JANUARY 2026 | Vol.31 Issue 1 HOLLY NORRIS DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE HOMELESS P.8 MATTER TAKES UP SPACE, AND GIVES IT TOO P.4 $2 SUGGESTED FROM YOUR VENDOR:
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From the Editor R Elisabeth Monaghan was born and raised in Denver, joining the VOICE as managing editor in 2019. She is passionate about social justice, and believes that writing and creative expression are some of our most powerful tools in combating homelessness and poverty. DENVERVOICE. CE. MANAGING EDITOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ART DIRECTOR ECENTLY, as I was mapping out the January issue, I asked Denver VOICE vendor Steve Anson what he thought our Ask a Vendor question should be for the month. While discussing the subject of New Year’s resolutions, we talked about approaching it differently and ultimately landed on the question, “Why Do Some of Us Struggle with New Year’s Resolutions?” As you will see in the vendor answers to this month’s question, Steve shared his thoughts on that topic. In the meantime, as I spoke with the other vendors who answered the Ask a Vendor question for this issue, I revised the question so that vendors could discuss why/if it was a challenge, as they shift from 2025 to the New Year. Their answers focus less on challenges and more on the opportunity for starting fresh in the New Year. For folks paying attention to the news, or who are affected by the reduction or complete cancellation of government programs that benefit seniors, children, or any individuals experiencing homelessness or financial instability, the idea of launching into 2026 may not offer the same optimism that often comes when the clock changes and the New Year begins. Regardless of how kind or good a person is, none of us has the power to singlehandedly change the minds of government officials who are hellbent on giving tax breaks to billionaires while insisting that minimum-wage workers try harder, pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and stop relying on the government for healthcare, education, or the ability to meet basic needs. And yet, what these vendor responses remind us is that even when the systems around us feel immovable, people are not. A new year does not magically erase hardship, but it can offer moments of reflection, connection, and resolve — small shifts that matter because they belong to us. Optimism, in this sense, is not denial; it is the choice to keep showing up, to keep telling our stories, and to keep imagining something better, even when the odds feel stacked against us. - Elisabeth Monaghan Managing Editor ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS CONTRIBUTORS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Elisabeth Monaghan Giles Clasen Andrew Fraieli Maddie Egerton Jennifer Forker Aaron Sullivan Robert Davis Giles Clasen Grace Wilson Lando Allen Steve Anson Belinda Bowie Giles Clasen Jerry Rosen Tyronzer Sanders Grace Wilson Isabella Colletti, Secretary Michael Burkley Eduardo Platon Edwin Rapp Donald Burnes Jennifer Forker Ande Sailer Linda Shapley Steve Baker EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT VENDOR PROGRAM ADVERTISING MAILING ADDRESS VENDOR OFFICE OFFICE HOURS editor@denvervoice.org program@denvervoice.org (720) 320-2155 editor@denvervoice.org PO Box 1931, Denver CO 80201 989 Santa Fe Drive, Denver CO 80204 Wednesdays, 10am-1pm Since 1996, the Denver VOICE has served individuals experiencing housing or financial instability by providing lowbarrier income opportunities. In the time since our inception, we have put more than 4,600 vendors to work, selling the paper throughout the Denver metro area. By focusing on poverty, housing, social justice, local arts and entertainment, and the human experience behind the headlines, we tell the stories that Denver media often overlooks. An award-winning publication, the Denver VOICE is a member of the International Network of Street Papers and the Colorado Press Association, and we adhere to the Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics. TO HELP, YOU CAN: GET THE WORD OUT: GET THE WORD O DVERTISE: DONATE @ OUT: OUT denvervrvoice.org denverv denvervoice.org rvoice. Contact ads@denvervoice.org Contact program@denvervoice.org pgg SUBSCRIBE @ UBSCRIBE @ THE COVER: A report from Metro Denver Homeless Initiative found that more than 94% of unhoused people in the Denver metro area did not choose to be homeless. People like Holly Norris make up that overwhelming majority. PHOTO BY GILES CLASEN DENVER VOICE 3 erVOICE erVOICE ABOUT US
MATTER Takes Up Space, Photos and Story by Grace Wilson and Gives it Too. 4 JANUARY 2026 Rick Griffi th, co-owner of MATTER, shows prints from 'Print Truth to Power' to Cindy and Steve, letterpress enthusiasts from Detroit, Michigan.
