City Council - Jeanne Robb, Dist. 10
What YOU can do from Denver's Road Home
5 Ways to Help the Homeless—from Denver’s Road Home
August E-talk 2006
You may have read or heard that a proposed temporary shelter for the homeless at Capital Heights Presbyterian Church at 1100 Fillmore was withdrawn recently. Denver’s Road Home, the organization that grew out of the Mayor’s 10-year Plan to End Homelessness, has been siting temporary shelters (120 days) around the City to fill the gap in needed shelters beds. Recently the St. Francis Center in Five Points closed, leaving a need for these beds. Those in need of shelter are bused to the location around 9pm and picked up at 5:30am the next morning. Although many neighbors felt that the Capital Heights location was inappropriate, most wanted to help in some way. Here is what we learned:
1. Give your time. Giving of your time and talents lets those in need know that you care. Can you donate a few hours a week or month? For example serving food at a shelter, volunteer at a call center, sort clothing or donations, etc.
2. Give a cash donation. Money always allows agencies the flexibility of filling in the gaps where donations fall short. Whatever you can afford to give goes a long, long way to helping less fortunate men, women and children. However do not give to panhandlers. Doing so prolongs the problem instead of offering a solution.
3. Give to food pantries. It’s hard to be your best when looking for a job or do well in school if you haven’t eaten. Here are some suggested non-perishable items: canned foods, dried foods, soups, juices, pasta and sauce, crackers, cereal, and baby food.
4. Give clothing, school supplies and accessories. Do you have new or gently used clothes, extra supplies or travel size samples sitting in a drawer of closet? Consider donating your surplus!
5. Give furniture household items and storage. Without a place to live, where can someone store their personal belongings? Lockers or storage units of any kind are badly needed for people in transition. Could you or your organization donate lockers or sponsor the monthly rent at a storage unit for those in transition? Along with storage options for someone who has lost a place to live, setting up a new house from scratch requires many of these items: sheets, towels and washcloths; dishes and silverware; pots, pans and cooking utensils; cleaning supplies; furniture; lamps; and small kitchen appliances.
Call the United Way’s 211 information line for places to give your time, money or things to at: 211 or http://www.2-1-1.org/ Also check out Denver’s Road Home website at: http://www.denversroadhome.org/