EDITOR’S NOTE MEET OUR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BRITTNI JOY WEST-WARE. We are thrilled to introduce Brittni Joy West-Ware as the new executive director of the Denver VOICE. She will say hello in our September issue, but for now, we wanted to tell you a little about her and offer her a warm welcome! Having lived abroad for almost a decade Brittni brings a very diverse cultural mentality to her work. She understands that culture, experience, knowledge, and empathy are the pathways to creating a more cohesive community. Brittni has spent time in more than 45 countries and knows that the largest connector globally is empathetic engagement. She received a B.A. in child development from Spelman College and an M.A. in business administration from the University of Roehampton, London, U.K. ■ BRITTNI JOY WEST-WARE MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan PROGRAM DIRECTOR Connie Gaitan THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS 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.” YVENS ALEX SAINTIL is a multidisciplinary artist and veteran born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and raised in Queens, NY. With a deep commitment to storytelling, historical events, cultural heritage, and personal experiences, Saintil creates art that connects past injustices to present systems of oppression. His work sparks crucial conversations about race, equality, and justice. 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. GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Bragg VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Lanie Lee Cook Emma Hurt Aaron Sullivan ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Gigi Galen Jacob Richards Yvens Alex Saintil WRITERS Lando Allen Raelene Johnson Jason Martin Jacob Richards Jerry Rosen Yvens Alex Saintil Larmarques Smith Charles Spring BOARD OF DIRECTORS Robert Davis, President Chris Boulanger, Vice President Antonio Diaz, Treasurer Michael Burkley Jeff Cuneo Charity Von Guinness Cabal Yarne DENVERVOICE.ORG E.ORG @OCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brittni Joy West-Ware 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 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Orientation is held every day we are open, but prospective vendors must arrive by 10:00 a.m. 2 DENVER VOICE August 2024 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US
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