$ 2 SUGGESTED DONATION @DenverVOICE “SOLIDARITY, NOT CHARITY” AS THE PANDEMIC BEGAN ROLLING THROUGH THROUGH DENVER, A GROUP OF FRIENDS FOUND A WAY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITY. PAGES 8-9 DENVER COURTS UNFAIR TO BLACK PEOPLE STUDY FINDS DENVER’S MUNICIPAL COURT SYSTEM POSES STRICTER SENTENCES ON BLACK PEOPLE COMPARED TO OTHERS WHO COMMIT THE SAME CRIME. PAGE 4 THE PROBLEM ISN’T POVERTY RYAN TAYLOR WITH NETWORK COFFEE HOUSE TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AS A STARTING POINT TO ACHIEVE SOCIAL JUSTICE. PAGE 6 THE HIDDEN IMPACT OF CORONAVIRUS SOME OF THE MOST MARGINALIZED PEOPLE IN THE UK ARE OFTEN LEFT OUT OF RESEARCH AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS. PAGE 12 VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY PAGES 4, 11, 12 EVENTS / PUZZLES PAGE 13 RESOURCES PAGE 15 SEPTEMBER 2020 | Vol.25 Issue 9 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: PAULA BARD
EDITOR’S NOTE OVER THE PAST MONTH, I’ve spoken to countless people, who seem to be at a breaking point. Thrown into a tumultuous election cycle and a season of countless hurricanes, wildfires, a global pandemic, and a massive loss of jobs and income, it’s no wonder a cloud of malaise seems to be hanging over so many of us. While our individual challenges ELISABETH MONAGHAN MANAGING EDITOR may be numerous, those who have a steady income and stable housing are in much better shape than people, whose best option is to live in a tent somewhere on the streets of Denver (even if they have to move the tent and any personal belongings, whenever the city conducts its sweeps). It won’t be long before we see a dramatic increase of families that have been evicted or are facing eviction, which means, it’s only a matter of time until we see more people standing on street corners with signs requesting “a little help,” longer lines waiting to get into the local shelters, and more encampments scattered around the city. With so many job losses and so much uncertainty, any one of us could find ourselves in financial distress and facing homelessness. This chaotic world is difficult for everyone, but for some, it is even worse. So, as we witness an influx of unhoused individuals, rather than click our tongues or turn our noses at those less fortunate, now is an opportunity to show our humanity, be humbler, kinder, and demonstrate more compassion. After all, isn’t that what we would want if we were the ones holding up the signs or looking for somewhere to sleep? ■ SEPTEMBER CONTRIBUTORS PAULA BARD is an award-winning fine art photographer, writer, and activist. She lives on a mountain top southwest of Denver. GILES CLASEN is a freelance photographer who regularly contributes his work to the VOICE for editorial projects, fundraisers, and events. He has also served on the VOICE’s Board of Directors. ROBERT DAVIS is a freelance reporter for the Denver VOICE. His work has also appeared in Colorado Public Works Journal, Fansided, Colorado Journal, and Medium.com. DENVERVOICE.ORG CE.ORG @OCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Seybold MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Bragg DOUG HRDLICKA is a Denver native who reports on the city’s changes. VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Kate Marshall Aaron Sullivan Laura Wing PHOTOGRAPHERS/ILLUSTRATORS Paula Bard Giles Clasen WRITERS Brian Augustine Paula Bard Giles Clasen Robert Davis Doug Hrdlicka Raelene Johnson Myra Nagy Jerry Rosen 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. Rachel Sulzbach Nathanial Trotter Rodney Woolfolk Howard Zaremba 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 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 1600 Downing St., Ste. 230, Denver, CO 80218 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. 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 September 2020 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US
VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY OUR Streets: DJ BY PAULA BARD A FOURTH-GENERATION COLORADAN, DJ, lived briefly at Resurrection Village, the tent city north of downtown. “Suddenly, I had the blind light of reality smack me upside the head. I walked out of CU in 1997 with a piece of paper, English Lit, $38,000 in debt, and I went, ‘Well, what do I do now?’ And, yes, I knew there wasn’t going to be a job waiting for me at the end. I wasn’t able to get employment; wasn’t able to get the student loan thing settled down.” “I still have that debt, can’t get a telephone, can’t get anything that’s got any sort of credit required. It’s been so long now, I have no idea what it would be like to go purchase something, get a telephone, an apartment, you know. These are all tied in. They look at that background check, do a credit report to rent you an apartment. “Spent a couple of years down at Denver Health as a prep cook. Staying in a hotel was affordable back then. Now, 90 percent of my income is spent on rent. Or I sleep outside, what’s the choice?” ■ CREDIT: PAULA BARD 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. HOW TO HELP The money we take in from vendors helps us cover a portion of our printing costs, but we depend largely on donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations to help us pay our rent and keep the lights on. DONATE Donations to the Denver VOICE are tax-deductable. Go to denvervoice.org to give a one-time or recurring donation. You can also mail a check to: Denver VOICE | P.O. Box 1931 | Denver, CO 80201 GET THE WORD OUT We rely on grassroots marketing to get the word out about what we do. Talk to people about our organization and share us with your network. Support us on @denverVOICE ADVERTISE Our readership is loyal, well-educated, and socially concerned. Readers view purchasing the paper as a way to immediately help a person who is poor or homeless while supporting long-term solutions to end poverty. If you are interested in placing an ad or sponsoring a section of the paper, please contact us about rates at ads@denvervoice.org. VOLUNTEER We need volunteers to help with everything from newspaper distribution to event planning and management. Contact program@denvervoice.org for volunteering information. SUBSCRIBE If you are unable to regularly purchase a newspaper from our vendors, please consider a subscription. We ask subscribers to support our program with a 12-month pledge to give $10 a month, or a one-time donation of $120. Subscriptions help us cover our costs AND provide an amazing opportunity to those who need it most. Go to denvervoice.org/subscriptions for more information. September 2020 DENVER VOICE 3
LOCAL NEWS ASK A VENDOR Q Did the shutdown/shelterin-place period affect your life in any way? A BRIAN AUGUSTINE The shutdown made me realize how much I enjoy my job. Going from 300 or 400 smiling faces a day to just mine was hard on my psyche. Shopping was not too hard, but missing my “King Soopers family,” hurt a lot. RAELENE JOHNSON I have to stay home because I have COPD. I haven’t been able to work much because I’m scared of getting the coronavirus. I’m grateful that I live on 25 acres of land. That has helped me not to be so lonely. I get to take my dogs on long walks. Life is getting better for me because my daughter, grandson, and son have moved to Colorado. I don’t feel so lonely anymore! (I’m a very social person.) JERRY ROSEN The shutdown did affect me in some ways. Public transportation wasn’t too efficient. The bus started quite late. [Because the April and May issues of the paper were not printed,] I sold older issues, and even though they were old issues, I did quite well. NATHANIAL TROTTER Not going to work was a big change; however, I worked on my art a lot. I bought more food that I would not have gotten otherwise. I bought a water purifier, as well. RODNEY WOOLFOLK Yes, I spent it at home. I picked up a little of this or that at stores. RACHEL SULZBACH My husband lost his job. Now we stay in motels. TEMPORARY SAFE OUTDOOR SPACE DELAYED, DDPHE ANNOUNCES BY ROBERT DAVIS HOMELESS PEOPLE IN DENVER will have to wait until at least September before the city’s temporary safe outdoor space will open, Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) announced. The Denver Coliseum is no longer being considered as a location following a contentious public comment session before Denver City Council, where neighborhood residents voiced concerns about encampments taking over their streets and parks, and about the overall health and safety of their potential homeless neighbors. During the meeting, Councilwoman Debora Ortega shared a statement from the Globeville Elyria-Swansea neighborhood against the use of the Coliseum as an outdoor space. “We oppose placing the outdoor tent city in our neighborhood because once again, the community was excluded from the decision-making