ICK GRIFFITH OPENS A DRAWER and gently traces over hundreds of wooden and lead slivers, each with a single raised letter. These are movable type, the heart of the nearly 1,000-year-old craft of letterpress. “You’ll notice,” he says in a warm, measured voice to an enthusiast visiting from Detroit, “I don’t have any font names on these drawers. In the beginning, I didn’t have the money or access to buy whole typefaces, so I created sets from remnants, because who would want those, right?” Covering the walls around the studio, Griffith’s radiant typographic designs show what the cast-off letters in his collection can become, given space. Thick and thin letters of various sizes, printed in a dazzling chorus of hues, state everything from “GOOD DESIGN SHOULD HAVE NO VICTIMS” to “NOT YOUR MAGICAL NEGRO.” One simply lists important letterpress measurements. Griffith himself is in a jumpsuit emblazoned with the NASA logo, a Guyanase flag, and a letterpressed reminder to VOTE TO PROTECT DEMOCRACY. A British-WestIndian born in London who immigrated to Washington D.C., Griffith found his way to design through the 1980s Black punk scene. For the past 26 years, he’s been channeling this energy through MATTER. MATTER is a design consultancy founded with print presses, a Black and woman-owned bookstore, a printshop, and a space for “designers, revolutionaries and other thinking persons,” as their website puts it. Print Truth to Power On Thursday nights, from 5-8 p.m., it becomes a workshop to “print truth to power.” Anyone who wants to learn a bit about letterpress and design as a tool for change and a way to question culture can attend — they just have to be ready to work collaboratively. Letterpress is a craft with many parts and large machines, but the basic concept is using raised surfaces that are covered in ink and pressed to paper to make prints. This was, for hundreds of years, the way almost everything was printed. Participants don’t all arrive at the same time, but each is welcomed, or welcomed back by Griffith. They weave their way through a room filled with four printing presses and lined in old wooden letterpress cabinets. Off to the side, a massive high-powered laser adds a touch of the modern, but most of this work is using old tech to say new things. Despite his status as an internationally-renowned master printer, Griffith models collaboration and enthusiasm for the people who show up to print truth to power. “Nobody is in charge all of the time,” Griffith reminds the group as they choose a statement and spacing for the plate of text they’re putting together, unique letter by letter. This doesn’t mean, however, that he won’t poke at an idea that seems half-thought-through. “If it won’t work, I’ll let you know,” he promises with a smile. Making Space between the Lines Making space, Griffith said, is at the heart of nurturing community. Instead of gathering and setting the type with passive onlookers, he encourages members to make decisions. “If you have enough tools, getting out of the way so other people can use them, that’s what community is all about,” he said. “In this place, I have a lot of material and tools, so I’m ensuring other people have access to what I have. In other places, I might be the person who gets access; it’s really a fractal kind of idea.” Aaron Middleton, a photographer and designer, wanders in to say hello and help as the plate is taking shape. He’s been coming to MATTER twice a week or more for the past seven years. Standing in the hallway between the front and back of the studio, Middleton reflects on what Griffith has shown him. David Grajeda Gonzalez, artist and MATTER employee, holds up a linocut he carved based on the hand of professor Rafael Fajardo, who first introduced him to MATTER. DENVER VOICE 5 “As a Black man, here’s another Black man doing a creative thing and figuring it out in Denver, and through helping out here, I’ve met so many other creative communities of people of color from around the world,” he said. Complementary Elements As the night flows on, Debra Johnson, Griffith’s “partnerin-everything,” stops by to see if Griffith has any S-hooks, or “shooks” as they call them, for the bookshop next to the studio. The duo is planning for the soft launch of their newest project, a used bookstore. Johnson is also a designer, and together, the pair makes decisions about all elements of MATTER as a small business as well as a design project. Asked what MATTER means to her, Johnson said their purpose, “is to help people realize their purpose and power and participate in community so that they don’t feel alone. There is a direct relationship between how people communicate and making a difference.” Johnson’s perspective mirrors that of Mary Katherine Keller, a community member who stopped by to help the used book store take shape. Keller said she could sum up MATTER as a combination of warmth and electricity. “MATTER is the best classroom you could ever imagine. isolation and numbing There’s such a drive towards ourselves, but at MATTER, you’re learning how to be in community with people. I’ve never been in that space and felt out of place,” Keller said. Proof of Community At the front of the studio, David Grajeda Gonzalez is organizing the efforts to get all the books for the used bookstore shelved. Grajeda Gonzalez works for the MATTER bookstore and is also an artist. One of his many mediums is carving images into blocks of linoleum that are then used in the letterpress machines, a technique called lino-cut. Sometimes, he’ll make one for the workshop to use, encouraging people to feel its carved surface and choose their own colors to print with, becoming part of the creative process. “There’s so much respect for everyone here as a human, and it really enforces my self-worth,” he said. Grajeda Gonzalez came to MATTER through one of his art professors at the University of Denver, Rafael Fajardo. Fajardo is one of Griffith’s close friends and a frequent facilitator of print truth to power. “MATTER is proof that I can find community,” Grajeda Gonzalez said, “and I’m playing an intentional role in sustaining it, and that’s a skill everyone can have.” A Broader Message Griffith and Johnson continually invest time, space, and shop inventory on the perspectives of people pushed to the margins of society by caste, gender, economics, and race. One week, the shop might host an author talk on “Desecrated Poppies,” a poetry collection written by Mx. Yaffa — a disabled, autistic, trans queer Muslim, and Indigenous Palestinian activist. Another week might bring a seminar on the attention economy as part of a multi-year series on philosophy and critical theory. MATTER’s events are wide-ranging but tied together, in Griffith and Johnson’s words, by love as an act of resistance. This year AIGA, the professional association for design, presented Griffith with the Medal of AIGA, the most distinguished honor in the profession of communication design, for his thirty-year legacy of using design as a tool to shape and question culture. Griffith said the medal was validating. While observing truth to power’ participants using his lesson the ‘print on typographic math to size their letters, he muses on the organization’s choice, “AIGA is a national organization and most of my work is on a small scale,” he said. “Rather than graphic design always being about massive brands, they gave this medal to someone working locally, communally. It validates that design works at many scales.” Letterpress has a long history. Movable type like that in MATTER’s studio has been rearranged in printing presses to write everything from runaway slave bulletins to justifications of eugenics. Griffith now tends to and preserves the letters that were once kept from him. Some have been nicked and scratched, and going forward, those marks will always be a part of the way that they print, but the magic is in recombination. The workshop tonight has finished their plate. Ready and inked, it spells out, backwards and in bright orange, YOUR RACIST STAPLER CAN’T PENETRATE OUR DREAMS.
