDICAL CARE, SENIOR SERVICES, YOUTH PROGRAMS, VETERAN SUPPORT COUNSELING, EDUCATION, SHELTERS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, HOLIDAY ASSISTANCE, AND MORE. EMAIL EDITOR@DENVERVOICE.ORG WITH CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS. MEDICAL / MENTAL HEALTH / DENTAL SERVICES ALANON FAMILY GROUPS: al-anon.org; Find a meeting: al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/find-an-al-anon-meeting ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: aa.org; Colorado Service Centers; daccaa.org/central-office/other-central-offices DENVER HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER: 777 Bannock St.; denverhealth.org DETOX LOCAL: Features 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 888-479-0446; Organizations that take Medicaid: drugrehabus.org/rehabs/ treatment/medicaid/united-states/colorado/denver HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER: 112 E. 8th Ave.; 303-572-7800; HIV/Hep C/ Gonorrhea/ Chlamydia testing available. Services are restricted to active IV Drug Users. Offers clean syringes to active users, as well as safety training on proper disposal of dirty syringes; M-F 9am-12pm: harmreductionactioncenter.org INNER CITY HEALTH CENTER: 3800 York St.; Emergency walk-ins 303-296-1767; Dental 303-296-4873; M-F 8am-2pm LIVE ANOTHER DAY: 877-596-6866; Equal access to life-saving mental health and substance abuse resources; 24/7 helpline: 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, 800-359-9272; info@hepc-connection.org; viventhealth.org NATIONAL AIDS HOTLINE: 800-342-AIDS/800-344-7432 NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE: Text or call 988; 988lifeline.org NATIONAL RUNAWAY SAFELINE: 800-RUNAWAY/800-786-2929; 1800runaway.org RAPE ABUSE AND INCEST NATIONAL NETWORK: 800-656-HOPE; rainn.org SALUD CLINIC: 6255 Quebec Pkwy, Commerce City; 303-697-2583, 970-484-0999; saludclinic.org/commerce-city STOUT STREET CLINIC: 2130 Stout St.; 303-293-2220; Clinic Hours: 7am-4pm M/T/Th/F; 9am-6pm Wed; coloradocoalition.org/healthcare SUBSTANCE ABUSE REHAB GUIDE: Helpline 888-493-4670; detoxrehabs.net/states/colorado/ URBAN PEAKS REHAB: 490 Lafayette St., #104; 303-599-5131; Medication management and therapy center specializing in opiate addiction; M, T, Th – 9am-12pm, 1 pm-4pm, W – 9am-12pm, 1 pm-7pm; urbanpeaksrehab.com U.S. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE: 800-799-7233 (English and Spanish); 800-243-7889 (TDD); thehotline.org CAREER SERVICES BAYAUD ENTERPRISES CW-STEP: (Colorado Works - Subsidized training and employment program); 333 W. Bayaud Ave.; 303-830-6885; Mon-Fri: 8am-4:30pm; Provides re-entry to the workforce for individuals with TANF eligibility; info@bayaudenterprises.org COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTER: Level 4, Denver Central Library, 14th Ave. & Broadway; 720-865-1706; M & T - 10am-8pm; Wed., Th &F - 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 Dept of Human Services, 1200 Federal Blvd.; M-F 7:30am-4:30pm; Employment counseling, assisted job search, résumé prep, job/applicant matching, phone bank for calling employers, access to computers, copiers, fax, etc.; careercenteroffices.com/center/231/denver-westside-workforce-center WORKNOW: 720-389-0999; job recruitment, skills training, and job placement work-now.org LGBTQ+ SUPPORT THE TREVOR PROJECT: 866-488-7386: thetrevorproject.org LGBT NATIONAL YOUTH TALKLINE: 800-246-7743: lgbthotline.org/youth-talkline PRIDE INSTITUTE: 800-547-7433 TRUE COLORS UNITE: 212-461-4401 truecolorsunited.org VETERANS & SENIORS DENVER INNER CITY PARISH: 1212 Mariposa St.; 303-322-5733; VOA Dining Center for Seniors, aged 60 and older, Wed.-Sat. 9am-12pm; Food Bank, Wed.-Fri.; Tickets at 9am, food bank open 10am-12pm; dicp.org SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES: 846 E. 18th Ave.; For those aged 60 or older; TV room, bus tokens, mental/physical health outreach, 3 meals, M-F -7am-7pm; Sun. 11am-4pm; seniorsupportservices.org VA MEDICAL CENTER: 1700 N Wheeling St.: Aurora 303-399-8020: va.gov/findlocations/facility/vha_554A5 VETERANS GUIDE: Veterans Disability Calculator veteransguide.org/va-disability-calculator YOUTH SERVICES SOX PLACE: 2017 Larimer St.; 303-296-3412 Daytime drop-in shelter for youth 12-30; Meals, socks, clothing bank, personal hygiene supplies, internet access, intentional mentoring and