CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Cindy Brown spent 12 years in the U.S. Army. Approaching late middle age, she found herself in a crisis.<\/p>\nSamaritan House homeless shelter, run by Catholic Charities of Denver, was there for her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just very grateful. Samaritan House saved my life. They did,\u201d she told CNA Aug. 25.<\/p>\n
\u201cI became homeless, I believe in 2015,\u201d Brown recounted. \u201cI lost my job, couldn\u2019t pay for my apartment, that story. I was referred to Samaritan House. They had a veteran\u2019s program there also.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s where I ended up, instead of being on the streets. I\u2019m very blessed that that happened,\u201d she said. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what I was going to do.\u00a0 I was like, \u2018where do I go? I can\u2019t live on the streets. I\u2019m tough, but I\u2019m not that tough\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over 1,700 women in the Denver metro region were homeless on any given night in January 2017, according to a report from the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative. They made up 33.7 percent of the region\u2019s homeless population. Women aged 55 and over are among the fastest growing demographic among the homeless.<\/p>\n
While homeless women number less than homeless men, they face more risk of trauma and abuse. They tend to require more medical attention, especially those who are pregnant.<\/p>\n
Overall, women find it more difficult to escape homelessness.<\/p>\n
The new Samaritan House Women\u2019s Shelter aims to help them succeed. The shelter, located northeast of downtown Denver, offers emergency space to 100 single women and a 29-day transitional program to 50 more. It is the largest women\u2019s shelter in Denver.<\/p>\n
Combined with current shelter space, Catholic Charities will be able to provide 250 single women with emergency overnight shelter.<\/p>\n
Denver\u2019s Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila told CNA that opening a new women\u2019s shelter is a way for the Church \u201cto serve those women who are in such great need of assistance and help.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were commanded by Jesus to do that: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, to welcome the stranger,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a way that we are able to show their dignity as human beings and particularly as women.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new shelter\u2019s transitional program will provide women access to recovery resources, mental health services, and employment information through its computer lab. Participants can also apply for government benefits and if necessary seek help from other Catholic Charities programs.<\/p>\n
Women who complete the transitional program can move to a 120-day program at the Samaritan House downtown location. This program aims to help residents develop life skills and find opportunities for employment and housing.<\/p>\n
Larry Smith, CEO of Catholic Charities of Denver, said gentrification of Denver neighborhoods has made housing unaffordable for many people.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the increase in the value of those properties, and the increase in the price of rent, those people are being forced out of their homes, and for the first time experiencing homelessness,\u201d Smith told CNA.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a result, you end up with an increasing population of former Denver residents who now don\u2019t know where to go because they can\u2019t afford housing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Catholic Charities\u2019 administrative offices will be located in the same building, which has 32,000 square feet of space. The women\u2019s shelter is a $5.1 million project, including $1 million secured by the City of Denver.<\/p>\n
Mayor of Denver Michael Hancock joined Archbishop Aquila and Smith at an Aug. 24 grand opening of the shelter. He has made homelessness a priority in his administration.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are fortunate here in Denver to have a strong community of partners who work alongside the city to serve those experiencing homelessness,\u201d said Hancock.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are never to stop trying to care for them, and to make sure we do everything we can to provide comfort and compassion and opportunity to live a healthier fuller life,\u201d he added. \u201cWhile we may not always agree how we do it, the bottom line is we\u2019re trying to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hancock cited the injunction of Jesus to St. Peter in the Gospels to \u201cfeed his sheep.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Smith, the growing homeless situation in Denver is \u201cterribly challenging.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth the City of Denver and other major shelters in the city are working to change how homelessness is addressed and help those who experience homelessness recover,\u201d he said. Partnerships like the grant secured through the city will help these people \u201cfind a path back to self-reliance and dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Brown, the assistance she found from the Veterans\u2019 Administration and Samaritan House was wonderful.<\/p>\n
\u201cI appreciated everything,\u201d she said. After living in transitional housing, she is planning to move into her own place with the help of a housing voucher.<\/p>\n
During her time at Samaritan House, Brown was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Given her disability, she hopes to find something she can do like volunteer work.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d love to help out the community, help those who have helped me,\u201d she told CNA.<\/p>\n
The Samaritan House website is samhousedenver.org.<\/p>\n
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Denver, Colo., Aug 31, 2017 \/ 12:01 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Cindy Brown spent 12 years in the U.S. Army. Approaching late middle age, she found herself in a crisis.<\/p>\n
Samaritan House homeless shelter, run by Catholic Charities of Denver, was there for her….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\n
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