RYAN WHITE ON ANDREA GIBSON DOCUMENTARY COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT Andrea Gibson in the documentary Come See me in the Good Light Story by By Ivana Brehas AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARIAN RYAN WHITE still remembers the words with which legendary poet Andrea Gibson greeted him on their first meeting. “We showed up in the driveway,” White recalls, “and Andrea came outside and gave me a hug and said, ‘I guess you’re gonna be with me when I die. Welcome to my home.” Thus began a creative and personal journey between the two artists that resulted in White’s new film, Come See Me in the Good Light, about Gibson’s final year of life after a diagnosis of terminal cancer. White is an experienced and accomplished filmmaker – his past work includes Pamela, A Love Story (2023) and Ask Dr Ruth (2019) – but he admits he was initially “a little afraid of Andrea” and the daunting undertaking of documenting someone who is dying. Yet Gibson, by instantly embracing and welcoming White, quickly put him at ease. “The magic of Andrea,” White reflects, “both as a person and as a poet, is how disarming they are. They have an innate way of making people feel at ease and comfortable, and they did that with me very quickly.” Come See Me in the Good Light began when White and his producing partner Jess Hargrave asked comedian Tig Notaro for an idea for a comedy film. “Honestly, we were pretty appalled when she pitched a cancer poetry film, which sounds like the opposite of funny on paper,” White laughs. “But Tig said, ‘Hear me out, you’re gonna want to hang up the phone, but this is one of the funniest people I’ve ever known in my life.’” Notaro sent through some clips of Gibson performing, and White was floored. “I’m not a big spoken word poetry person, so I had never even heard of Andrea,” he says. “But two weeks later, we were on a plane to Colorado. That’s how it all began.” Indeed, it’s hard to imagine how a “cancer poetry film” could be joyful. The film is deeply affecting, filled with heartbreaking, emotionally swelling moments at which it’s almost impossible not to cry. And yet, it’s also surprisingly funny. “It’s an emotionally heavy film in every emotion,” White agrees. “And that’s how Andrea lived their life.” Look up Gibson’s work, and you’ll find a treasure trove of poetry that is as incisive, witty, and emotionally vulnerable as the poet themself. Good Light features footage of Colorado’s Poet Laureate performing several of their works, such as ‘Boomerang Valentine’, in which the lonely author sardonically remarks: “My friend musters every bit of New Age jargon she can fit onto her tongue and says, What if you are the love of your life? I think, Oh my god, I hope that’s not true, because I am absolutely not my type.” The loves of Gibson’s life – from ex-girlfriends and friends to their partner Megan Falley – are crucial presences in the film. In an early scene, Gibson and Falley crack goofy, crude jokes about trying to use sex to get the cancer out of Gibson’s ovaries. “That scene was literally the first night of filming,” 6 White says. “That’s the day I met Andrea and Megan, and that’s how comfortable they were with us being in the room, from the very beginning.” These moments of levity recur throughout the film, demonstrating Gibson’s surprisingly life-affirming attitude to their own looming death. It’s as if the certainty of mortality invigorates Gibson into appreciating every moment they have left. Gibson’s influence rubbed off on White, who describes the experience of making Good Light as deeply transformative. “Before making this film, I was very uncomfortable with the concept of mortality, and terrified of delving into it,” he reflects. “Making this film, and meeting Andrea and Megan, fundamentally changed a lot about me. It’s hard to talk about without sounding cheesy, but there’s definitely a ‘before’ Ryan and an ‘after’ Ryan. All my loved ones around me say that they saw me change in making the film.” This impact is in no small part due to Gibson’s radical openness as a documentary subject. “Andrea was very different from most of my previous subjects,” White recalls, “in that they really showed no concern about what the finished film was going to be or how I was going to use footage. That almost never happens. Everything we wanted to film was always a ‘yes’ from Andrea… It was a really beautiful cracked-openness that I had never seen from a documentary subject before.” The process of making a film about someone with a terminal illness is inherently unpredictable. White and his team had no way of knowing how much time they had left to spend with Gibson, or how their film was going to end. On the crew’s second visit, Gibson received a bad result from their doctor. “The way that they internalised or JANUARY 2026 digested that was like, they were gonna die very soon,” White says. “It was like, ‘Are we even gonna be able to make the movie about this, or is Andrea’s life gonna end at any moment?’ But the only way I can describe it is, we didn’t care. We were so addicted to getting to go there and be around them that we were willing to put everything else aside– all our films, our personal lives – and go there every few weeks. We felt so alive when we were around them in that house in Colorado. We just wanted to be around it and document it, even if it became nothing.” Thankfully, it didn’t become nothing. Come See Me in the Good Light is an incredibly touching document of the final months of a brilliant artist’s life, and one that White hopes will leave audiences feeling just as transformed as he was. “We got to receive this gift by being around Andrea and Megan for their final year together, and my big hope is that we managed to bottle up that gift and share it with the audience. I think it can really shift people’s perception not only of mortality, but of the act of living, and how much you can fit into your time on this earth.” Despite the specificity of its subject matter – a queer spoken-word poet navigating ovarian cancer and making art in Colorado – Good Light feels universally resonant. With this film, White and Gibson remind us that grief and loss are inevitable, but so are love, laughter, and the relentless beauty of life. In screenings that White has attended so far, the film’s impact is already evident. “I’ve had people tell me after screenings that they had to run outside and call their partner, or child, or parent, and tell them they loved them.” Courtesy of The Big Issue Australia / INSP.ngo
