Latest news with #DenverRescueMission
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Meet Remarkable Women nominee Tracy Brooks of Denver Rescue Mission
DENVER, Colo. (KDVR) — FOX31 is honoring remarkable women in our community. We asked our viewers to nominate women who make a difference in our state and Tracy Brooks is one of our nominees. In an organization with the mission of rescuing those who need it, Denver Rescue Mission's Chief Program Officer Tracy Brooks takes on every day as an opportunity to listen, learn and help. 'To give them the opportunity to be seen and heard and to have those conversations, I think is is one of the greatest gifts we can give somebody,' Brooks said. Free on Your TV • New FOX31+ App for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV If you ask those she has served and hired, Brooks is the true gift to her community. 'In a world where there is a lot of hardship, it's easy for someone to want to look away, and Tracy doesn't look away,' her colleague Deb Butte said. 'Tracy looks at it with curiosity and with hope and continues to ask the question, 'What do we need to do? Why are people here and how do we engage in what the need is?'' Brooks leads her team with a focus on empowering those she works with to help those battling extreme hardships. 'When I met her, I was a single mom who'd kind of been out of work for a while raising babies, and I was having a hard time getting back into the workplace,' Denver Rescue Mission's Rachel Lopez said. 'She snapped me up and made me feel wanted and felt that I was being underutilized and kept giving me a bigger and bigger platform to be able to do the work with her.' Brooks, a Colorado native, felt a calling to transition into her career path two decades ago. 'I had had a career in business, and I had a friend who went into this field, and I was praying one day and saying, 'Why does she get to do something that helps other people? And I don't?'' Brooks said. 'And a month later, Salvation Army called and asked me to come interview for a position, and that kind of started the ball rolling.' Sign up for the FOX31 Denver Guide weekly newsletter for events and activities Twenty years later, the circumstances leading fellow community members to the Denver Rescue Mission's doors isn't lost on Brooks. 'In my personal journey, I was a single mom for 10 years and had I not had the supports around me, family and community, I very likely would have ended up homeless,' Brooks said. 'It was a lot with three children, but I had community that supported me and there's so many people that don't have that benefit.' Brooks' colleagues who nominated her as a remarkable woman tell FOX31, since being named Vice President in 2021, she's played an integral role in helping nearly 1,500 households find stability out of homelessness. 'And yet homelessness isn't a static number,' Brooks said. 'And so, we talk about 1,500 and we're so happy we came alongside them. The hard thing is, our environment is one when a family leaves, another one comes in. So the need is greater now than when I started.' Download the FOX31 App: Breaking news alerts & Pinpoint Weather Brooks and her team are coming up with new ways to empower those they serve. One recent way was changing the way they intake people. 'Instead of just getting information and getting them into the building, we're really sitting down and spending 30 minutes with them and trying to figure out other alternatives at the front door,' Brooks said. 'We have a team that vets resources and that's unusual to have a team that vets resources. But the greatest deterrent for people moving forward is loss of hope. And that loss of hope often comes because someone's given a bad resource. So I call it the magic door.' It's magic that Brooks hopes to inspire daily. 'We're looking at prevention and diversion,' Brooks said. 'How do we catch people before they become homeless and keep them from being homeless? What are interventions we can do with that? And so really constantly looking and seeing how do we need to maneuver, where do we need to change to move?' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
27-02-2025
- CBS News
Lawsuit claims Denver shelters aren't accessible for people with disabilities experiencing homelessness
A new lawsuit alleges Denver isn't doing enough to provide accessible shelter for people experiencing homelessness who have disabilities. Disability Law United, Newman| McNulty LLC, and Brooklyn Law School's Disability and Civil Rights Clinic filed suit against the City and County of Denver on behalf of Housekeys Action Network Denver (HAND) and people with disabilities experiencing homelessness. Those listed in the lawsuit said they were forced to sleep on the streets after being denied access to shelters and shelter-based services in violation of the disability law. HAND, a nonprofit organization established to address systemic issues and advocate for unhoused individuals in Denver, said they were forced to redirect resources and staff to fill the gaps in service left as a result of the listed failures by the Denver-funded shelters. The organization said they provided financial support to people with disabilities who were ejected from or unable to access shelters and devoted staff time to linking those people to caseworkers. Advocates said some shelters do not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and state anti-discrimination laws. "I'd show up like two minutes late, and they shut the door," said Christopher Haworth, who has cerebral palsy. For the past seven years, Haworth has spent periods living on the streets and said he has struggled to find accessible shelter. "I ended up sleeping outside in the alley in the snow because I didn't want to sleep on the ground. Somebody would steal my chair," he said. Haworth claimed he was denied admission to shelters that contract with the city, including two operated by the Denver Rescue Mission. He also alleged he was turned away from a shelter because there were no accessible beds reserved for wheelchair users. "The staff just didn't care," he said. Haworth is one of six plaintiffs suing the city, arguing its shelters do not meet accessibility requirements for people with disabilities. Ana Miller, an organizer with the advocacy group HAND, said her brother, Haworth, was forced to sleep outside because shelters were not equipped to accommodate wheelchair users. "They have installed an elevator, but it was not even a year ago," Miller said. "Before that, they didn't even have a way for wheelchair and walker users to get into the area at the Lawrence Street Shelter. You had to crawl upstairs to get into the area they would keep for disabled people." The Denver Rescue Mission, which is named in the lawsuit, gave CBS Colorado the following statement: "For 133 years, Denver Rescue Mission has always strived to serve those experiencing homelessness with care and compassion. It is Denver Rescue Mission's policy not to comment on pending litigation." Other shelters named in the lawsuit said they would not comment on pending litigation. In a statement to CBS Colorado, a spokesperson for the Denver Department of Housing Stability directed our inquiry to the city attorney's office and said: "The City and County of Denver is always working to improve the shelter system and meet the needs of our unhoused neighbors." The city attorney's office also said they will not comment on pending litigation. Advocates argue the city has failed to provide enough accessible beds to meet demand. "In Denver, we have stories throughout our lawsuit about shelters turning away people with disabilities because they don't have enough accessible beds," said Andy McNulty, an attorney representing the plaintiffs.