process,” the statement said. The neighborhood is also grappling with noise pollution from the I-70 expansion project and is home to an EPA Brownfield. DDPHE says they hope to open at least three sites initially, with about 60 people allowed in each site. 9News reported that other locations being considered include Riverside Baptist Church, Landry’s Aquarium, and the Coors Field parking lot. Meanwhile, the city continues its practice of sweeping homeless camps. Two major camps—Lincoln Street and Morey Middle School—were dispersed on consecutive days. Despite protests and intervention from community members and some elected officials, several other camps were swept throughout August. In late July, Denver School Board member Tay Anderson was struck in the head by a police officer during one of the protests. He was later hospitalized for a concussion. ■ STUDY FINDS DENVER MUNICIPAL COURT OVERWHELMED WITH HOMELESS CASES, PUNISHES BLACK PEOPLE MORE SEVERELY BY ROBERT DAVIS A STUDY CONDUCTED by Denver’s Office of the Municipal Public Defender (OMPD) found the city’s municipal court system is overwhelmed with homeless cases and imposes stricter sentences on Black people compared to non-Black individuals who commit the same crime. Alice Norman, the city’s chief public defender, and attorney Nathaniel Baca, presented the findings to the Denver City Council during a Safety, Education & Homelessness Committee meeting. OMPD’s team oversaw more than 10,000 cases from 2018 WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ASK? We would like to engage more Denver VOICE vendors and readers. If you have a question or issue you would like vendors to discuss, please email community@denvervoice.org. 4 DENVER VOICE September 2020 to 2019, but was only able to dig deep into 65 percent of the cases because the remaining were still active. Their goal was to better understand the population living in Denver’s jails to determine how the city’s court system can better serve them. Three notable conclusions stood out in the report. First, a majority of cases the court hears involve people experiencing homelessness. Second, the court’s procedural requirements potentially deprive people of their Sixth Amendment rights.* Further, according to the report, Black people are overrepresented in the overall population of those arrested. Homeless people primarily enter Denver’s municipal court system in three ways: park violations, trespassing, or being drunk in public. In all, 38 percent of cases heard by the court involve people experiencing homelessness. “What these people are experiencing is essentially a revolving door, where they are let out and wind up coming back a few weeks or months later on another trespassing case. Meanwhile, their situation is slowly deteriorating,” Baca said Inside, the court’s operational procedures are misaligned with the needs of the people it serves and potentially strip individuals of their Sixth Amendment rights. The study found that 57 percent of arrestees either don’t or can’t pay Denver’s $25 fee to apply for public defender representation within the 21-day requirement and subsequently risk their right to a jury trial. Cases sent to a judge are dismissed more than 69 percent of the time, while only two percent go to trial. Compared to the statewide system, the city’s probation department doesn’t provide much support for those released on probation, either. Almost half of those released end up incarcerated, compared to the statewide rate of 35 percent. One factor driving Denver’s recidivism rate is that the city struggles to get people to appear for court dates. Sixty-eight percent of people miss their court date, and more than 1,200 of the sampled cases had active warrants for arrest. These factors contributed to OMPD’s conclusion that Black people are treated differently by Denver’s municipal court system, which results in higher incarceration rates than non-Black individuals convicted of the same crimes. During the meeting, councilmembers audibly gasped when OMPD presented the fact that Black people make up nearly 30 percent of the municipal jail population and 28 percent of the state’s homeless population while accounting for just under 10 percent of the state’s population. Black people who face charges of interference or resisting arrest are sentenced to jail in 75 percent of cases. Non-Black individuals receive jail sentences 43 percent of the time. Norman recommended several solutions, including reconsidering what role police play, how they should be funded, and finding ways to keep homeless people out of the court system. “How are the police supposed to be enforcers, mediators, therapists, social workers, case managers, and mental health experts, all in one?” she asked. Norman also mentioned how OMPD could be used to stop the revolving door for Denver’s homeless and connect them with services such as mental health counseling, empowerment, or to the Department of Human Services. Both solutions could reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for homeless people in the court system. According to the American Bar Association, homeless individuals can receive credit for time served by participating in program activities such as AA/NA meetings, training programs, or by seeking employment and counseling. “We want to be the front door to procedural justice,” Norman said. “The people who need these services are homeless, indigent, or mentally-challenged, and they are already in our office.” ■ *The Sixth Amendment guarantees the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a public trial without unnecessary delay, the right to a lawyer, the right to an impartial jury, and the right to know who the defendant’s accusers are, and the nature of the charges and evidence against the defendant.
LOCAL NEWS WHERE COLORADO’S CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES STAND ON HOUSING ISSUES BY ROBERT DAVIS IF THERE IS ONE THING 2020 HAS PROVEN, it’s that fair housing legislation is essential to public health. Currently, more than 30 people are vying to represent one of Colorado’s seven congressional districts after the general election on November 3. In the Senate race, former governor, John Hickenlooper, and his opponent, incumbent Cory Gardner, are currently joined by six other contenders, according to the Secretary of State’s office. Each candidate has an opportunity to influence housing policy, an issue that the Denver VOICE cares about deeply. To help our readers understand where each candidate stands on this issue, we asked them each three questions: • What will you do during your time in office to support unhoused people in Colorado? • Do you support rental/mortgage assistance programs and other programs that help homeless people find temporary indoor shelter during the pandemic? Why or why not? • Why should individuals experiencing homelessness in Denver vote for you? These are their responses: SENATE JOHN HICKENLOOPER (D): “Our nation’s homelessness crisis is a tragedy — and at a time when the Senate should be working around the clock to pass rental assistance and extending the eviction moratorium, they took a two-week vacation. In the Senate, I’ll fight to expand affordable housing, drive down costs, and support Section 8.” HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IKE MCCORKLE (D; CD-4): “In Congress, I will address the affordable housing crisis by increasing funding for the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund and expanding Housing Choice initiatives. Amongst the many other fair housing policies that must be expanded, I support rental and mortgage assistance legislation and federal eviction moratoria because every Coloradan has the right to economic security — and that includes a safe roof over their heads. Colorado’s homeless are just one of the many groups neglected by establishment politicians. I am ready to serve those who need representation most.” JILLIAN FREELAND (D; CD-5): “We have to address the root causes of housing insecurity; low wages and inflated housing costs. A lack of access to mental healthcare and addiction treatment also leaves people vulnerable to losing their housing. Legislation must address these underlying issues immediately through increased federal minimum wage, caps on rental rates, and complete access to medical services. For folks who are currently unhoused, we must reduce our dependence on shelters; they only solve the problem of where to sleep for one night. I will explore solutions such as distributed subsidized housing, tiny homes, and residential therapeutic communities to ensure that everyone has access to services that help people achieve independence and live with dignity. The Trump administration failed to take adequate action to prevent the disease from spreading; as a result, millions DENVERVOICE.ORG/VENDOROFTHEYEAR