Vendor Profile BELINDA BOWIE M y name is Belinda Bowie, and I’ve been a vendor for the VOICE off and on since 2008. It’s been a true Godsend. The VOICE is my go-to. I started using crack when I was 16. It took me away from my trauma and hid my pain, but it became a trap. I’ve been fi ghting substances ever since. In 2023, my heart exploded. They had to rebuild it like a jigsaw puzzle and told me I’m not supposed to be alive. Only when your chest is cracked open, heart rebuilt, do you experience pain. And to cope, the doctors prescribed serious pain medications. Those pills, those opiates, brought back a taste for drugs. I fought for a year, but the temptation was ultimately too much. I found strength living with my daughters. DENVER VOICE I thought I was strong enough to live alone again, but I turned back to drugs. And the shame hit. There is no explaining how much shame I feel when I use. I feel like I can’t go back to the people who love me. I feel like I let them down, and there is no way back. So instead, I moved back to the streets. Recently, I was sleeping on Colfax, with two pieces of cardboard and a trash bag for a blanket. Everything was a threat. That was rock bottom. I took myself to detox. They saw I was trying. They moved me to sober living and gave me another chance. This is where my go-to, the Denver VOICE, came through the strongest I’ve ever felt. They helped me with gifts, home visits, and kind, encouraging words. Life has taken so much from me, but I refuse to give up. I’m hopeful, sober, and ready. The VOICE is the best part of my recovery plan. 7
OLLY SUE NORRIS COUNTS BLANKETS the way other people count hours of sleep. As winter settles in, staying alive loitering. According to Norris, city ordinances, like laws against outside often comes down to layers and luck. “More blankets,” Norris said when asked how she prepares for cold nights. Norris has lived unsheltered for more than a decade. Her story cuts through one of the most common myths about homelessness: that people living on the streets choose to be there. As cities debate enforcement, shelter capacity, and public safety, Norris’ experience reflects what data shows: homelessness is rarely a choice, and survival often comes at the cost of stability, safety, and dignity. Data from Metro Denver Homeless Initiative’s recent “State of Homelessness” report also challenges common misconceptions. More than 94% of people experiencing homelessness in the Denver metro area reported they did not choose to be homeless. People like Norris make up that overwhelming majority. Norris, who thinks she is 73 but acknowledged she could be a little older or younger because time is hard to track when living on a sidewalk, said her life outside has been shaped less by personal choice than by a combination of family breakdown, city ordinances, and constant displacement. Holly Norris came to Denver by bus. She didn’t know anyone in the Mile High City. She didn’t have any leads on housing or resources. Norris said she was sent to Denver by the Grand Junction police, who offered her a ride to Denver or an arrest for 10 JANUARY 2026 “ THEY'RE TREATED POORLY. THEY'RE NOT TREATED THE SAME. THERE'S A VERY DIFFERENT STANDARD OF CARE FOR THE HOMELESS POPULATION.” trespassing, littering, and loitering, put every cop, security officer, or other authority figure against people like her. Police enforcement makes it nearly impossible to stay safe or hold onto possessions. When she arrived in Denver, Norris told herself she was done moving. She decided she would set up camp and stay put until someone offered her housing. She stayed in the alley between Santa Fe Drive and Kalamath Street near 10th Avenue for more than two weeks. The Denver VOICE contacted the city’s Department of Housing Stability, requesting a welfare check and potential housing assistance. Outreach teams with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless were also contacted. Neighbors called 911, and police checked on Norris; the city’s Support Team Assisted Response also was dispatched to check on her. “To come to a site like this and have a woman who’s 73 and not be able to get her into housing, it breaks my heart, and it just shows that the system is so broken,” said Makenna Stark, an outreach worker with STAR. Stark has lived through homelessness herself. She said the limitations of the broader system are evident in daily outreach work. She sees a safety net that fails to meet the needs of the unhoused community. “I see it with police, I see it with EMS, how people get taken to the hospital, and then they’re just shot back out,” Stark said. “They’re treated poorly. They’re not treated the same. There’s a very different standard of care for the homeless population.” The network of homeless service providers can be difficult for individuals to access when they lack resources