guidance, crisis intervention, referrals to other services. T-F - 12-4pm & Sat. 11am-2pm. Instagram: @Soxplace THE SPOT AT URBAN PEAK: 2100 Stout St. 303-291-0442; Youth aged 15-20 in need of immediate overnight shelter services, 303-974-2928; Drop-in hours M-F 8-11am urbanpeak.org/denver/programs-and-services/drop-in-center SUNSHINE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH: 833-931-2484; Services for youth facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions; sunshinebehavioralhealth.com TGTHR (FKA ATTENTION HOMES) Shelter: 3080 Broadway, Boulder; 303-447-1207, 303-447-1207; For ages 12-24; Offers safe shelter, supportive programming, and other services; M-Sun, 12:30-5pm; tgthr.org June 2024 DENVER VOICE 15 URBAN PEAK: 730 21st St., Denver; 303-974-2900; Ages14-24; Serving Denver & Colo Springs; Overnight shelter, food, clothing, showers, case workers, job skill/straining, ID and birth certificate assistance, GED assistance, counseling and housing; urbanpeak.org DROP-IN & DAYTIME CENTERS CITYSQUARE DENVER: 2575 S. Broadway; 303-783-3777;; Helps with employment, IDs, birth certs, mail services and lockers; M-Th - 10am-2pm; citysquare.org HAVEN OF HOPE: 1101 W. 7th Ave.; 303-607-0855; M-F - 7am-1pm; Private showers & bathrooms, laundry, lunch, etc.; thoh.org THE GATHERING PLACE: 1535 High St.; 303-321-4198; 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, etc.; M, W, Th, F - 8:30am-5pm, T - 8:30am-1:30pm; tgpdenver.org HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER: 231 E. Colfax; 303-572-7800; Provides clean syringes, syringe disposal, harmreduction counseling, safe materials, Hep C/HIV education, and health education classes; M-F - 9am-12pm; harmreductionactioncenter.org HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH: 1900 California St.; Help with lost IDs and birth certificates; holyghostchurch.org HOPE PROGRAM: 1555 Race St.; 303-832-3354; For men and women with HIV; M-F 8am-4pm 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.; bathrooms, coffee/tea, snacks, resources, wifi; M-F 7a-5:30p; odmdenver.org ST. FRANCIS CENTER: 2323 Curtis St; 303-297-1576; 6am-6pm daily; Storage for one bag (when space is available); Satellite Clinic hours- M, T, Th. F - 7:30am-3:30pm; Wed. 12:30-4:30pm; sfcdenver.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: mealsforpoor.org CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: 1530 Logan St.; sandwiches & coffee M-F. 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, weekly; Lunch in the Park is on Wednesdays from 12-1 at Benedict Fountain Park (Tremont and 22nd); christinthecity.org CITYSQUARE DENVER: 2575 S. Broadway; 303-783-3777; Food pantry Tues. 10am-6pm; citysquare.org CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY SERVICES: 1820 Broadway (in front of Trinity United Methodist Church); Hot meals served M, T, Th., F - 11:45-12:15; mealsforpoor.org DENVER RESCUE MISSION: 1130 Park Avenue West; 303-294-0157; 3 meals 7 days/week, 5:30am, 12pm, 6pm; denverrescuemission.org HAVEN OF HOPE: 1101 W. 7th Ave.; 303-607-0855; M-F only: 7am-1pm. 8am breakfast, 11am lunch; havenofhope.org FEEDING DENVER’S HUNGRY: Food service on second and fourth Thursdays; feedingdenvershungry.org/events.html FOOD NOT BOMBS: Sun. 4 p.m.; 22nd St. Stout St (near Mercury Café); Instagram: @denverfoodnotbombs HARE KRISHNA TEMPLE: 1400 Cherry St., free vegetarian feast on Sun., 6:45-7:30pm; krishnadenver.com HIS LOVE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH: 910 Kalamath St.; 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, M-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.; 303-830-2201; Sat. morning breakfast: 8am, Sun. dinner (required church attendance at 4:30pm); meal served at 6pm; odmdenver.org/home ST. CLARE’S MINISTRY AT ST. PETER AND ST. MARY: 126 W. 2nd Ave.; 303-722-8781 Dinner at 4pm on Tues; Also offers a change of clothes, toiletries and sleeping bags when available; stpeterandmary.org ST. ELIZABETH’S: Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St. (Auraria Campus), 11am 7 days/week; 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; 720-530-6853;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; soallmayeat.org 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-denvermetrofoodnutrition-themission DON’T LOOK NOW! PUZZLES ARE ON PAGE 13
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