The Vendor of the Year recipient will receive a cash award of $100. Additionally, the winning vendor will be honored by the Denver VOICE community at our virtual Pints Fighting Poverty event in November. VOTE FOR OUR VENDOR OF THE YEAR! Now that the Denver VOICE is back in print, and more importantly, that most of our vendors have returned, we will resume our vendor profiles in the October issue. For now, we would like your help in nominating the Denver VOICE Vendor of the Year. Cast your vote today! of people lost their jobs. We have a moral obligation to protect them from losing their homes. I support rental and mortgage assistance as well as eviction moratoriums. Every single person deserves to have real representation in their government. The sad fact is that the Trump administration has prioritized businesses, not people, and it has left a lot of people without the resources they need to live with dignity. I will fight to guarantee access to the healthcare, education, and support services that give people the tools we need to THRIVE, not simply survive.” JAIMIE LYNN KULIKOWSKI (D; CD-6): “Rather than tell you what I will do, I am going to tell you what I have done and am currently doing to support unhoused people in Colorado. While dancing at a studio in Five Points, I befriended a homeless man who played the drums there. He was where he was being unhoused. I was where I was being housed. We never made that our focal point of conversation. It wasn’t the main part of his identity. My point is that I understand being unhoused is deeply personal and only represents a fraction of who you are as a whole. I also understand your experience transitioning from unhoused to housed will come from your own fortitude, not from anyone else’s charity or political agenda. In addition to befriending homeless people, I also speak up to state leaders regarding their treatment of them. Here is part of a message I sent Mayor Michael Hancock on April 27, 2020, regarding his order to displace the unhoused: “The unhoused don’t have traditional homes, but wherever they are is where their home is. They need to stay at home just like you have ordered everyone else to do. Everyone knows that forced migration of large groups of people increases risk of illness. We are already in a dangerous pandemic, or so all senior leaders say. Forcing Denver’s unhoused to move will endanger their lives as well as the lives of the people living in the community they get moved to. Don’t do this.” CASPER STOCKHAM (CD-7): “For over 10 months, while running for Congress in Congressional District 7, I studied the homeless problem extensively. We fed and provided clothes to the homeless. We also conducted tours of many of the homeless locations in the Denver area. The directors of the shelters all said their number one problem in helping more homeless people was government intervention. One director told me he could help an additional 100 families that same day if the local and state governments were not stopping them. So the homeless problem could be brought back to manageable levels by doing the following three things: 1. Get the government out of the homeless business. 2. Use the current money spent on the homeless, over $50K per year, per chronic homeless person — and provide it to the current, established shelters with very few if any strings. 3. Force people to use the shelter system to get off the streets and get help or move to a different state.” ■ This story will be updated with additional campaign responses. September 2020 DENVER VOICE 5
LOCAL STORY CREDIT: GILES CLASEN CREDIT: GILES CLASEN THE PROBLEM ISN’T POVERTY An Interview With Ryan Taylor BY GILES CLASEN RYAN TAYLOR IS THE DIRECTOR of Network Coffee House and the pastor of Saint James Urban Church. Network Coffee House is a ministry serving unhoused individuals in Denver, providing resources and human connection for those living on the streets. Ryan has been involved in both ministries for more than 10 years. The following story includes excerpts from a conversation with Taylor edited for length and clarity. HUMBLE BEGINNINGS Growing up, there wasn’t a lot of chaos in my life, and I am very grateful for that. I grew up in a conservative environment—a very conservative home—but a very dedicated, churchgoing home. Berean Bible Church in Columbus, Indiana was the church I grew up in. It was quite conservative, and we were there any time the doors were unlocked. I don’t think I would be able to do what I’m doing now if I didn’t come from that stability. I had a very traditional Norman Rockwell type of upbringing. I would say my college years and early adult years were a part of exploring the permeable membrane of faith. It was about taking some chances with God. A lot of that started to come through encounters and relationships with people who were experiencing deep poverty and oppression. SOCIAL JUSTICE MUST BEGIN WITH RELATIONSHIPS In my early thirties, I started to realize we aren’t on a telling journey, we’re on a listening journey. Social When you fall in love, you want to advocate for your beloved. Love helps you feel compassion for those who are suffering. Love helps you connect to others and realize, “hey, this person isn’t getting a fair shot.” That is how you get to social justice, by loving. Today, social justice is like a brand. Social justice needs to be a part of the church but it must begin with an ethic of love. If it begins and ends with an ethic of love, then social justice is all about relationship. Relationship is what bonds and binds society together. If a person doesn’t have a shot at being in a relationship with the rest of us—whether it is because of trauma, mental illness, their economic disadvantages—then we’re weaker as a society because of it. It would be ideal to start To make room we need to communicate humanity to people who are easily overlooked and considered an eyesore in society. We had a volunteer who came down one Sunday to serve lunch at an encampment at Logan Street and 14th Avenue. She passes by this tent of a woman who is inside bathing. Karen, our volunteer, asked if she wanted a sandwich and offered to pray with her. In prayer, the bathing woman asked to be relieved of the mental illness and the blockages that keep her in a tent bathing, naked and vulnerable, in front of everybody. Karen’s willingness to look in, see humanity, and pause on a Sunday—that is what this is all about. That is relationship. I think that is what’s distinct about what I inherited here from the perspective of relationship fueled by love. Inevitably, that will lead you to some areas where you feel pretty incompetent. It will lead to a place where you’re using your voice, you’re marching on the streets, and you’re exploring legislation and policy stuff that is going to uplift the overlooked. THE PROBLEM ISN’T POVERTY I think unchecked wealth is a burden on the community. I also think unaccountable capitalism is a burden on our community. I don’t think you can call people a burden on the community no matter where they are living. Downtrodden people can be a prophetic voice to all of us. justice is not the best starting place. Instead, I think starting with love and compassion is the key. Social justice should be born of that love. It can force us to interrogate our own selves and ego. We have to create and provide room for the “inconvenient” people of our society, on the “burdensome”, the “extra needy.” To make room, we have to slow down, check our egos, check our personal agendas, and be able to look somebody in the eye. at Network. We are a ministry and we serve unhoused people, but our central focus is relationships. During the pandemic, we have started providing hygiene products and emergency resources. Our end goal here is to look people in the eye and develop a relationship and not just hand out food or clothing or some other material resources. Our goal is to have a “life-on-life” encounter with people. RELATIONSHIPS HEAL So many of the folks we serve are in the position they are in due to an inability to bond or attach to others, or even attach to reality. This is usually due to childhood trauma, military trauma, or simply the trauma of being on the streets. These traumas create a psychological detachment. The relationship is the balm. The relationship is the invitation to detached people Relationships help people see themselves as a beloved person who is worthy of love and attention. to see themselves again as valued. 6 DENVER VOICE September 2020
