We Are Stronger Together

Dear Friends of Delores, 

For anyone paying attention to national news over the past few weeks, there has been a dizzying amount of information about the new administration's executive orders and what that could mean for organizations like The Delores Project and those we serve. Despite any efforts to stall, disrupt, defund, or discontinue our work by some in positions of power, The Delores Project remains committed to the people we serve and to Building Belonging for them in our larger Denver community and world. We remain steadfast in our belief that all people deserve the community of support and housing stability they need to thrive and are more committed than ever to helping provide this for hundreds of Denverites each year.

While the initial federal funding freeze has been stalled, there remains great concern about the stability of our funding and the well-being of those we serve, many of whom rely on food stamps, TANF, Medicaid and Medicare, community-based mental healthcare, and many other social supports to uphold them and their families. We currently have multiple government contracts that come from federal funding sources and have already been told by some local and regional entities who pass through federal dollars to us, to anticipate no longer being able to request reimbursement for the services we provide which are outlined in our contracts. 

Earlier this week, I and other staff from Delores were on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. meeting with legislators and asking for their support of the Women and Children's Protection Act, which would provide $505 million over 5 years to be specifically designated for homeless shelters serving women and children. This advocacy work is part of our collaboration with the National Women's Shelter Network which includes 380 women's and children's shelters strong across the country and growing. As an organization, we remain committed to our community of clients in Denver and to the over one million women and two and a half million children who experience homelessness each year in our country, over 80% of whom have a history of gender-based violence that contributed to their homelessness. While the reality of securing new sources of funding and maintaining current sources of funding that allow us to do our life-changing work feels ever more distant at this time, we remain steadfast in our commitment to those we serve and are dedicated to continuing to ensure they have the resources they need to find stability and thrive. We also remain hopeful that our very generous individual donors and foundation partners will continue to support our mission moving forward regardless of what happens federally.

Here are some ways you can continue to support our mission and ongoing ability to help people transform their lives:

1. Donate. Every donation, no matter the size, is meaningful and helps us provide thousands of meals and shelter bed nights each year. Your support helps us pay rental deposits for our guests transitioning to permanent housing and helps us provide transportation assistance and behavioral healthcare for clients across our programs. We are currently in need of additional meal donors. (Contact our Community Engagement Manager if you're interested in providing meals.) Donate here!

2. Volunteer. Volunteers make a critical contribution to our work! We simply could not do what we do without the people who serve many of our meals, help maintain our facility, and host on-site activities and groups. You can learn more about how to share your time and skills with us here. 

3. Advocate. Proposed cuts in federal funding would significantly affect our ability to continue providing our life-changing services. It puts the life and well-being of our clients who rely on social services to maintain their health and well-being and be able to remain stable and housed members of our Denver community. You can use websites and apps like 5 Calls to easily contact your representatives.

4. Get Proximate. Houseless people are people too and rightfully struggle without the fundamental human right of a roof over their heads. Those we serve often express feeling invisible, forgotten, and marginalized. Sometimes a smile and hello, a snack, a short conversation, and any expression of humanity towards someone down on their luck can go further than we might imagine. When you see people without a home of their own on the street or even inside our building at Arroyo Village, please recognize their human dignity and worth and embody compassion over judgment. The world and so many people in it need our love now more than ever. 

Thank you for being a part of our community and for your unwavering commitment to our mission and those we serve. We are stronger together!