CBS News
21-02-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Donated cars give Denver Rescue Mission clients new freedom
CBS Colorado is partnered with the Denver Rescue Mission to Spread the Warmth this winter. We're raising awareness and collecting donations to support the work the Rescue Mission does to bring people inside and out of the cold. In addition to providing emergency shelter services, every guest can access hot meals and staff members who will help them navigate the steps it takes to get into sustainable housing. The Denver Rescue Mission also has a program that addresses drug addiction and housing, called the New Life Program. New Life is a 9-month to a year-long program that offers clients a sober community, temporary housing, spiritual guidance, and access to case management. The program gives clients the time and space they need to rebuild their lives. At the end of the program, some clients are gifted a car. "Part of the goal is full-time employment, and if they're going to graduate and have full-time employment, they need a way of transportation," said Jay McKinley, director of the Rescue Mission's Ministry Outreach Center. The Denver Rescue Mission's Give a Vehicle program accepts vehicles in any condition. If a vehicle no longer runs and can't be fixed, the Rescue Mission can sell it for scrap and put the money back into the program. "People have donated classic cars and very nice vehicles that we can sell at auction and take the money and put it back into the program," McKinley explained. The most desirable donations are vehicles that need moderate repairs and have been gently loved. "We have a full-time mechanic who will do an inspection on the vehicle, and he'll earmark those vehicles that he thinks will be a good fit," McKinley told CBS News Colorado. Eddie has been that mechanic for two-and-a-half years. He's been in the business for 43 years and calls this the best job yet. On a budget of $500 per car, he's dedicated to giving graduates the best vehicle they can get. "If you want to help someone in our community, if you want to help men and women who are trying to improve their lives, it's just a wonderful practical way to give back," McKinley added. The donation is tax-deductible, and the gift literally changes lives. Lloyd Gayhardt recently graduated from the New Life Program and will soon be getting a car. "I'm thankful and I'm blessed that I kind of get to restart," he told CBS News Colorado. Gayhardt struggled with meth addiction, spent time in prison, and lived on the streets. "I was living in a tent before and didn't know where to go from there," he recalled. He ended up in the New Life Program and now has 17 months sober. "They helped me to rebuild my relationship with my children, with my sisters, and with the Lord," he said. "My kids are in Littleton. For me to have to go all the way out there from here, it's a two-and-a-half hour bus ride." Getting a car means that Gayhardt can see his children every weekend. He will also be able to volunteer as a peer recovery specialist, driving around other New Life Program members to appointments and on errands. "It's extra that I'm giving back for what I was given," Gayhardt said. The Denver Rescue Mission receives about 250 to 270 vehicle donations every year and gifts 60 to 70 of them to program graduates. Each recipient needs to have a valid driver's license, the means to pay for registration, insurance, and basic upkeep of the car. The Give a Vehicle program is another way the Denver Rescue Mission provides its clients with a new life. The Spread the Warmth campaign accepts donations of money or warm weather gear that the Denver Rescue Mission can then use to keep people warm this winter.
CBS News
16-02-2025
- CBS News
Car crash kills pedestrian outside Denver Rescue Mission
A pedestrian has been killed in a car crash outside the Denver Rescue Mission, Denver police say. The crash happened around 11:15 a.m. Sunday near 22nd and Lawrence Streets. About a half-hour later, investigators said the person was taken to the hospital but died. The driver of the car and a passenger were also taken to the hospital with unknown injuries. The person who was killed was sitting on the steps of the Denver Rescue Mission at the time of the crash, according to police. Investigators are now reviewing security camera footage to determine what happened. A Denver police spokeswoman, however, said the driver did not appear to experience a medical issue prior to the crash. The Denver Rescue Mission, a non-denominational Christian organization that works to assist people experiencing homelessness in the city, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the crash.
CBS News
13-02-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Denver extends cold weather shelter due to continuing frigid temperatures
Due to frigid temperatures forecast throughout the week, the City of Denver is extending its cold weather shelters through Feb. 20. The city's Cold Weather Shelter Plan went into effect on Feb. 8. Officials said the shelters will remain open as long as overnight lows are forecast to hit 25 degrees or less. Authorities said there is space available and no one is being turned away from the cold weather shelter locations, which will provide 24/7 protection. The city plans to accommodate extra residents at the Denver Coliseum located at 4600 N. Humboldt St. The coliseum shelter will be open from Saturday, Feb. 15 beginning at 3 p.m. through Thursday, Feb. 20 at 11 a.m. The city's "front door" shelter access points are located at: • For individual men – Denver Rescue Mission Lawrence Street Community Center, 2222 Lawrence St. • For individual women – Samaritan House, 2301 Lawrence St. • For youth/young adults ages 12-24 – Urban Peak, 1630 S. Acoma St. • Families in need of shelter should call the Connection Center at 303-295-3366. The Aspen shelter (previously the DoubleTree hotel) offers 24/7 shelter services at 4040 Quebec St. Additionally, city facilities are available at 2601 W. 7th Ave. and 375 S. Zuni St. For more information about shelter access, visit
