A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR ON THE UP AND UP NOW WE CAN CALL IT A COMEBACK! On September 20, 2024, my coworkers and I learned that the Denver VOICE did not have enough money to remain open. Through social media posts, emails, and phone calls, we informed our community of our predicament. Now, it is a little over a year later, ELISABETH MONAGHAN MANAGING EDITOR and we are still publishing a street paper, which means our vendors have continued to earn an income from vending the Denver VOICE without interruption. Both Robert Davis, our board president, and I have written about what our vendors, board members, and staff have done to get our finances and organization back on track. While we still have work to do to “right this ship,” I believe we have reason to celebrate our “comeback” as an organization. On September 12 and 13, the Denver VOICE hosted the 2025 International Network of Street Papers North America Summit. Initially, I was concerned that, given everything going on, hosting the Summit would not be wise, but Robert Davis and the rest of the planning team made sure the event was a success. That we could pull off a gathering of North American street papers was no small feat — especially given where our organization was a year ago— but it showed the resolve of everyone on the Denver VOICE team and members of the participating street papers. There is no way we would have managed the event without Robert. It was he who coordinated with fellow street papers within INSP to develop an agenda, identify speakers, and find welcoming and centrally-located venues to hold our meetings. He also assembled a team of exceptional journalists working for nonprofit media outlets for an insightful panel discussion on the state of nonprofit journalism. The past year has challenged everyone involved with the Denver VOICE; however, our vendors, board members, and those on our staff have poured their hearts into making sure the Denver VOICE continues to operate. We have been able to publish the paper monthly, and our vendor numbers have increased by 5%. Robert has done an outstanding job of recruiting new board members, and now, we can add hosting the INSP North America gathering to our list of accomplishments over the past year. We are grateful to all of those who have supported us emotionally or financially. Thank you to my colleagues, Giles Clasen, Maddie Egerton, Andrew Fraieli and Robert Davis. Thank you to Denver VOICE Cofounder Rick Barnes. And thank you, board members, Eduardo Platon, Bella Colletti, Jennifer Forker, Don Burnes, Ande Sailer, and Edwin Rapp. I am hopeful that not only will we navigate through this next chapter as a nonprofit, but we will thrive. DENVERVOICE.ORG E.ORG MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Giles Clasen ART DIRECTOR Andrew Fraieli ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Maddie Egerton VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Jennifer Forker Aaron Sullivan @OCE ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Brown Public Yvens Alex Saintil Juli Yanai WRITERS Rea Brown WHAT WE DO The Denver VOICE empowers homeless, impoverished, and transient individuals by creating job opportunities through our vendor program. We give our vendors a job and help them tell their stories; this creates a space for them to be part of a community again. Vendors purchase copies of the VOICE for 50 cents each at our distribution center. This money pays for a portion of our production costs. Vendors can buy as many papers as they want; they then sell those papers to the public for a suggested $2 donation. The difference in cost ($1.50) is theirs to keep. independent contractors who receive no base pay. WHO WE ARE The Denver VOICE is a nonprofit that publishes a monthly street newspaper. Our vendors are men and women in the Denver metro area experiencing homelessness and poverty. Since 2007, we have put more than 4,600 vendors to work. Our mission is to facilitate a dialogue addressing the roots of homelessness by telling stories of people whose lives are impacted by poverty and homelessness and to offer economic, educational, and empowerment opportunities for the impoverished community. We are an award-winning publication, a member of the International Network of Street Papers and the Colorado Press Association, and we abide by the Society of Pfsiol Jlits code of ethics. Michael Burkley Giles Clasen David Gordon Wesley Hubbs Sondra Jeffries Jamie Miller Jerry Rosen Juli Yanai BOARD OF DIRECTORS Robert Davis, President Isabella Colletti, Secretary Michael Burkley Eduardo Platon Edwin Rapp Donald Burnes Jennifer Forker Ande Sailer 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 EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT editor@denvervoice.org VENDOR PROGRAM program@denvervoice.org • (720) 320-2155 ADVERTISING ads@denvervoice.org MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 1931, Denver CO 80201 VENDOR OFFICE 989 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204 OFFICE HOURS: Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 2 DENVER VOICE October 2025 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US
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