LOCAL STORY We’re all walking around here so damn lonely. That’s the real pandemic: loneliness. Relationship is the basic building block for rehabilitation or any sort of progressive trajectory. To say, “Hey, I see you for who you are. You’re loved.” Sometimes that is expressed by giving someone a bottle of water. Or even saying, “Let’s find you a safe place to inject, rather than in a dark alley.” This harm-reduction idea goes right along with seeing humans for who they are: loved. Relationship is so important because we live in a world of commodification and objectification. We need to value humanity and creation. We can’t see people as objects. We need to recognize the Imago Dei, the image of good. It’s been said that the longest space to travel is from the head to the heart. When I think of people that are unhoused, can I name names of people that I’m in relationship with? That’s how it goes from theory to action. It’s a terrible thing to be given a heart, because a heart breaks. When your heart starts to break over a relationship, then it moves from theory to something very tactile. FROM HOUSING FIRST TO RELATIONSHIP FIRST I think we need to move from the Housing First model to a Relationship First model. People think, “Well, you don’t have a home, let’s get you a house. Let’s get you resources and a paycheck and a home, and then eventually you’ll find a job, and then you’ll become a productive member of society.” What the hell does that mean—a productive member of society? If loneliness is the pandemic, if detachment is an issue, then relationship is what people need. We need a Relationship First model that will work in tandem with a Housing First model. We need to not just start with those who can sustain housing, we need to start with those who can never sustain housing apart from someone holding their hand throughout the process. A good example of this type of model is something like AA, where everyone supports one another and leans on one another. The physical stuff—like a house or a job—is important, but it’s only part of the solution. We need to move from objectifying to humanizing. We get tricked into thinking there are levels of superiority and inferiority. The beauty of AA is, “Man, we’ve all hit bottom. We might do it again, and actually, it’s pretty likely.” There’s just this humanizing environment in AA that we could use a lot more of in our society. DENVER VALUES THE RICH, NOT THOSE IN NEED We have segmented our community by those who have options and those who don’t. Some of the encampments, they grow to 100 people and they take on a life of their own because there are no other options. And yet, when you drive around town. you’ll see there’s a ton of options for the wealthy developer and entrepreneur. You’ve got people flocking here to put in high-end housing, luxury condominiums. And then at the same time, there are people being kicked off of certain properties and public spaces because they’re a “nuisance.” Our priorities are whacked. The change has got to start from the top. I have been part of conversations where we’ve tried to develop these safe outdoor spaces, and it gets to a certain point in the food chain, but then it goes no further. Why is that, when there are luxury townhomes being installed all throughout the city? It isn’t a priority for our leaders. It gets me boiling a little bit because it’s entirely incongruent. Our leaders are communicating a very clear and strong message of who belongs and who doesn’t. At the end of the day, we’re going to be a weaker society if we keep giving a voice to one demographic—one income bracket—and not the others. So, yeah, that will fire me up. ■ CREDIT: ALYSSA MAGALONG A BETTER USE FOR PLASTIC BAGS BY DOUG HRDLICKA ALYSSA MAGALONG, who was crowned Miss Colorado Earth 2020, makes mats out of plastic bags and distributes them to people experiencing homelessness. She processes the bags in such a way that allows them to be knit together as one would do with gloves or a hat. “If there was any silver lining during COVID, this project was one of them,” said Magalong. “I was stuck at home, and with my current title of Miss Colorado Earth 2020, I’d been trying to think of ways in which I could educate others and how I could do that at home.” The idea began as a way to educate people on how to reuse old items that would otherwise collect dust or be thrown out. As Magalong explored new ways to educate others, she would eventually stumble upon the tutorials on how to turn plastic bags into a synthetic yarn dubbed “plarn,” which is the result if stringing together multiple bags. “I started by showing individuals how to repurpose old T-shirts. I started also with how to create personalized vases made out of bottles for Mother’s Day, and then I just continued to do more research,” said Magalong. Magalong found that plastic bags are largely produced for just one use, lasting 12 minutes, and after it has served its purpose, the likelihood of the bag being recycled is low. “The research that I found was that American’s use about 100 billion plastic bags a year. On average, American families take home 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year,” said Magalong. Finding that plastic bags have a short lifespan yet continue to be manufactured in the billions prompted Magalong to conduct additional research. In doing so, she found a community of people spanning the globe who practice knitting mats out of plastic. “The very first time that I heard mats like this existed, I was reading about a nonprofit in Australia, and from there I was curious, ‘Has this been done in Colorado?’” said Magalong. “I found out there were a couple of individuals who had done that years ago, and so I ended up finding contact information of an older woman who I had the pleasure of speaking with.” The woman offered guidance and foreshowed the community effort she would need. But Magalong wasn’t new to the world of charitable giving and environmental consciousness. Throughout her life, her family instilled those values, preparing her for the challenges to come. “This is definitely a big community effort because you have to collect the bags and find those donations, and then you have to process the bags,” said Magalong. Under the stewardship of her parents, Magalong was taught the importance of environment and community. They would take her to volunteer at church and during supper would impart the importance of conservation by making her eat all her vegetables. These lessons would shape her as an adult and compel her to help and change the community and environment. “I give a lot of credit to my parents; we’ve always been a very community-centric type of family,” said Magalong. “Even when I was very little, I was volunteering at my church,” she added. “I’ve just noticed that pattern about myself. I feel the most fulfilled when I’m reaching out to the community and I have that interaction with them.” With the help of volunteers, Magalong’s goal to educate about and practice repurposing household items gained enough traction for her to consider extending the project to other cities. “I definitely want to continue [focusing on] local, but again I have been bouncing ideas of how can I make this bigger. Even if that lasts for another few months, I think that’s what I’ll continue to do,” said Magalong. ■ September 2020 DENVER VOICE 7
LOCAL FEATURE “SOLIDARITY, NOT CHARITY” MUTUAL AID OF DENVER BY PAULA BARD “We see [the unhoused] as human beings who deserve respect and dignity, and we want to give them that.” — Alex JO JO DELIVERS GALLONS AND GALLONS, and more gallons of water to more than half a dozen water and hand-washing stations sprinkled throughout the homeless encampments north of downtown Denver. Several times a week he hauls water on his bicycle. A bright-eyed and fit young man in his early 30s, Jo Jo grew CREDIT: PAULA BARD up in Denver. As Jo Jo explained, “I remember going to Food Not Bombs when I was 16 to help out, and there was a dude that was serving. He really influenced me. You do this work because it is what you do. It just feels right.” From there, Jo Jo was led to a bicycle collective called Derailer. He also discovered the punk world, and he hopped a few freight trains along the way. Eventually, he spent a decade in the music scene, traveling and “playing shows.” “So, when I was introduced to Mutual Aid work, it just It feels meaningful; it’s easy work helping made sense. people,” Jo Jo said. “I’ve often seen charity work as something that you do for recognition; the opposite of that would be you do something for solidarity because it’s the right thing to do. Solidarity, not charity,” he added. CREDIT: PAULA BARD MUTUAL AID OF DENVER The seeds of Mutual Aid of Denver (MAD) were planted when a few friends got together last fall to look at what they could do to meet the needs of their community. As the pandemic rolled through Denver during the spring, and the homeless encampments swelled, the needs of the unhoused became paramount. During the pandemic, there was no sanitation for thousands living on the streets. And then, in the sizzling heat of summer — no water. Denver was simply