and transportation, Stark said. “It’s hard to navigate [the system] even when you’re at This winter, as the weather grew colder, Moms for Social your highest functioning self, so people who are struggling on the streets don’t have a chance, especially when there’s so few places for housing,” Stark said. Even if someone can seek help, there aren’t enough shelter beds or housing options to meet the need. “We really value that opportunity to help people navigate the system and get them where they need to go,” Stark said. Shana Delwiche, who is a STAR clinician, said the outreach teams try to help people access the resources available in Denver, while acknowledging the system is overwhelmed. “We have an opportunity to connect with people who are underserved and are being pressed by the system and lack access to the resources,” Delwiche said. “We don’t have enough resources for all of these people, and it’s really sad.” The November night that Stark and Delwiche checked on Norris was cold and snowy, so they offered to take her to a warming center. Norris declined because she couldn’t take her few possessions with her. She feared losing her bags of clothing, soda, blankets, and ground mats, which would leave her too vulnerable once she was back on the street. “The [biggest] threat is losing my stuff again because every person and their dog will jack it from me to pad their palace,” Norris said. “The more I try to hold on to it, the more they try to get it.” For people living outside, belongings are survival. Blankets, identification, medications, and documents can mean the difference between life and death, especially as temperatures drop. Makenna Stark and Shana Delwiche with Denver’s Support Team Assisted Response check on Holly Norris, 73, on a cold November night. Justice, a Denver-based Facebook group, donated some sleeping bags to help keep Norris warm. Asked why she has not been able to get off the streets during the past 10 years, Norris did not describe a lack of effort. She described barriers. She listed housing prices, minimal income from social security, a physical body that can’t work, and impossible wait times for housing vouchers. Norris doesn’t have a case manager, a phone, or an advocate, she said. She doesn’t know where to start to get resources. A little more than two weeks after Norris set up camp in the alleyway and the subsequent outreach efforts were underway, Norris and her belongings were gone. Her whereabouts were unknown at the time this issue was published. Norris had said she would not move anywhere but into housing. Her campsite did not show signs of a hurried displacement: the site was clean. It looked as if a human had never lived there. But Norris’ disappearance doesn’t guarantee safety or housing. For people living outside, unknown whereabouts signify they were moved along again. Norris’ story underscores what the data makes clear: the majority of people experiencing homelessness do not choose it. Many are navigating loss, displacement, and a system that moves them along without offering a place to land. For the past 10 years, Norris never had the choice to be housed. The only choice she could make was about how to survive another night outside. DENVER VOICE 11
REP. PETTERSEN HAILS SUPPORT ACT Warns federal healthcare cuts could cost lives Photos and Story by Giles Clasen THE BIPARTISAN REAUTHORIZATION of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act will fund critical addiction treatment programs, U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen of Colorado said, but she warned that broader federal health care cuts could cost lives and unravel decades of progress in treating substance use disorders. The SUPPORT Act, which Pettersen sponsored with Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., reauthorizes funding for a range of substance use disorder programs, including prescription drug monitoring, naloxone distribution, funding for Medication-Assisted Treatment, and treatment support for pregnant and post-partum women struggling with addiction. “It reauthorizes funding for critical programs that Colorado depends on and makes sure that we’re keeping people alive who are at risk of overdosing from opioids, and ultimately having the ability to connect them to treatment,” Pettersen said. According to Petterson, the passage of the bill by is bittersweet because she fears cuts the Trump administration to broader healthcare and Medicaid programs, weakening treatment options and funding for individuals facing addiction. “Without providing people a path to get the care that they need and to live in recovery, it not only costs taxpayers significantly more; we’re also going to lose countless lives unnecessarily,” Pettersen said. Pettersen said that the Trump administration has caused U.S. Rep Brittany Pettersen of Colorado and her mother link arms during a recent visit in Denver. significant damage by cutting federal programs that oversee and distribute federal dollars for addiction programs. She pointed to more than 1,100 layoffs at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, known as SAMHSA, which are hamstringing the delivery of substance use treatment. “What’s happening already is that it’s really difficult to disseminate the dollars that are available federally because of all the people that they fired with SAMHSA,” Pettersen said. “I’m grateful to have the dollars from the SUPPORT Act that have the potential to be utilized, but I’m very realistic with how difficult it is going to be for states to benefit from them when the layoffs make implementation very difficult.” Pettersen said Trump has used the fentanyl crisis to justify many of his foreign and domestic policies, including tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada, and military posturing against Venezuela. He has also repeatedly blamed immigrants for smuggling the drug and used the claim to justify his deportation policies. “[Trump] used the fentanyl crisis to target the immigrant community and people of color, and I don’t think he ever actually 12 JANUARY 2026
