Every evening after her shift at the front desk of a Denver hotel, Nicole would stand outside Samaritan House on Lawrence Street, waiting to get a bed.
One night, Miss D, a case manager at Samaritan House, approached Nicole.
“She saw me,” Nicole says. “Like, really saw me.”
Miss D pulled her aside.
“I’m gonna give your name to a case manager here at Samaritan House,” she said. “They’re gonna call you. You’re going to have a bed every night, and you won’t have to carry your life with you anymore.”
The next day, the call came.
Samaritan House on Lawrence Street is one of five Catholic Charities shelters in Denver, Fort Collins and Greeley – all of which provide different types of care depending on the needs of the clients. Nicole was staying at Holy Rosary, the emergency overnight shelter for single women at the flagship shelter. Within the building, there is also longer-term shelter and support services for single women, veterans and families.
At Miss D’s urging and with the support from the entire team, Nicole decided she was ready to move to the client services floor at Samaritan House. In addition to a clean bed and three nutritious meals a day, Nicole found a place to do laundry, regularly meet with a case manager and work with other folks who helped her do what she always did—she worked, she saved and she planned.
The extended stay program team connected her with a program that helped cover the deposit for a new apartment. She found a place near City Park where she and her 29-year-old daughter could live together. They worked together to get the resources they needed to start over in Denver.
One year from the date of her living at Samaritan House, Nicole is thriving.
She now works as an administrative assistant in the Denver Tech Center and still carries the time at Samaritan House in her heart.
So when the opportunity came to support Samaritan House through her company, she didn’t hesitate.
For International Women’s Month in March, she was asked to find a local organization that uplifts women in the community. One place immediately came to mind. Nicole shared with her boss and coworkers how, not long ago, she had experienced homelessness herself, and by the grace of God, she had Samaritan House to lean on.
The entire company rallied behind the clothing drive she organized. They brought in new, quality pieces—clothes that could help restore dignity for women who deserve to feel seen and valued. Women like Nicole.
“I remember getting a ticket to go into the warehouse to get clothes when I lived here, and I just remember feeling like a woman again, trying on new-to-me stuff to get my groove back,” she said. “When I was telling my coworkers about my experience here, they were all on board and gathered nice, new stuff to be donated.”
For more information about how you can donate to Samaritan House, click here.
If you or someone you know is in need of emergency, overnight shelter, the process has changed a bit since Nicole was part of our program. We’re open 365 days a year from 4:00pm to 7:30am for women 18 years and older. There is capacity for 40 dorm-style beds, and participants get two nutritious meals (dinner and breakfast) and have access to bathroom services, but no shower. Participants can reserve a bed each morning with staff, and participants with bed reservation will be checked in first starting at 3:30pm.All other beds can be accessed on a first come first serve basis for those are eligible. Participant must check in by 5 pm to maintain bed reservation. Contact: 303-294-0241