not providing basic necessities for those vulnerable citizens losing jobs and housing, those forced out on the streets. MAD jumped in and helped set up port-a-potties. Then they hand-built and welded hand-washing and water stations throughout the encampments. Water is a literal lifesaver for the residents carving a precarious existence on the streets where temperatures regularly reach into the 100s. They are currently working on a very clever, inexpensive, hand-built, shower setup ($25, without the shower curtain). As Alex, a member of MAD, explained, “We believe that you need to directly talk to the people who you’re trying to give aid to. Ask them what they need or want, rather than assume for them. “None of the folks in MAD have been unhoused, but we go directly to the encampments and don’t like, force anyone to talk to us, you know? We just ask people how they are and if they could use anything. We ask them if there is anything CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD they need. Or, what would make their life, living in an encampment, safer or more comfortable? And then, we provide these things for them. “I think for a perspective on charity, it’s one of assuming that you know what’s best for the people you’re trying to give aid to, and not asking what they need or want. We don’t agree with that,” she added. MAD assistance comes with no strings attached. According to Alex, “We try not to project our ideals on to anyone. Of course, we hope folks recognize that it’s separate from the state and, therefore, more alternative types of, I guess community engagement, then what is socially normal. But we don’t project any religion on anyone or anything like that. Whereas, a lot of the charities do, and the shelters do too.” A WELL-WORN PATH Mutual aid organizations have historically distinguished themselves from charities. Other than churches, mutual aid networks were the most popular associations in the U.S. 8 DENVER VOICE September 2020
LOCAL FEATURE CREDIT: PAULA BARD throughout the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Hispanic miners in Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico participated in mutual aid networks. Generally, miners were characterized by solidarity and maintained a strong aversion to philanthropy. Hard-rock and silver miners created benefit societies to ensure that they did not rely on charity. The striking miners of that era were fierce and proud men who guarded their independence. With mutual mid societies, they provided assistance for themselves, preserved their dignity, and were able to fight for safe working conditions and livable wages. By providing medical care and stike benefits, they helped solidify the labor movement. Mutual aid societies provided women’s health care, and many exclusively Black organizations provided care for members, particularly in New Orleans. By the turn of the century, mutual aid provided hospitals, doctors, disability insurance, and sick leave for workers. There were explicitly Hispanic and Indigenous mutual aid networks. In Florida, Cuban and Spanish cigar workers were covered. AND NOW? Mutual aid assistance now comes in many forms, and more mutual aid societies have stepped up all over the country. Mutual aid is said to come alive, especially, when central authority begins to break down and becomes less able to sustain citizens. People tend to come together to form networks, share resources, and support each other — out of necessity. Occupy groups, in cities around the country, beginning in the fall of 2011, utilized mutual aid networks to provide themselves with what they needed: shelter, food, medical care, music, protection. Many of the participants carried these cooperative skills forward when the Occupy groups disbanded. The DC Mutual Aid network is an example of a multifaceted support network. It grew out of Black Lives Matter - DC. It has evolved to tackle gentrification issues, provide food sustenance, support for victims of domestic violence, and support for seniors, children, and the vulnerable in public housing and the unhoused. In keeping with the historic mutual aid focus, there is no centralized leadership. This movement grew out of the need to listen to the community and step up with support. They actively debate best practices. Their Facebook page describes their mission as, “Protecting each other, not policing each other.” Closer to home in Colorado, mutual aid networks have grown all over the state: Front Range Mutual Aid, Mutual Aid in Colorado Springs, Grand Junction Mutual Aid, and Western Slope Mutual Aid all see their role a bit differently but provide essential assistance to their local communities. ■ “We like to meet folks at their level, and yeah, see what they might need, right where they’re at.” — Alex CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD September 2020 DENVER VOICE 9
INTERNATIONAL STORY COURTESY OF THE BIG ISSUE AUSTRALIA / INSP.NGO COURTESY OF THE BIG ISSUE AUSTRALIA / INSP.NGO SLAVE TO THE ALGORITHM BY CHER TAN Shalini Kantayya’s new documentary Coded Bias is a deep dive into the algorithms that are increasingly shaping the way we live our lives. It makes clear the fact that, contrary to popular opinion, technology is not neutral. The reality is that its biases are working their way into every part of our daily lives — and often with negative consequences. IN MARCH 2016, Microsoft released a bot that made its debut across apps like Twitter. The technology company hoped the bot, named Tay, would gain “conversational understanding”— meaning that the more a human being chatted with it, the smarter it would get. But as a result of Tay’s programming (Microsoft did not implement key safeguards), it proved easy for people to feed it offensive content. Within 24 hours of its launch, Tay was shut down as its content morphed from “Humans are super cool!” to dozens of misogynistic, racist, and fascist tweets. While Tay remains a rudimentary example of how AI can backfire, a bigger question lies in whether technology is able to detect biases inherent within its own codes — particularly if they are created by a group of people who don’t reflect the diversity of the global population. As software algorithms become increasingly allencompassing, who will end up bearing the consequences of their discrimination? Enter Coded Bias, a new documentary by the award-winning Brooklyn-based filmmaker Shalini Kantayya, which highlights the insidious ways technology further entrenches the racial- and gender-based prejudices already present in society. “All of my work as a filmmaker explores how disruptive technologies make the world less or more fair… [But] I don’t think I was prepared to fall that far down the rabbit hole,” Kantayya says when asked about the impetus behind her documentary. “It really was this incredible discovery.” COURTESY OF THE BIG ISSUE AUSTRALIA / INSP.NGO Coded Bias takes viewers on this same path. It follows the journey of MIT computer scientist Joy Buolamwini from her shocking initial discovery of the flaws inherent in Amazon’s Rekognition software (where she had to put on a white mask for her African-American face to be detected) to her founding of the Algorithmic Justice League (AJL), an organization that works to highlight the social implications and harms of AI. This is juxtaposed with talking-head interviews with data rights experts such as Safiya Umoja Noble, Zeynep Tufekci, and Weapons of Math Destruction author Cathy O’Neil, all of whom are engaged in similar battles for a freer technological landscape. The documentary makes plain the fact that Big Tech has a hold on everyday life. Often marketed under the guise of “connection”, “community” and “convenience”, platforms such as Facebook and Google (to name but two) harvest individual data that is then sold to advertisers, government institutions, such as the FBI, and other corporations. “Algorithms can impact things like who gets hired, who gets healthcare, who gets into college, who gets a longer prison sentence,” Kantayya says. “They’re already making such important decisions about human destiny. Computers are not unbiased, and we’ve sort of put them in the position of being our gods.” Numerous case studies in Coded Bias underscore this. In what is referred to as “algorithmic determinism” — where an algorithm makes uniform decisions regardless of its variables — Daniel Santos, a schoolteacher in Houston, received a damning evaluation despite his consistent track record of excellence. Further afield, a facial-recognition trial deployed by police in Britain saw Black teenagers get mistaken for wanted felons. In China, a burgeoning social credit system threatens to take over every facet of a citizen’s life. Through what O’Neil terms “algorithmic obedience training”, facial recognition is required for even mundane activities