cared about the people that were losing their lives to addiction in the United States,” Pettersen said. In December, Trump signed an Executive Order designating Fentanyl a Weapon of Mass Destruction. Democrats held up the SUPPORT Act’s reauthorization in the spring of 2025, despite near-unanimous support for the bill when it passed in 2018. “I am confused [that] we are working on the SUPPORT Act while [the] administration is working independently of Congress to undermine its aims,” Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette said in an interview with Politico last April, as the bill stalled in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Beyond staffing cuts, Pettersen said changes to federal Medicaid waiver policy could have life-threatening consequences for people seeking treatment. She cited new restrictions on the Section 1115 waiver, which Colorado and 39 other states have used to expand access to substance use disorder care through Medicaid. Section 1115 waivers allow states to expand Medicaid coverage beyond traditional limits when they can demonstrate cost savings over time, a tool Colorado has relied on to fund addiction treatment. In 2020, Pettersen helped usher in Colorado’s waiver that offers individuals on Medicaid access to substance use disorder treatment. Under the waiver, states were allowed to cover services not traditionally reimbursed by Medicaid if they could show long-term cost savings. Pettersen said new federal language now requires states to prove immediate cost neutrality, a standard she called impossible to meet. Pettersen said the change effectively eliminates the waiver as a tool to treat individuals. “What’s happening at the federal level to our entire health care system is just devastating,” she said. “It’s gut-wrenching to think about the lives that we are going to lose unnecessarily.” Pettersen’s advocacy on addiction policy is deeply personal. She has spoken publicly about her mother’s struggles with substance use disorder and the impact it had on her growing up. She struggled to find help and care for her mother because treatment options were financially out of reach. “People like my mom, who are unable to afford the care that they need, are going to be left with nowhere to go,” Pettersen said. “The state of Colorado and the federal government spent over $1 million in one year keeping her alive while she was in critical condition from overdosing instead of providing access to the medical care that she needed.” Pettersen said eliminating Medicaid waivers as a funding tool for treatment is short-sighted and deadly for those who can’t find care. “This is a health condition, and we need to treat it that way,” Pettersen said. “Without providing people a path to get the care that they need, and to live in recovery, we’re costing taxpayers significantly more over time. We’re also going to lose countless lives.” The SUPPORT Act does not replace Medicaid coverage or the 1115 waiver, Pettersen explained, but instead reauthorizes funding for programs that Medicaid cannot cover. Pettersen said much of the federal legislation reshaping health and social service programs will not take effect until after the midterm elections, giving Colorado limited time to prepare. “This is going to hit us across the United States and decimate the progress that we’ve made,” she said. Pettersen said stigma remains one of the biggest barriers to addiction treatment and said she feels a responsibility to continue advocating for people with substance use disorder. “Stigma around addiction is very real,” she said. “It’s the greatest barrier that people face in getting the care that they need. I will never stop fighting for people like my mom who have a medical condition and not a moral failing.” While she described the moment as difficult, Pettersen said she draws hope from local efforts in Colorado. “The hope that I have is in the people I see every day on the ground who are rolling up their sleeves to fill critical needs,” Pettersen said. “It’s going to be a rough road ahead, but in Colorado, we are resilient.” PUZZLES PUZZLES COURTESY OF STREET WISE A P R O N S M S H I M M Y H C L F W J G H P T A T G A R B H A F E O C A P E A N R S L I P Y C T Z O W E T N B O K D B S E O E T B L I G A C A R H A T T A V W S U L E D R E R A M O T T E E S H S Y J O B R D K L E W Q E S O O B M M L O F R E X G T D H T X E Y P S M O C K I B U S H J A C K E T Y A S I W O N T T K H T U R B A N N H C O I H A L T E R S A R I S E O T C O I M A N T L E M A B P W S L O L J E R S E Y S O C K L C M D S H R O U D P R U F F SEARCH Anorak Apron Bib Boots Bra Busby Bush jacket Cape Cloak Coat Cowl Dolman Fez Garb Halter Hat 8 5 3 9 4 7 3 8 6 2 DENVER VOICE 3 9 6 8 5 5 7 2 3 7 1 13 Hood Hose Jersey Layette Mantle Mask Mini Robe 9 Rompers Ruff Sari Sash Shawl Shimmy Shoe Shroud 2 4 Slip Smock Sock Spencer Stole Suit Tabard Tails Tam Tarboosh Togs Tunic Turban Tweeds Vest Woolly
WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING OR IMPORTANT PART ABOUT MOVING FROM 2025 TO 2026? This column is a place for Denver VOICE vendors to respond to questions from fellow vendors, our readers, and staff. This month’s question was suggested by Steve Anson. I do not know whether Trump ever suggested such a thing. It is a terrifying vision of the country, though, and for that reason, I decided to participate in this month’s Ask a Vendor feature. STEVE ANSON DENVER VOICE VENDOR Mark Twain once said that a lie will get halfway around the world before the truth has time to get its boots on. I use that quotation because I am an op-ed writer. I saw on reddit.com a few weeks ago that Donald Trump suggested that people are here to serve the corporate state. The “editorial” part of “op-ed” implies that it’s my job to suggest even civil actions to my readers. I do no such thing. Most of what I write relates my personal experiences to my readers in a hopefully cohesive, intelligent way. In this case, the editor of the VOICE asked what suggestions vendors had for folks struggling with transitioning from 2025 Year. to the New Though I grumble unhappily at giving advice, here goes. Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do Trump. for Donald Beyond that, notice when someone does a good job at whatever they are tasked with, simply be nice to that someone. Then, be nice to someone for no reason at all. Then, be nice because, it being winter, you don’t have to endure yet another Rockies game. Be nice. TYRONZER SANDERS DENVER VOICE VENDOR JERRY ROSEN DENVER VOICE VENDOR I don’t think it’s diffi cult to start a New Year. Ending a year means you have a chance to put the past year into perspective. If I set goals that I didn’t achieve, I can start the New Year on the right foot and try to change it so I can achieve my goals this time. I didn’t get to complete all of my goals I set out to achieve in 2025. The New Year means a new opportunity to complete those goals. Please be sure to write your vendor’s name in the comments! Starting a New Year is not diffi cult if you take the time to look at what happened over the past year and decide to take the opportunity to make changes to make things a little better than before. LANDO ALLEN DENVER VOICE VENDOR If you would like to help out a specifi c vendor by donating a few extra dollars, scan the QR code to make a payment through Venmo. Thank you! WINTER Wishlist Drop-offs are accepted Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., or by appointment. NEW ITEMS NEEDED: GENTLY-USED ITEMS NEEDED: • Bottled water • Non-perishable snacks (granola bars, peanut butter crackers, trail mix, etc.) • Toiletries (individual or travel-size) • Lip balm, sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothpaste, deoderant, hand sanitizer • Hand warmers • Baseball caps • Socks • 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 • Scarves • Gloves • Winter hats During the winter, Denver VOICE vendors experience increased heating and housing costs. Meanwhile, their income decreases because cold temperatures means less foot traffic and fewer paper sales. Every donation counts. Thank you. 14 JANUARY 2026
RESOURCE LIST MEDICAL / MENTAL HEALTH / DENTAL SERVICES ACS COMMUNITY LIFT: 5045 W. 1st Ave., Denver; https:// rentassistance.org DENVER HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER: 777 Bannock St.; https://www. denverhealth.org DETOX LOCAL: Features information including mental health and substance use resources specifically for the AAPI (American Asian and Pacific Islander) community; http://www.detoxlocal.com DRUG REHAB USA: Addiction hotline - 888-479-0446; Organizations that take Medicaid: http://www.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: http://www.harmreductionactioncenter.org INNER CITY HEALTH CENTER: 3800 York St.; Emergency walk-ins - 303296-1767; Dental – 303-296-4873; M-F - 8am-2pm 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@hepcconnection.org; https://www.viventhealth.org NATIONAL AIDS HOTLINE: 800-342-AIDS/800-344-7432 NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE: Text or call 988; https:// www.988lifeline.org NATIONAL RUNAWAY SAFELINE: 800-RUNAWAY/800-786-2929; https:// www.1800runaway.org RAPE ABUSE AND INCEST NATIONAL NETWORK: 800-656-HOPE; https:// www.rainn.org SALUD CLINIC: 6255 Quebec Pkwy, Commerce City; 303-697-2583, 970-484-0999; https://www.saludclinic.org/commerce-city STOUT STREET CLINIC: 2130 Stout St.; 303-293-2220; Clinic hours for new and established patients - M, T, Th, F - 7am-4pm, W - 9am6pm; https://www.coloradocoalition.org/healthcare SUBSTANCE ABUSE REHAB GUIDE: HELPLINE – 888-493-4670; https:// www.detoxrehabs.net/states/colorado/ U.S. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE: 800-799-7233 (English and Spanish); 800-243-7889 (TDD); https://www.thehotline.org EMERGENCY SHELTER INDIVIDUALS IN NEED OF SHELTER ARE ENCOURAGED TO GO TO “FRONT DOOR” SHELTER ACCESS POINTS: • For individual men – Denver Rescue Mission Lawrence Street Community Center, 2222 Lawrence St. • For individual women – Samaritan House, 2301 Lawrence St. • For youth ages 15-20 – Urban Peak, 1630 S. Acoma St. • Families in need of shelter should call the Connection Center at 303-295-3366. ADDITIONALLY, DENVER PARKS AND RECREATION WILL OPEN ALL CURRENTLY OPERATING RECREATION CENTERS AS DAYTIME WARMING CENTERS DURING REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS ON FRIDAY, NOV. 8 AND SATURDAY, NOV. 9, FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED A PLACE TO WARM UP. Denver Public Library locations are also available during regular business hours. Double-check library hours: denverlibrary.org/ locations. For more information about shelter access, visit denvergov.org/ findshelter or text INDOORS to 67283 for updates. DROP-IN DAYTIME CENTERS HAVEN OF HOPE: 1101 W. 7th Ave.; 303-607-0855; Mon.-Fri. 7am1pm. Private showers & bathrooms, laundry, lunch, etc; https:// www.thoh.org THE GATHERING PLACE: 1535 High St.; 303-321-4198; 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, etc; https://www.tgpdenver.org HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER: 231 East Colfax; Mon.