Three years after walking through the doors of Marisol Health while pregnant and fearful, Reilly said she feels like an empowered and capable mother. “My meetings with Marisol Health taught me so much,” said Reilly, 25. “Now I have this amazing framework for being a mother. I was taking it ...

When schools suspended in-person learning during COVID-19, Angelina felt unprepared to teach her teenage boy and 6-year-old son at the same time, especially while staying at a shelter. “They have totally different learning needs,” said Angelina, 40, from the Samaritan House shelter in Denver. “Having them both inside the room ...

Choose Another Way for 2021 | By Mark Sanders “Sometimes the story doesn’t make sense until the end. I don’t think our story is over.” Trust me, I’m writing this as much for me as anyone else. After a bruising 2020, we all need a bit of a reset and ...

Local artist’s affirming artwork will lift and empower women A local Denver artist transformed the entryway of the women’s dorms inside Samaritan House shelter by painting welcoming and colorful murals, designed to inspire hope for women experiencing homelessness. The women’s dorms inside Samaritan House, a ministry operated by Catholic Charities ...

COVID-19 has changed the way everyone lives, works and helps others, not least of all for those at Catholic Charities responsible for sheltering and caring for women experiencing homelessness in metro Denver and Northern Colorado. That crisis, and what has followed from it, will result in Catholic Charities taking an ...

Suzie Boyd’s heart is always with the struggling family facing hunger—it’s all too familiar to her. “We went through trying times growing up,” said Suzie, co-owner with her husband, Curt, of Academy Roofing, based in Aurora. “It goes way back to when I was a kid. So there’s 12 children ...

“Before I moved into Marisol Homes, I was living in a drafty camper with my 2-year-old son. We had an extension cord running into an auto shop. I was parked behind it for electricity and there was no running water. It was very cold, but it kept the snow and ...

D. learned about Early Childhood Education when a Catholic Charities employee saw through social media that D. was pregnant and contacted her to share information about its Early Head Start Prenatal Program. D. agreed to participate and met with a prenatal home visitor. D. felt that God worked in mysterious ...

Marcela and Michael were hit with devastating news while trying to support their three young children. Doctors diagnosed Michael with Lou Gehrig’s disease. “I was just trying to work and we fell behind, and then he had got diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease,” Marcela said. “I felt depressed some time ...

"I’m 32. I came down from Washington, D.C., to Denver looking for a change in my life. I got really depressed. I picked up everything I had and went to Colorado in February 2020. I didn’t really have a plan. I stayed with a nice lady for a while. My ...

Giving is important to the Hraban family who often practices gratitude. "Everything we have is a gift from God,” said Janet Hraban, who lives in Windsor with her husband, Jerry, and three daughters. “We are simply giving back to God what is already His.” After the pandemic hit, the family ...

Adela and her 16-year-old son are refugees. Originally escaping the violence and poverty in Rwanda, they migrated to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world, with no opportunities for them. In addition, it was equally dangerous for the family. They ...

Two weeks before Jessica, 25, delivered her baby girl, she prepared a crib in her room at Samaritan House shelter. “I don’t know what I’d do without Samaritan House,” she said. “It’s a very calm environment. They really do help you get off your feet.” Jessica, 25, was frightened when ...

Couple finds second chance and stable home after pursuing help at Fort Collins shelter   After successfully completing the family shelter program at The Mission, Andrew can’t wait to give back. “It was a good program. We’re very thankful for it,” he said of he and his wife Victoria’s experience ...

While businesses were closed, jobs eliminated or furloughed, one of our lesser known yet mighty ministries became an important responder to the needs of our neighbors in our community. Little Flower Assistance Center in Aurora stepped up to the challenge. In April, we estimated an increase of 60 percent over ...

Shelter Services: Working with the City of Denver and community partners, Catholic Charities’ Women’s Emergency and Transitional Shelter moved to the Denver Coliseum so women could receive 24/7 shelter, social distancing and full medical care. Up to 300 women are screened and provided services every day. Shelter Services, Larimer County: ...

When Annie McBournie and her five siblings joined a Zoom video call to talk about the COVID-19 crisis, they knew how their late parents would have responded. “In our conversation, none of us could get our head around the fact that there are all these people in the midst of ...

As Catholics, Christoph and Tatiana Goss have taken to heart the teachings of Jesus Christ to care for the poor. “Ten percent of all gross income, no matter what the source, goes to charity,” explained Christoph. Christoph and Tatiana are both engineers, and bring that discipline to scrutinizing recipients, including ...

Hundreds of masks created by volunteers provide protection amid COVID-19 At the Samaritan House homeless shelter, Claudia became known as the “sewing lady.” More than teaching a new skill to residents, she became their companion, offering a friendly face and a chance to help them build confidence. “That’s why I ...

Residents of Archdiocesan Housing received dinner, games in COVID-19 relief effort   To help feed and provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, Footers Catering created 750 meals for struggling families who are living in affordable housing units operated by the nonprofit Archdiocesan Housing. “When we received an anonymous donation, earmarked ...