like shopping and taking the train. The system delivers a “score”, and “rights” can be withdrawn depending on the score. The fact that there is barely any regulation around the inner workings of AI is cause for concern. “We don’t have basic understanding and literacy around these algorithms that we use every day and how they impact our lives,” Kantayya explains. “The truth is that we actually need the space to be regulated the way television is regulated.” Indeed, if structural inequalities such as racism are “becoming mechanized [and] robotized”, as apartheid historian Patric Tariq Mellet says in the documentary, what can individuals do to reverse this? Kantayya has her answer: “I think the only way is through laws. A small group of people can make a difference. I’ve seen that with my allies in the making of the film.” It’s undeniable: the rigorous campaigning that Buolamwini engages in throughout Coded Bias saw its fruits in June this year when the United States introduced legislation to ban federal use of facial recognition. AJL’s work has also resulted in Microsoft recently stating that it will not sell facial recognition software to police departments until laws regulate it and Amazon setting a one-year pause on the sale of facial recognition code. “This is a sea change that we never thought was possible when I started making the film,” Kantayya continues. “And it happened because of the women in my film. We owe them a debt of gratitude. “I hope this is what people glean when they watch the film: that a small group of people can make a big change.” ■ Courtesy of The Big Issue Australia / INSP.ngo 10 DENVER VOICE September 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. MYRA NAGY BED IN TOW HOWARD S. ZAREMBA PAJAMAS ON THE PORCH We roam around Wanting a place to belong Lots of strangers Crowds sing their song. Bag in tow Bed in bag Searching for food Someone provides a tag. Tags are lists Of places to go For food, for showers And faces you know Now you are one With the scattered community Everyone is helpful They rely on unity All share the same name Homeless but in search Looking for a home Somewhere to perch We watch each other’s stuff And share our food It’s a well-oiled community Regardless of the mood We are safe together In large numbers We are all different But do not encumber It is year seven of the pandemic, and a confluence of mutated viruses and unknowable diseases have spread across all national borders creating a global viral soup. The most desperate, suffer from isolation so great, that connection and physical touch are now too distant and suspect. The streets are filled with decaying carcasses of those broken by the endless promise of more plague. Suddenly, a door swings open, and in tattered pajamas and slippers, poor creature, a barely recognizable form, atrophied limbs, a sunless pallid demeanor and hanging wasted flesh, makes its way slowly, painfully to the edge of the, porch. No longer able to recall a pre-plague image of themselves, or grasp a thread of hopeful possibility, they stand and let out a defiant howl, a final remnant of a once “sacred humanity.” They exclaim, to any within earshot, “I was once a human being and I will not descend further into a shadow of digital light, cold touch, garbled chatter and lost communication.” Those last and lost, their proclamation complete, manage a few more steps into the unfamiliar and lifeless streets, before the viral ooze surrounds, penetrates and crushes them, and they crumple into a lifeless heap. And those still behind closed doors, peeking through heavy curtained windows, stare at each other and do not, cannot not come to aid, as they know what fate will hold. PRESENTED BY: September 2020 DENVER VOICE 11
INTERNATIONAL STORY THE HIDDEN IMPACT OF CORONAVIRUS ON TRAVELLER COMMUNITIES BY VANESSA HEASLIP AND JONATHAN PARKER It is now well known that the COVID-19 virus is affecting minority groups on a disproportionate level. It’s clear that this disease heightens existing inequalities. Some of the most marginalized people in the UK are Gypsy and Roma Travellers, yet they are often left out of research and outreach programs. Two experts in social welfare and health at Bournemouth University seek to redress the balance. WE KNOW WELL BY NOW that coronavirus does not affect everyone equally. In England and Wales, Black people are four times more likely to die from COVID-19 than white people, while people from a Bangladeshi background are twice as likely. Coronavirus has also had a disproportionate effect on people experiencing poverty. It’s clear that this disease heightens existing inequalities. Some of the most marginalized people in the UK are Gypsy and Roma Travellers, yet they are often left out of research and outreach programs. We do not currently know the rates of death and severe illness among these communities. And without better data about their experiences of COVID-19, the true impacts of the pandemic on Traveller communities could remain dangerously hidden. HEALTH INEQUALITIES Gypsy and Roma Travellers are not a homogeneous group, but rather consist of different communities with diverse needs. Even within the same community group, there can be many varied experiences of living through the pandemic depending upon personal, social, and environmental factors. That said, research indicates that the continuing COVID-19 pandemic will be extremely challenging for many individuals within the disparate communities. The last census in 2011 noted that 76 percent of Travellers in England and Wales lived in houses or apartments. This offers the least challenging experience, as people have access to basic amenities such as electricity, gas, sanitation and water supplies. Those living in caravans, however, are likely to experience more difficulties. A 2019 Houses of Commons briefing paper noted there were 22,662 Traveller caravans in England, of which 57 percent were on private sites, 29 percent were on local authority sites and 14 percent were on caravan sites. There are increased challenges for those living on these sites during the pandemic, including accessibility of gas bottles, sewerage, and obtaining fresh water. Those living on unauthorized sites experience the most significant problems, especially in accessing suitable sanitation, and waste disposal. Discriminatory policies towards these communities have meant that sites, whether they are provided by a local authority or privately run, are more likely to be located close to motorways, major roads, railways, refuse tips, sewage works and industrial estates, all of which are damaging to the health of people who live there. It is perhaps not surprising therefore, that Travellers have a worse health status than the wider community average, dying between seven to 20 years earlier than the rest of the population. A review across five regions in England and Wales noted that 66 percent of Gypsy and Roma Travellers had bad, very bad, or poor health. Poor air quality, proximity to industrial sites, asthma, and repeated chest infections in children and older people were noted in around half of all interviews undertaken for the review. Health access is incredibly difficult for people in these communities, which means that such problems are often not picked up until much later in the illness trajectory, leading to poorly managed chronic conditions. As COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory disease, this places them in a precarious position – many will meet the criteria for high or moderate risk. THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL DISTANCING As well as physical health impacts, we also know that there are mental health consequences that come from the COVID-19 pandemic. These too are likely to disproportionately affect Traveller communities. These communities often have a very strong family culture, and many live in large, extended family groups. This culture is an important protective mechanism against the harsh stigma and discrimination they face in wider society. A desire to roam and travel is also deeply embedded as a core part of the identity of Travellers. The distancing measures enacted in response to coronavirus reduce social contact within communities as well as people’s ability to be nomadic and roam. Both of these factors have implications for the longterm mental health and well-being of people within these communities in which mental ill-health is on the increase. RAELENE JOHNSON. CREDIT: CORTNEY TABERNA AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE, you have to take responsibility for yourself! You can’t keep blaming others for how you act now. Yes, we all have pain from the past, but do you choose to stay stuck in it and pass it on to others? People in pain can only pass it onto others. Even if they don’t mean to. They just do. Things like being homeless for years can break a person down, leave them believing they are no good, worthless, or whatever negative thoughts someone might have about homeless people without caring to find out why or what happened to cause it. If you feel the world is against you, then you send that feeling of worthlessness out to the universe. On the other hand, if your self-worth is positive you get that back. I’m grateful today that I have peace. True peace. Too bad I didn’t find it until my late 50s. I’m grateful today for a home and for having true friends that trust me. I trust them not to ever hurt me. That is the best peace I know. When they know your past but see you how you’ve truly changed, and they say to you they didn’t know you then, and that the person they see before them is someone they’re proud to call their friend! I’m grateful for the Denver VOICE who saw me, a lost person worth helping, by giving me an opportunity to vend the paper. It changed my life. If you are reading this, thank you for supporting the VOICE. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know all our vendors also thank you. Your support around the world has changed our lives. Peace with self is the best happiness there is! So, if you don’t have true happiness, then please find it before it’s too late. Do not share pain. Instead, live a life of happiness, and share that! ■ A YOUNG ROMA PULLS A TROLLEY AS HE LEAVES WALKING PAST CARAVANS AFTER THE EVICTION OF ROMA FAMILIES FROM THEIR ILLEGAL CAMP IN LILLE SEPTEMBER 11, 2013. FRENCH POLICE EVACUATED SOME 30 CARAVANS AND THEIR OCCUPANTS WHO RESIDED IN AN ILLEGAL CAMP OF AROUND 500 TRAVELLING PEOPLE AND ROMA IN NORTHERN FRANCE. REUTERS/PASCAL ROSSIGNOL 12 DENVER VOICE September 2020 A LACK OF DATA As well as widespread stigma, a major difficulty in truly understanding the impact of coronavirus on these communities is a lack of systematic data collection. While Gypsy and Roma Travellers were recognized as a distinct ethnic minority category in the last census, the NHS does not currently incorporate this category into their ethnicity data. As such, individuals are not identified in health services as originating from these communities. Nor are they included as a specific ethnicity in Public Health England’s reports on COVID-19 health disparities. Instead, they are merged into the category of “any other white background”. Unless this is addressed at a national level, the health impact of coronavirus on these marginalized communities will remain hidden. ■ GRATEFUL FOR PEACE BY RAELENE JOHNSON, VOICE VENDOR
EVENTS YOGA IN THE PARK Join The River for outdoor yoga classes all summer long! Please meet at the Great Lawn on the west side of park near 14th and Bannock, just south of the McNichols Civic Center Building. Please wear a mask at all times to respect the health and safety of everyone. Registration is required: weseektheriver.com/schedule. WHEN: Monday – Thursday through September, 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. COST: $10 and free on Tuesdays WHERE: Civic Center Park – Colfax & Broadway MORE INFO: facebook.com/TheRiverYoga SCULPTURE PARK FITNESS SERIES Denver Arts & Venues is partnering with local fitness studios and cultural arts organizations to bring you a full schedule of workouts from meditation and dance-inspired classes to heart-pumping cardio and boot camps. Face coverings are required for this event. WHEN: Tuesdays and Thursdays through September, various times. COST: $17 per class WHERE: Sculpture Park – enter on Champa St. between 13th St. and Speer Blvd. MORE INFO: artscomplex.com LOST SUMMER MUSIC SERIES Every weekend, the crew at Zeppelin Station will be creating a vibey eating/drinking experience by bringing your favorite local artists, DJs, and musicians to their enhanced outdoor patio. WHEN: Fridays and Saturdays until September 18, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. COST: Free entry WHERE: Zeppelin Station – 3501 Wazee St. MORE INFO: facebook.com/ZeppelinStation RINO FALL BAZAAR Denver BAZAAR returns to RiNo this Fall, bringing the best artists and crafters together for a shopping and sipping party at Zeppelin Station. Masks are required. WHEN: Sep 12, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Sep 13, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. COST: Free entry WHERE: Zeppelin Station – 3501 Wazee St. MORE INFO: facebook.com/DenverBazaar HANDMADE IN COLORADO EXPO The 12th annual Handmade in Colorado Expo is a juried event showcasing some of Colorado’s best fine art and contemporary craft. The event will feature a vast array of independent designers producing original handcrafted goods from a wide array of media including metal, paper, glass, fiber, clay, gems, and more. Live local music will round out this free event. WHEN: Sep 18 and 19, 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.; Sep 20, 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. COST: Free entry WHERE: Skyline Park – 1600 Arapahoe St. MORE INFO: handmadeincolorado.com September 2020 DENVER VOICE 13 ACROSS 1. Suffix in some city names 5. Inscribed pillar 10. Invitation request 14. On the briny 15. Eye color 16. On the safe side, to a sailor 17. Giving up one’s own needs on behalf of others 20. Betting option 21. Experts 22. The “turf” in surf and turf 23. A pint, maybe 24. Coming back up 31. Malicious 35. Atlanta-based airline 36. Comply with 37. Punjabi princess 38. “Gimme ___!” (start of an Iowa State cheer) 39. “___, far, wherever you are” 40. Loaded (with) 41. Accumulate 43. Big show 44. Weevil 47. Conned 48. To the left, on a ship 52. ___ Henry’s, Tualatinbased business that was sold to Valvoline in 2015 56. Parting word 59. Period that started with the 1929 stock market crash 61. Big laugh 62. Broadcasting 63. Decorative case 64. Aims 65. Jocks’ antitheses 66. Ink decorations DOWN 1. Egyptian goddess 2. Consumers 3. Kindled anew 4. Blooper 5. Living together, with “up” 6. Boor’s lack 7. “The Snowy Day” author ___ Jack Keats 8. Hawaiian garland 9. A Little Rascal 10. Derby 11. A ___ of the tongue 12. Blow off steam 13. Coatrack parts 18. Burn the surface of 19. Brainchild 23. Drawer, e.g. 25. Joined with stitches 26. Arm bones 27. Roadwork site sight 28. Surefooted goat 29. ___ tide 30. Greek sandwich 31. Blows it 32. Conceited 33. Data 34. In ___ of (replacing) 41. With reckless ___ 42. Buffy and Faith 45. “___ Darn Cat” 46. Long narrative poem 49. Beginning 50. Indian yogurt dip 51. Rainbow ___ 52. Shrek, e.g. 53. Monopoly token 54. Show the way 55. 2006 Pixar movie 56. Practice in the ring 57. Bone-dry 58. Spanish liqueur 60. Opposite WSW COURTESY OF DEAR DENVER DEARDENVER.NET PUZZLES Thanks to Deborah Lastowka, with Dear Denver.net, for coming up with some great ideas for entertainment people can enjoy while practicing social distancing. COURTESY OF STREETROOTS ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 15 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
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RESOURCES RESOURCE LIST FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN DENVER DENVERVOICE.ORG/RESOURCE-LIST DIAL 211 FOR A MORE COMPLETE LIST OF RESOURCES IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR FOOD, MEDICAL CARE, SENIOR SERVICES, YOUTH PROGRAMS, COUNSELING, EDUCATION, SHELTERS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, HOLIDAY ASSISTANCE, AND MORE. EMAIL EDITOR@DENVERVOICE.ORG WITH CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS. FREE MEALS AGAPE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 2501 California St., Sat., 11am CAPITOL HEIGHTS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 1100 Fillmore St., Sat. lunch at 11:30am capitolheightspresbyterian.org CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY SERVICES Go to mealsforpoor.org for meal locations CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 1530 Logan St.; sandwiches & coffee Mon.-Fri. 8:30am denvercathedral.org CHRIST’S BODY MINISTRIES 850 Lincoln; Mon. closed, Tues.-Thurs. 10am-3pm, Fri. 8am-11pm; groceries & hot meal on Sat. at 2pm (at 16th & York); Sun. church service at 6pm, dinner at 7pm. christsbody.org CHRIST IN THE CITY Home-cooked meal; Civic Center Park at Colfax & Lincoln at 1pm every Wed. & 2nd Sat. christinthecity.org CITYSQUARE DENVER 303-783-3777, 2575 S. Broadway; Food pantry Tues. 10am-6pm citysquare.org DENVER INNER CITY PARISH 303-322-5733, 1212 Mariposa St., VOA Dining Center for Seniors, free 60 yrs and older, Wed.-Sat. 9am-12pm. Food Bank, Wed.-Fri., tickets at 9am, food bank open 10am-12pm. dicp.org DENVER RESCUE MISSION 1130 Park Avenue West, 3 meals 7 days/week: 5:30am, 12pm, 6pm 303-294-0157 denverrescuemission.org FATHER WOODY’S HAVEN OF HOPE 1101 W. 7th Ave. 303-607-0855. Mon.