-Fri. 9am12pm; 303-572-7800; Provides clean syringes, syringe disposal, harm-reduction counseling, safe materials, Hep C/HIV education, and health education classes; https://www. harmreductionactioncenter.org LAWRENCE STREET COMMUNITY CENTER: 2222 Lawrence St.; 303-2940157; day facility, laundry, showers, restrooms, access to services DENVER VOICE 15 FOR INDIVIDUALS IN DENVER EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR FINANCIAL INSTABILITY. DENVERVOICE.ORG/RESOURCE-LIST https://www.homelessassistance.us/li/lawrence-street-communitycenter OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES: 1567 Marion St.; Mon.-Fri. 7am-5:30pm. Drop-in center; bathrooms, coffee/tea, snacks, resources, WIFI https://www.odmdenver.org T. FRANCIS CENTER: 303-297-1576; 2323 Curtis St. 6am-6pm daily. Storage for one bag (when space is available). Satellite Clinic hoursMon., Tues., Thurs, Fri. 7:30am-3:30pm; Wed. 12:30-4:30pm https://www.sfcdenver.org SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES: 846 E. 18th Ave. For those 60+. TV room, bus tokens, mental/physical health outreach, and more. https:// www.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. https://www.soxplace.com THE SPOT AT URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES): 2100 Stout St. 303-2910442. Drop-in hours Mon.-Fri. 8-11am. YOUTH AGED 15-20 IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE OVERNIGHT SHELTER SERVICES: 303-974-2928 https://www.urbanpeak.org/denver/programs-andservices/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 https://www. urbanpeak.org FREE MEALS CAPITOL HEIGHTS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: 1100 Fillmore St., Sat. lunch at 11:30am; https://www.capitolheightspresbyterian.org CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY SERVICES: https://www.mealsforpoor.org CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: 1530 Logan St.; sandwiches & coffee Mon.-Fri. 8:30am; https://www. 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; https:// www.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); https://www.christinthecity.org CITYSQUARE DENVER: 2575 S. Broadway; 303-783-3777; Food pantry Tues. 10am-6pm; https://www.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; https://www.mealsforpoor.org DENVER RESCUE MISSION: 1130 Park Avenue West; 303-294-0157; 3 meals 7 days/week, 5:30am, 12pm, 6pm; https://www. denverrescuemission.org HAVEN OF HOPE: 1101 W. 7th Ave.; 303-607-0855; M-F. 7am-1pm. Not open weekends; Breakfast is at 8am, lunch is served at 11am; https://www.havenofhope.org HARE KRISHNA TEMPLE: 1400 Cherry St., free vegetarian feast on Sun., 6:45-7:30pm; https://www.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; https://www.hislovefellowship. org HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH: 1900 California St.; Sandwiches, M-Sat., 10-10:30am; https://www.holyghostchurch.org 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; https://www.odmdenver.org/home ST. ELIZABETH’S: Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St. on Auraria Campus, 7 days/week, 11:00am; Food, coffee; https://www.stelizabethdenver. org ST. FRANCIS CENTER: 2323 Curtis St., Wed. & Fri. 3-4:30pm (except third Wed. of each month); https://www.sfcdenver.org 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; https://www.soallmayeat.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.; https://www. voacolorado.org/gethelp-denvermetro-foodnutrition-themission LGBTQ+ SUPPORT THE TREVOR PROJECT: 866-488-7386: https://www.thetrevorproject. org LGBT NATIONAL YOUTH TALKLINE: 800-246-7743: https://www. lgbthotline.org/youth-talkline PRIDE INSTITUTE: 800-547-7433 TRUE COLORS UNITED: 212-461-4401, https://www.truecolorsunited. org VETERANS & SENIORS DENVER INNER CITY PARISH: 1212 Mariposa St.; 303-322-5733; VOA Dining Center for Seniors, aged 60 and older, W-Sat. 9am-12pm; Food Bank, W-F; 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; https://www. seniorsupportservices.org VA MEDICAL CENTER: 1700 N Wheeling St.; Aurora 303-399-8020: https://www.va.gov/findlocations/facility/vha_554A5 VETERANS GUIDE: https://www.veteransguide.org; Veterans Disability Calculator https://www.veteransguide.org/va-disabilitycalculator YOUTH SERVICES SOX PLACE (YOUTH SERVICES): 2017 Larimer St.; 303-296-3412Daytime 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 (YOUTH SERVICES): 2100 Stout St. 303-2910442; Youth aged 15-20 in need of immediate overnight shelter services, 303-974-2928; Drop-in hours Mon.-Fri. 8-11am https:// www.urbanpeak.org/denver/programs-and-services/drop-incenter SUNSHINE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (YOUTH SERVICES): 833-931-2484; Services for youth facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions; https://www. sunshinebehavioralhealth.com URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES): 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; https://www. urbanpeak.org A P R O N S M S H I M M Y H C L F W J G H P T A T G A R B H A F E O C A P E A N R S L I P Y C T Z O W E T N B O K D B S E O E T B L I G A C A R H A T T A V W S U L E D R E R A M O T T E E S H S Y J O B R D K L E W Q E S O O B M M L O F R E X G T D H T X E Y P S M O C K I B U S H J A C K E T Y A S I W O N T T K H T U R B A N N H C O I H A L T E R S A R I S E O T C O I M A N T L E M A B P W S L O L J E R S E Y S O C K L C M D S H R O U D P R U F F 8 5 4 9 7 2 3 1 6 7 6 3 1 8 5 9 4 2 9 1 2 3 4 6 8 5 7 4 9 5 7 1 3 2 6 8 6 7 8 5 2 9 4 3 1 2 3 1 4 6 8 5 7 9 1 8 6 2 5 4 7 9 3 3 4 7 8 9 1 6 2 5 5 2 9 6 3 7 1 8 4
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