Denver’s largest provider of shelter for single women follows CDC-compliant conditions during pandemic   After planning and coordinating with the City of Denver and area shelter providers, Catholic Charities of Denver—the largest provider of shelter for single women experiencing homelessness in Denver—took the lead in operating a 24/7 auxiliary shelter ...

Kisha and her boyfriend Jevan changed their minds—they weren’t ready to have a child yet. “I was 22 at the time. He was 23,” Kisha shared. “We decided that we were ready to have a child ... The next day in the afternoon we’re like, ‘Actually, let’s take this back.’ ...

“I’ll tell you one thing—the Samaritan House received me with open arms. I don’t know what they saw in me. All the personnel had a smile on their face and wanted to help. I came to their veteran’s program to get out of homelessness. What I have now is because ...

Family finds quality education, support amid trauma "We are a family of eight with 4 boys and 2 girls. At first, we were very cautious about enrolling all our kids (in public schools) with all the negative stuff happening. We instead decided to send them to Mariposa Childhood Center’s Head ...

After Sarah gave birth to her son, she reached out for help. She Googled “diaper bank” and discovered Gabriel House Project, a local diaper and clothing bank for expectant and new mothers and their families. “The first time you come here, they give you 10 times more than you expect,” ...

“I came to Samaritan House a year ago. I got clothing, food and started taking classes. After getting to know staff, they brought up my self-esteem. I didn’t think I had accomplished anything. I guess you don’t always see it, but others do. They’ve actually taught me a lot of ...

“We’ve been giving to Catholic Charities for more than 20 years. Its many ministries serve in a way that aligns with our deep Catholic faith. Years ago, as a young married couple, we volunteered by serving lunch to the homeless in downtown Denver. That experience encouraged us to volunteer more ...

When Scott Brown was preparing to take the bar exam and become a lawyer, he made a deal with God.  “I made an appeal to God,” said Scott, thinking back to the prayer he said while at the California Western School of Law. “I said I’m going to do good for you if you ...

John and Terri Schuster always say those receiving help today will become the donors of tomorrow. They’re proof that. About 30 years ago, the couple was in great need. Within weeks of each other, John and Terri, who married at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Northglenn, both lost their ...

Heroes of Hope special story Michael Hake recalls the cold December morning that he first served meals with his men’s faith group to women seeking refuge at the Samaritan House Women’s Emergency Shelter. “It was a phenomenal experience,” he said of the volunteer opportunity a couple of years ago. “You ...

Michael Hake recalls the cold December morning that he first served meals with his men’s faith group to women seeking refuge at the Samaritan House Women’s Emergency Shelter. “It was a phenomenal experience,” he said of the volunteer opportunity a couple of years ago. “You go in expecting to give ...

“Kinship Services was my first contact. I told them about my story. The emotional support—that is the biggest thing for me now. Our situation is more unique than others. My grandson was six months old when I started caring for him. My daughter had no interest in parenting. Then she ...

“I was living in an apartment on the second floor with no elevator. It wasn’t working for me. I’m 63 years old and have arthritis. Three weeks ago, I moved into Holy Family Plaza in Denver (of Archdiocesan Housing Inc). Then I got connected to all this support. They told ...

“The struggle is real. It’s a long story, but I wanted my son. I was going through a divorce, and she kicked me out. I went through a lot of hard work and then job terminations. Now my son and I are moving into a two-bedroom apartment. It’s so awesome. ...

FOCUS CEO will give simple steps to strengthening relationships at SonRise breakfast June 20 Now is the time for men to rediscover and recommit to fulfilling their calling as authentic men of God, according to FOCUS CEO Curtis Martin. Martin shared a few thoughts about the fatherhood and men’s role ...

Maddie Haas of Colorado was a teenage freshman at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln when she found out she was unexpectedly pregnant. “For being so pro-life, the thought of abortion came into my head...for probably one minute,” recalled Maddie. “It definitely came into my head [that] I could do ...

Avery shared with her parents her exciting new idea—launch collection drives and keep warm those experiencing homelessness.  Her initial idea of giving her blankets away sprouted to a community project where her school and parish in Mead, Colo. began to collect blankets for Catholic Charities. The goal is to collect 5,000 blankets after asking ...

Elijah “I love to play the violin. I learned to play the cello, guitar and sing, too, when I went to a performing arts school in Albuquerque. I once auditioned for talent shows but my life was a mess. I lived in a tent in the backyard of my mom’s ...

I came to The Mission veteran program on January 4. I'm originally from the southeast, Georgia. I served in the Army from 2008 to 2011. I did maintenance on the whole patriot missile system. I kept everything in working order. It was definitely an experience. I loved it. Every day ...

Below is a transcript of remarks from the Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila, Archbishop of Denver, at the Celebrate Life Rally and March in Denver on Jan. 12, 2019. Introducing him, in the video below from the event, was David Bereit, the event emcee and the cofounder of 40 Days ...