-Fri. 7am-1pm. Not open weekends. Breakfast is at 8am, and lunch is served at 11am frwoodyshavenofhope.org FEEDING DENVER’S HUNGRY Food service on the second and fourth Thurs. of each month; locations found at feedingdenvershungry.org/events.html FOOD NOT BOMBS Wed. 4pm/Civic Center Park facebook.com/ThePeoplesPicnic HARE KRISHNA TEMPLE 1400 Cherry St., free vegetarian feast on Sun., 6:45-7:30pm krishnadenver.com HIS LOVE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH 910 Kalamath, community dinner on Thurs., 6-6:45pm, men’s breakfast 1st Sat. of the Month, 8-10am, women’s breakfast 2nd Sat., 9-11am. hislovefellowship.org HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH 1900 California St., sandwiches, Mon.-Sat., 10-10:30am holyghostchurch.org JORDAN AME CHURCH 29th and Milwaukee St., Tues. lunch 11:30am-1:00pm jordanamedenver.churchfoyer.com OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES 1567 Marion St., Sat. morning breakfast: 8am, Sun. dinner (required church attendance at 4:30pm) meal served at 6pm. 303-830-2201 odmdenver.org/home ST. ELIZABETH’S Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St. on Auraria campus, 7 days/week, 11:00am; food, coffee. stelizabethdenver.org ST. FRANCIS CENTER 2323 Curtis St., Wed. & Fri. 3-4:30pm (except third Wed. of each month). sfcdenver.org ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN 1600 Grant St., Street Reach meal Mon. 1-4:30pm. Grocery room open at 11:30am every Mon. saintpauldenver.com ST. PETER AND ST. MARY 126 W. Second Ave., dinner at 6 on Tues. 303-722-8781 stpeterandmary.org SAME CAFÉ 2023 E. Colfax Ave. Restaurant serving mostly organic food—not free, but pay what you can or work off your meal in the kitchen: Open Mon.-Sat., 11am to 2pm, Closed Sun. & holidays, 720-530-6853 soallmayeat.org SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES 846 E. 18th Ave. 3 meals, Mon.-Fri. 7am-7pm; Sun. 11am-4pm. 55+ seniorsupportservices.org/programs TRINITY UNITED METHODIST 1820 Broadway, meals served Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 11:45-12:15 trinityumc.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-denvermetro-foodnutrition-themission CAREER SERVICES COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTER Level 4, Denver Central Library, 14th Ave. & Broadway. 720-865-1706. Hours: Mon. & Tues. 10am-8pm; Wed., Thurs., Fri. 10am-6pm; Sat. 9am-5pm & Sun. 1-5pm; FREE services include computer/internet use, wifi, computer classes, job search/resume classes and one-on-one tech help appointments. denverlibrary.org/ctc THE WESTSIDE ONE-STOP CAREER CENTER Denver Department of Human Services, 1200 Federal Blvd., Mon.Fri., 7:30am-4:30pm; Services include: employment counseling, assisted job search, résumé preparation, job/applicant matching, phone bank for calling employers, access to computers, copiers, fax, etc. careercenteroffices.com/center/231/denver-westside-workforce-center MEDICAL & DENTAL SERVICES ACS COMMUNITY L.I.F.T. CareVan at Open Door Ministries, 1567 Marion St., Tues. 9am-12:30pm DENVER HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER 303-436-6000, 777 Bannock St. denverhealth.org HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER 303-572-7800; 231 East Colfax; Mon.-Fri., 9am-12pm. HIV/Hep C/ Gonorrhea/ Chlamydia testing available. Our services are restricted to active IV Drug Users. Offers clean syringes to active users, as well as safety training on how to properly dispose of dirty syringes. harmreductionactioncenter.org LIVER HEALTH CONNECTION 1325 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite B302. Resources and support for those affected by Hep C. Free Hep C testing offered. 800-522-4372, info@hepc-connection.org, liverhealthconnection.org INNER CITY HEALTH CENTER 303-296-1767, 3800 York St. Mon., Wed.-Fri. 8am-5pm; Tues. 9am-5pm; Sat. 8am-2pm. Emergency walk-ins. SALUD CLINIC 6075 Parkway Drive, Ste. 160, Commerce City; Dental 303-286-6755. Medical 303-286-8900. Medical Hours: Mon.-Wed. 8am-9pm, Thurs.-Fri. 8am-5pm; Sat. (Urgent Care only) 8am-5pm; Dental Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm; Pharmacy Hours: Mon.-Fri. 1-5pm; After Office Hours: 1-800-283-3221 saludclinic.org/commerce-city STOUT STREET CLINIC 303-293-2220, 2130 Stout St. Clinic hours for new and established patients: 7am-4pm Mon., Tues., Thurs., & Fri. The clinic is open Wed. 11am-7pm. coloradocoalition.org/healthcare VA MEDICAL CENTER 303-399-8020, 1055 Clermont St. va.gov/find-locations/facility/vha_554A5 WORKNOW 720-389-0999; job recruitment, skills training, and job placement work-now.org DROP-IN & DAYTIME CENTERS ATTENTION HOMES 303-447-1207; 3080 Broadway, Boulder; contactah@attentionhomes.org. Offers safe shelter, supportive programming, and other services to youth up to age 24 attentionhomes.org CITYSQUARE DENVER 303-783-3777; 2575 S. Broadway; Mon.-Thurs. 10am-2pm, Denver Works helps with employment, IDs, birth certs; mail services and lockers citysquare.org FATHER WOODY’S HAVEN OF HOPE 303-607-0855; 1101 W. 7th Ave.; Mon.-Fri. 7am-1pm. Six private showers & bathrooms, laundry, lunch & more thoh.org THE GATHERING PLACE 303-321-4198; 1535 High St.; Mon., Wed.-Fri. 8:30am-5pm, Tues. 8:30am-1:30pm. Daytime drop-in center for women, their children, and transgender individuals. Meals, computer lab, phones, food bank, clothing, art programs, GED tutoring, referrals to other services, and more. tgpdenver.org HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER 303-572-7800, 231 East Colfax; Mon.-Fri. 9am-12pm. Provides clean syringes, syringe disposal, harm-reduction counseling, safe materials, Hep C/HIV education, and health education classes. harmreductionactioncenter.org HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH 1900 California St., help with lost IDs and birth certificates holyghostchurch.org HOPE PROGRAM 303-832-3354, 1555 Race St.; Mon.-Fri. 8am-4pm. For men and women with HIV. LAWRENCE STREET COMMUNITY CENTER 2222 Lawrence St.; 303-294-0157; day facility, laundry, showers, restrooms, access to services homelessassistance.us/li/lawrence-street-community-center OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES 1567 Marion St.; Mon.-Fri. 7am-5:30pm. Drop-in center: bathrooms, coffee/tea, snacks, resources, WIFI odmdenver.org ST. FRANCIS CENTER 303-297-1576; 2323 Curtis St. 6am-6pm daily. Storage for one bag (when space is available). Satellite Clinic hours- Mon., Tues., Thurs, Fri. 7:30am-3:30pm; Wed. 12:30-4:30pm sfcdenver.org SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES 846 E. 18th Ave. For those 55 and older. TV room, bus tokens, mental/physical health outreach, and more. seniorsupportservices.org SOX PLACE (YOUTH SERVICES) 2017 Larimer St. Daytime drop-in shelter for youth 12-30 years old. Meals, socks, clothing bank, personal hygiene supplies, internet access, intentional mentoring and guidance, crisis intervention, referrals to other services. Tues.-Fri. 12-4pm & Sat. 11-2pm. soxplace.com THE SPOT AT URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES) 2100 Stout St. 303-291-0442. Drop-in hours Mon.-Fri. 8-11am. If you are a youth aged 15-20 in need of immediate overnight shelter services, please contact 303-974-2928 urbanpeak.org/denver/programs-and-services/drop-in-center URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES) Youth 14-24 in Denver and Colorado Springs. Overnight shelter, food, clothing, showers, case workers, job skills and training, ID and birth certificate assistance, GED assistance, counseling and housing. 730 21st St. 303-974-2900 urbanpeak.org September 2020 DENVER VOICE 15 DON’T LOOK NOW! PUZZLES ARE ON PAGE 13
NOVEMBER 19, 2020 THURSDAY, 6-7:30 P.M. The Denver VOICE’s second annual Pints Fighting Poverty Pub Crawl on November 19, 2020 is an incredible opportunity to show support for those in our community experiencing homelessness and/or poverty, gain insight into the realities, and make an impact by helping us raise the funds to continue to provide economic, education, and empowerment opportunities for those we have the privilege of serving! Happening during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, the evening kicks off VIRTUALLY this year with a special online guest speaker and a series of featured vendors - includes four virtual stops and a host of exclusive drink selections at some of Denver’s premier brewery and spirit locations! You can register as an individual, couple, or host a small group in your home with special group pricing packages. 100 percent of proceeds raised go toward our mission 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 during a time when need is at an all time high and the challenges of the pandemic mean your support is more important than ever before. TICKETS: DENVERVOICE.ORG/PINTSFIGHTINGPOVERTY fighting Pints poverty a fundraiser v i r t u a l 2 0 t 2 r 0 t o u r
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