Today the DOOR folks invited Justine from the Gathering Place, Denver's only drop in shelter for women and kids. She was a wonderful, engaging, gracious speaker who handled dozens of questions from our youths, as Edmund (with some help) more or less turned it into a press Conference. It was great.
A couple of points stand out.
The Gathering Place welcomes all. No conditions. And clients do not have to join a case management system or otherwise Be subjected to anyone who will try to fix them. And no one have to prove anything to get services.
Another is that 50 percent of the homeless in greater Denver are women, and she had a theory about why most folks are surprised to hear that. When we see a Homeless guy on the street, we can construct a narrative about him. Bad choices or bad luck or bad health. We have seen enough homeless men that we are accustomed to the sight. But. Homeless woman and two toddlers? We can construct no easy explanation or no narrative that we can live with. So we put them out of our mind. And then we don't see them.
So, just getting started but we have seen and learned so much already. And we are hearing, again, that it is not us and them it is always us and us. All of us. Children of God and worthy of love.
Lights out, so more tomorrow. All are well, thanks for your love and support.
Lee
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2 comments:
I'm always struck by the power and the impact that these trips have on everyone, youthies and adults alike. Thanks for sharing today's story, and blessings to you all!
Love, Maggie P.
Thanks for sharing with "us". Love and blessings to you all from your log in....Tanya
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