"I’m Molly and this is my family. My husband and three children and I have been staying here at Samaritan House shelter. But we had some cake today to celebrate—we’re moving out. We got housing through Salvation Army and we’re moving soon. It’s a three-bedroom, two-bath apartment. Samaritan House has ...

We sat down to chat with the new Catholic Charities chaplain, Fr. Bob Kelly. Read the interview below.   Q: Where are you from? Fr. Bob: I was born and raised in Ft. Collins, Colorado with 8 brothers and sisters. I graduated from Colorado State University and worked for 8 ...

At the Celebrate Life Rally and March in Denver on Jan. 12, 2019, Jeff and Sonia McGarrity spoke of their adventure in raising eight children, four of whom are “typical” and four of whom have Down syndrome. Read the transcript of their remarks below and be inspired by their prolife witness ...

I'm 31 years old. I had a fiancé once, but he committed suicide. I also had a job at Good Times. Then my brother, who is mentally ill and schizophrenic, got my keys and took off with my car. My ID and wallet were in there. I lost it all. ...

I’m Rick and this is my daughter, Marie. She’s 7 years old. We’re moving in to our own apartment this week. We’ve been staying on the family floor at Samaritan House shelter until we could get back on our feet. I was kicked out of my Lakewood apartment and we ...

My name is Judy, and I am 56 years old. I was working full time but then needed a total knee replacement. Since I was unable to work, after six weeks of not being able to pay my rent, I was kicked out. This began my journey of homelessness. I ...

Today our family is moving out of Samaritan House shelter. We found an apartment! We’re used to paying $525 for rent. Now we’re paying $1,350. The apartment has a lot of pluses. The boys will go to a good school in our neighborhood. We left our hometown in Illinois to ...

  Thanks to its charity partner, Stanley Marketspace in Aurora, Catholic Charities set up a display and donation boxes around the shopping market to encourage support for its “Have a Heart” campaign.  During February, the community is encouraged give to the campaign and help feed those in need at the local Little Flower ...

One former resident of Catholic Charities’ Women’s Emergency Shelter shared her story of struggle and hopes for a reunited family. Women come to Catholic Charities with various needs and staff meet them where they are on their journey to stability and renewed hope.  “The hardest part about being homeless is ...

  By Dr. Jim Langley, St. Raphael Counseling Baked turkey, fried turkey, or smoked turkey? Can’t decide? Do all three! Black Friday sales, office parties, school plays, Christmas lists, Christmas shopping, Christmas Eve (at your parents), Christmas Day (in-laws this year), and … Christmas bills. You’re overstretched, overwhelmed, and probably ...

More kids taking on projects to benefit people in need  It is so wonderful to witness more children and youth volunteering and organizing benefits for people most in need in the Denver community. Below are the stories of two enthusiastic givers who want to make a difference in the world.  Big ...

Catholic Charities of Denver staff completed the first registered walk in Colorado as part of the Share the Journey campaign initiated by Pope Francis. Staff participated in the two-year campaign that encourages people around the world to hold events in support of migrants and refugees, ending with a global walking campaign ...

What is Archdiocesan Housing? An division of Catholic Charities, Archdiocesan Housing provides affordable, service enriched housing and permanent supportive housing for individuals and families who cannot access decent housing in the broader marketplace.  To learn more about affordable housing options across the Front Range region, visit archhousing.com or call 303-830-0215. After Christina first moved to ...

Have you ever wondered how Peter felt when Jesus called him away from everything he knew and was asked to follow Him? Or when our Lord summoned Matthew to a new way of life and entered his house? Most of the staff at Catholic Charities have experienced this calling in ...

Fawn’s life quickly took a turn.  The 45-year-old single mother of three and grandmother found herself homeless again after a job loss and eviction. She was living in a program with her two younger children, but time was limited.  “The program where we were living wasn’t going to extend my ...

Director Deborah Bergeron visits Mariposa and Child Development Center centers   Denver, CO—The national Head Start director visited two early childhood education centers in Denver operated by Catholic Charities of Denver in a nod to its work providing high-quality education to low-income families. The U.S. Department of Health and Human ...

When Diane Hoffman cooks a meal at the shelter, she puts love into it. Residents at Guadalupe Center Shelter in Greeley have noticed her thoughtful and tasty creations from chicken cordon bleu to meat with cherry balsamic dressing to a stuffed salami and mortadella ham appetizer. “They have told me ‘you cook ...

Jennifer knew she had to leave California because of a troubled home situation and worries about the safety of her son.  “I was scared, because I had no family here,” said the 47-year-old mom of moving to Colorado.  When their lease was up, she moved them to a hotel. With no job and ...

When it comes to volunteering, many people believe the benefits boil down to feeling warm and fuzzy after helping someone in need. It turns out that the impact and benefits of volunteering are far more than imagined. You will be amazed to know that … 1. Volunteering keeps you young ...

By Elizabeth Higbie, LCSW In the wake of the latest rash of celebrity suicides, people the world over are searching for answers. The question on everyone’s lips is, “Why?” Why would someone with enormous success, far more money than most could dream of, and the respect of millions of people ...