By Sarah Harvey, Managing Editor
In your hands you are holding all the information you need to become a community superhero.
I don’t know a lot about superheroes, so to help prepare for this issue I consulted some experts: my niece and nephews, ages six, eight, and nine. I asked them about the qualities a person needed to have to be considered a superhero. The general consensus was that superheroes have exceptional abilities and powers, and/or they save people.
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Joshua Bieber
I go to an outreach at Dry Bones. The volunteers there provide food and bus passes for youth at risk, and also help me purchase my bus passes for half price. It is a great program.
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I first met Paul Karolyi, founder of the podcast Changing Denver, on November 8, 2016—a memorable evening. Fortunately, Paul and I were able to find plenty to talk about to distract ourselves from national politics. Although I grew up in the Denver area and Paul is a relatively new arrival, we both love to discuss the minutiae of our changing city.
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By S.E. Fleenor | Photo by Sarah Harvey
Matt Davidson understands what it means to persevere. From homelessness to incarceration to owning a small business—Matt has been through it all. Even if things haven’t always been easy, he’s never given up. “I’m no one special. I’m just like anybody else: I’m trying to make it.”
By Danielle Krolewicz
The world’s newest street paper is changing lives in Colorado Springs.
January 1 marked the launch of the Colorado Springs Echo, a street paper spearheaded by Raven Canon. After a year of hard work, dedication, networking, and fundraising, Canon published the first installment of the Echo, printing 3,000 copies of the paper.
By Danielle Krolewicz
The Empowerment Plan began as a challenge in a college classroom. Now it is a nonprofit that manufactures coats for the homeless—and employs the formerly homeless to do so.
By Paul Karolyi
More than a million people are projected to move to the Denver metro area by 2040, according to the Denver Regional Council of Governments. For city officials, urban planners, and other stakeholders in Denver’s communities, the expected population boom presents a challenge: How can we uphold our values while managing growth?
The Hard Times Writing Workshop is a collaboration between Denver Public Library and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. The workshop is open to all members of the public—especially those experiencing homelessness. Each month, the Denver VOICE will publish a selection of the voices of Hard Times.
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Last month, the city of Denver held a candlelight vigil for 171 homeless or formerly homeless people. Seventy-nine of those people passed away on the streets of Denver in 2016. The short candlelight ceremony hosted by Colorado Coalition for the Homeless included a reading of the list of the decedents’ names. After each name is read, the memorial attendees chant, “We will remember.” It is the only memorial service many of these individuals will receive.
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By Benjamin Tomkins | Photo by Sarah Harvey
Cynthia Ellington woke up in a shelter the morning of this interview. She waited in line for an hour to take a shower. Then she had to wait in line for a towel, a washcloth, a curling iron, and makeup. “You have to wait in line for everything. They gave me two conditioners today, but I wasn’t going to wait in line again for another shampoo.” After the shower, she had a twenty-five-minute walk to the Denver VOICE office.
By Claire Martin
Todd Burton, who died June 20, 2016, was a familiar sight at the corner of California and 20th streets, seated on his bag and flying a sign that said “SMILE!” Sometimes he played a guitar.
Denver Public Library’s community resource specialists are trained social workers who can help people with everything from applying for food stamps to dealing with trauma.
By Matthew Van Deventer | Photos by Stanley Sigalov
Pueblo Shelter Passes Out Camping Gear
By Danielle Krolewicz
A nonprofit in Pueblo began collecting camping gear last September for people experiencing homelessness.
The “Ask a Vendor” column allows us to share the thoughts and wisdom of the diverse group of people who make up the Denver VOICE vendor pool. Do you have a question for VOICE vendors? See below for more information on how to submit it.
By Meg Stearns, VOICE vendor
Most—if not all—of us have made both good and bad decisions in our lives. When a homeless person makes a bad decision, it can mean life or death, especially for a homeless woman. Normally, I consider myself a strong woman with good judgment, but that hasn’t always been the case.
The Hard Times Writing Workshop is a collaboration between Denver Public Library and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. The workshop is open to all members of the public—especially those experiencing homelessness. Each month, the Denver VOICE will publish a selection of the voices of Hard Times.
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If you think the Denver VOICE looks different this month, you’re right. To make our holiday issue extra special this year, we’ve included a pullout wrapping paper section in the center of the paper. But don’t worry, you’ll still find our regular content nestled among the snowmen and flowers.
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