Ministries
At Denver shelter, homeless people ‘go
first class’
By MELISSA JONES
The same dry, cold conditions that make for exceptional Colorado
skiing are a recipe for misery among Denver’s homeless population. A few
hours can bring a 40-degree temperature drop that turns the city from sunny to
frigid.
On one of those bitterly cold nights in the winter of 1981, Msgr.
C.B. “Father Woody” Woodrich opened Denver’s Holy Ghost Church
to let the homeless sleep in the pews. He’d expected about a dozen people.
Two hundred showed up.
Recognizing a severe problem, Woodrich and Msgr. James Rasby
searched for a permanent solution. They convinced Archbishop James Casey to
give them a vacant downtown Catholic high school and $50,000 to start a
homeless shelter. The former school opened in fall 1982 as the Samaritan
Shelter.
Both Rasby and Woodrich, who died in 1991, were pastors of large
Denver parishes, and they soon realized that running a homeless shelter
required full-time attention. The Capuchin Franciscans, whose provincial office
had just moved to the Denver area, agreed to help. Capuchin Fr. Bill Kraus,
became the first director.
Rasby and Woodrich used their newfound “spare” time to
work on convincing the Denver archdiocese to build a place specifically for the
homeless. In November 1986, the newly constructed Samaritan House was opened in
downtown Denver at 2301 Lawrence St.
“We understand that this was the first time a building was
built just to house the homeless,” said Capuchin Fr. John Lager, present
director of Samaritan house.
The value of such a building is immediately obvious. The facility
is bright, clean and orderly. There are 21 rooms for families, and separate
dormitories for 125 male and 75 female guests. Lager said, “It’s a
very unique shelter because we have all the populations that are homeless --
single men, single women and families.” Offering 250 beds, the place is
always at capacity.
“On the family floor there can be anywhere from 50 to 75 kids
a night,” said Lager.
There is also a large street-level “overflow” room where
men can come off the streets, check their weapons with the staff and grab some
bedding. It’s a one-night housing fix, but at least they can “stay
inside where it’s warm and safe and they have access to a bathroom,”
said Lager.
Experience of human dignity
In a quote now famous among the staff, visiting Fr. Ben Colucci
described the shelter as “a place where the homeless can go first
class.” Although many services are offered, the initial impression at
Samaritan House is a feeling of unconditional acceptance and hospitality -- the
main gift of the home is the experience of human dignity.
Dignity is hard-won for those who have experienced the street.
Much of this population is composed of veterans who have dropped out because of
post-traumatic stress syndrome or substance abuse problems. Roughly 30 percent
of the homeless in Denver are veterans, and Samaritan House offers them respect
and help. “If they’re vets, we have a veterans program and a couple
of workers who concentrate on helping them get connected with their help --
benefits, retirement, medical care,” said Lager. The shelter also holds an
annual Veterans Day celebration where those who have served in the military are
offered thanks and a festive meal.
As in any city, mental illness is an underlying reason for many
individuals’ homelessness. Case managers at Samaritan house work hard to
deal with the needs of those sufferers. Lager noted also that the demographic
mix of the homeless has changed in the last few years, and Samaritan now sees
an increasing population of homeless elderly. “There have been a number of
people who have been literally dropped off at our door,” he said.
The Samaritan House staff is also taxed by the arrival of more
people who are discharged from hospitals without follow-up care. Lager
explained, “We find them on our doorstep in wheelchairs. We recognize that
there is more and more of a population that needs nursing care and there
isn’t a place to go.” He said they do their best to care for those
who can take care of their own basic needs, but that the house is always filled
to capacity and the staff is unable to provide nursing care. Staff members make
every effort to find help for these individuals.
Samaritan house is a full-service shelter that aims to offer
“not a hand out but a hand up.”
Under the direction of Kraus, the shelter expanded its services to
include case management, medical and employment assistance. In 1990, Capuchin
Fr. Ed Judy replaced Kraus. During Judy’s 11-year service to this
community, Samaritan House added drug and alcohol counseling and expanded many
services, including programs for the homeless children housed there.
A three-story addition
Under Judy’s direction Samaritan House became part of
Catholic Charities in 1992, and grew in 1999 with a three-story addition to
provide more space. Judy also raised the shelter’s social profile in the
Denver community. He was president of the Metropolitan Denver Homeless
Initiative, and raised awareness about homeless issues to the Colorado State
legislature. When a cancer diagnosis caused Judy to leave Samaritan House in
2001, he left an institution that was well known and respected in the
community. Judy was recently honored with Denver’s Regis Jesuit
University’s highest honor, the Civis Princeps award for recognition of
“leadership in service of others.”
The shelter takes care of the basics first. Open beds are filled
by lottery, and hotel vouchers are usually available to provide temporary
shelter when Samaritan House is completely full. The Volunteers of America have
recently refurbished a motel down the street that accepts these vouchers.
More than 700 individual meals are served daily at the shelter,
and donations from the community ensure that clothing is available. Toiletries,
showers, laundry facilities, bus tokens and sack lunches for those with jobs
are provided.
Upon arrival everyone gets a basic health check and a TB test.
Samaritan House has a walk-in clinic staffed by volunteer doctors
and nurses. They’ve recently added pediatric and dental services. Lager
noted, “Dental care is one of the things that goes first once you lose
your residence.”
A long-term stay at Samaritan house requires that the resident
demonstrate responsibility. An initial orientation establishes the goals and
rules of the house.
Lager describes the program’s approach as “tough
love.” There is zero tolerance for drugs or alcohol, and those unable to
follow certain rules must leave, “no questions asked,” said Lager.
“It’s really a matter of safety, for the staff and for the women and
children who reside here.” The rules are also necessary for recovery, said
Lager, “Our approach is always respectful, compassionate, and sometimes
tough -- it helps them understand the boundaries we all need to have.”
Residents see a case aide for general assessment. Those with
certain criminal histories, such as arsonists, those who are homicidal, or
previously imprisoned for violence or sex offenses are asked to leave. These
people are directed to other homeless missions that are better equipped to
handle possible problems.
Chores in first three days
For the first three days there are assigned chores, and residents
are charged with helping in the laundry room, cleaning common areas or working
in the kitchen and dining room. After the chores are successfully completed, a
resident can stay eight more days. During this period, they are encouraged to
satisfy medical needs and check the in-house job service center for help with
job skills and resumés.
There is a full-time housing coordinator who checks all permanent
housing possibilities. Also, the Denver archdiocese owns a 32-unit apartment
complex called Courtyard Commons that holds about 17 units for those in
transition from Samaritan House.
“Affordable housing is at a premium,” said Lager. He
noted that rising residential prices present two challenges: It’s hard to
find housing for homeless; and he said, “We’re dealing with the
challenges of the gentrifying of the neighborhood” around Samaritan House.
Nearby properties are being transformed into yuppie lofts and high-end
apartments.
Lager worries that the new neighbors might begin to resent the
local homeless shelters; community relations and education are an important
part of his mission. The shelter sponsors neighborhood clean-up days
periodically where residents and volunteers pick up trash in a wide swath
around the shelter. Ironically, when Samaritan House was built in 1986, it was
the first new building in years in its neighborhood.
Residents are encouraged to take care of anger management or
addiction problems. A certified counselor is available to provide case
management and guidance for substance abuse recovery. Various vocational and
educational programs also exist, including opportunities to obtain a general
equivalency high school diploma. Capuchin Fr. Michael Suchnicki attends to the
spiritual needs of the residents.
30-day stay is average
Residents who comply with house requirements can stay up to 30
days. They’re encouraged to find jobs, and those who do can deposit their
paychecks in a secure “bank” at the shelter. This helps them
accumulate a deposit on a permanent residence. There are also some additional
housing funds to help people get into an apartment, Lager noted. “People
who have lost homes often have bad credit,” so individuals are helped to
define credit liabilities and establish a clean credit history.
The average stay at Samaritan House is 30 days, but those making
progress can stay up to 90 days. “Our hope is to get them moved out and
into a stable environment of their own,” Lager said. Even after permanent
housing is found, staff members continue to track individuals, help them manage
budgets, make sure they take care of rental property, watch medical care and
make sure children are provided for. Sadly, the stress of poverty sometimes
leads to child abuse, and the staff will call child protective services if
necessary.
All residents must move on after 90 days. Lager said, “Our
hope is that after those 90 days, we’ve given them the connections that
they need to really get back on track and become contributing members of
society.” A 90-day resident can’t return for one full year, although
the staff will attempt to find other resources for them.
As the largest agency serving the homeless in Denver, Samaritan
House has a high profile and good community assistance. Lager said he is
“grateful for the community and their support.” Although the city
itself is stressed by its efforts to serve those in need, Lager said the
department of human services has been “tremendously supportive.” He
said, “Denver is making a valiant effort to respond to the needs of the
homeless.”
The annual budget for Samaritan House is about $2.5 million with
64 percent of that coming from individual donations. The shelter usually
operates with 40 full-time staff members and 10 part-time staff. Challenges
created after Sept. 11, and the resulting impact on the economy, reduced gifts
so the shelter was forced to decrease its staff by four. “We’ve cut
the staff and we’ve done our best to operate on a shoestring budget,”
said Lager. The staff members keep the home open “24/7,” he said.
There are about 250 volunteers, and the numbers are growing. Lager said he is
grateful to always have more volunteers than the shelter can effectively
use.
Funding is not the only asset required to keep Samaritan House
going. Lager said, “Whatever we do here must be done with great
charity.” The philosophy of the shelter is based in the actions of the
biblical Good Samaritan. Programs attempt to maintain the individual’s
right to self-determination, and to recognize that most homeless persons have
suffered serious wounds to their self-image, self-motivation and personal
dignity. The program’s structure requires residents to perform to the best
of their abilities, and a balance is sought between compassion and
discipline.
The staff is trained to be compassionate and calm. Service to the
homeless is stressful, because people often come off the streets upset,
frustrated and angry. A staff member who feels short-tempered in any situation
is encouraged to “step aside and let somebody else be there with you or
for you.”
Lager says this helps the staff support each other and also
“makes sure that we don’t ‘lose our cool’ in our service to
the homeless. It’s a daily challenge for all of us, but we do our best to
be like the Good Samaritan.”
Melissa Jones is a free-lance writer living in Littleton,
Colo.
National Catholic Reporter, January 17,
2003
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