One of the most profound ways we show compassion to each other is to accompany one another through struggles. It’s on this firm belief that Marisol Health offers clinical services to women walking through our doors who need healthcare, counseling and support. “We live in a world that is wrought ...

St. Raphael Counseling’s robust and growing team has ambitious plans to offer counseling for every child in local Catholic schools. The team of compassionate and licensed counselors will double their days of counseling services in Catholic Schools this current school year and has plans to expand into more schools in ...

Some 92 percent of residents at Samaritan House report being a survivor of physical, emotional or psychological abuse, and 83 percent share they’ve received previous mental health treatment and a diagnosis. “We have a lot of our clients coming in who’ve experienced really severe trauma,” said Rachel Volmert, a licensed ...

Howard is a Colorado native, proud Vietnam veteran and advocate of good children’s books. “I was a first-grade teacher,” Howard said outside Samaritan House downtown. “When I got out of Vietnam, I decided to become a teacher and so I went back to school.”  Howard said he served in the ...

Rachel and her son Mateo, pictured above, at Mariposa Early Childhood Education center in Denver. With Catholic Charities supporting her, Rachel keeps moving onward and upward, including her two sons attending its Early Childhood Education centers.   “If my son Liam wasn’t in Head Start program before going into kindergarten, he ...

If ever there is a more committed and valued volunteer, Skip Colyer is it in Larimer County. When the sunlight breaks over the morning sky, Skip is already at Samaritan House Fort Collins with staff collecting a week’s worth of food and cooking lunch for hungry residents. He is talented ...

Ever so delicately, Chardi clings onto her 10-day old baby’s feet. With a smirk she says, “she gets these long toes from her daddy.”   When Chardi reached the third trimester in her pregnancy, she moved from Atlanta back to Denver to be around family for support. She stayed with her ...

Jordan and Ashley came to Samaritan House Fort Collins in crisis last year. With their little daughter in hand, they begged staff to ensure she was safe while they overcame a battle with homelessness and addiction. Staff immediately served them dinner and began helping them on their journey to stability. ...

MEN CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE SUPPORTING MARISOL HEALTH Lenny believes more men should be involved in supporting pregnant women in crisis. He’s doing his part by joining volunteers in support of Marisol Health, a Catholic Charities’ medical clinic that provides holistic medical care, support and a network of resources for ...

CATHOLIC CHARITIES SUPPORTS MEN IN RAISING FAMILIES   SHORTY’S STORY Zeferino is a proud father with wife, Yenifer. The dad of three, who goes by “Shorty,” took his 5-year-old son to T-ball practice and watched him take his first swing. “I never had that,” Shorty said about his own father ...

By Mark Sanders, MA St. Raphael Counseling Those of us who are blessed to be parents constantly face challenges while raising a family — and the necessity to adjust our expectations, tactics and attitudes. As a father, I have found that this is one of the biggest opportunities for healthy ...

Samaritan House held an event for participants and staff in honor of Juneteenth, a federal holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. Everyone enjoyed a barbecue lunch and ice cream, yard games, arts and crafts and a friendly visit by the Denver Police Department’s mounted patrol unit.

Samaritan Cycling finished the six-day Ride the Rockies bicycle tour in June, trekking more than 430 miles. The cyclists dedicate their rides to raising funds for Samaritan House shelters. Learn more about Team Samaritan and its cycling, running and walking teams at https://teamsamaritan.org.  

For the first time since they’ve arrived in the United States, Nicholas and Andrea felt relief.   A few short weeks ago, the couple and their 6-year-old daughter fled their home in Venezuela. With food insecurity looming in the country and violence on the rise, the couple made the brave leap ...

Catholic Charities’ Transforming Lives Club (TLC) makes giving easy. A monthly gift of any amount helps support neighbors and transform lives through our many services, including Samaritan House, Marisol Services, Little Flower Assistance Center and more across Northern Colorado. Two local donors share why they joined the club. Paula says, ...

Shelly and her husband found everything they could have hoped for their daughter at Archdiocesan Housing, a ministry of Catholic Charities of Denver. Their 23-year-old daughter Sarah (pictured above, right) happily lives in a one-bedroom apartment at Villa Sierra Madre I, a secure and remodeled complex in Silverthorne. Although Sarah ...

When Fran Rutherford’s home was destroyed by a wildfire, she and her husband adopted a new motto, “always forward, never back,” inspired by Saint Junipero Serra, a Spanish missionary in the 1700s. “By making progress and pushing forward, we were able to work through the grief,” she said of her ...

Maintaining dignity starts with the basics—fresh and clean undergarments. Catholic Charities has launched the Women’s Care Project to show the women we serve in our shelters and programs that we care. Among the most sought-after items are bras and underwear of all sizes. As the project tagline says, “it’s what is underneath ...

When Avery Newland didn’t make the basketball team this past fall, she knew God had a different plan for her free time after school. Combined with a passion for crafts and the Divine Mercy, Avery started her own business at 15 years old. The business? Prayer in the form of ...

About 6 months ago, Joan came to Little Flower Assistance Center when her shelves were running empty. “It was a great time in need,” she shared outside the food bank in Aurora. Now she returned with a car packed with children's clothes and surplus food to donate. Little Flower provides ...

Sharry had made her decision. She laid on a cold table with tears flowing, scared and shaking, she heard the hum of the vacuum after the nurse hit the switch. She was terrified and sick about what was to happen. She prayed “God forgive me, I’m so sorry,” and said ...

After more than two years, the residents of Cathedral Plaza decided where to go for their first social outing together: Walmart. Four residents at the downtown Denver affordable housing complex, run by Archdiocesan Housing, climbed into the community van to go to the local shopping center. Diane smiled saying it ...

Looking back, Tinasia describes her brief stint with homelessness as a blessing in disguise. If the pregnant mom of three did not face challenges, she wouldn’t have experienced the life-transforming help of Samaritan House. “I feel like things were able to work in my favor,” she shared from her furnished ...

Sandra arranges a bed with fresh sheets to ensure the next woman to walk through the doors of Samaritan House 48th feels comfort from the smell of laundry detergent from the sheets when she lays her head down.  As Sandra continues her daily duties as shelter associate at the women’s ...

The mother stacks a folding stroller—her last belonging—in the trunk of her black Kia parked outside Samaritan House. “We’re going to go see our new apartment,” she exclaims to her young son. She straps her daughter into a car seat as her son jumps inside the backseat. With their belongings ...

By Lynn Grandon, Respect Life Denver Having worked across the street from two major abortion facilities in my life, I have watched many women grapple with the challenging decision about whether to move forward with pregnancy or have an abortion. I’ve been fortunate to witness many make the courageous decision ...

Respect Life Denver urges pro-life education for teenagers Concerned Coloradans are urged to pray and take action as the radical abortion legislation HB22-1279 heads to Gov. Jared Polis’ desk for his expected signature that would make it into law. The Catholic community and pro-life advocates responded in droves against the Reproductive ...

Mom says abortion became her biggest regret  Public rally organized to oppose radical bill      Sharry had made her decision. Scared and shaking, she lay on the cold table with endless tears flowing. She heard the hum of the vacuum after the nurse hit the switch.    In a coarse, hateful voice the nurse told ...

Even from the most awful and tragic events, something beautiful can be born. Take, for example, Rebecca Kiessling’s very own life. The Michigan wife and mother was conceived after her biological mother was dragged to a field and raped at knife point. Her mother was determined to access abortion, which ...

In November of 2010, Tara and two of her children started a trek to regain independence, gathering what little they had for a stay at Marisol Homes (then known as the Father Ed Judy House), a temporary home for single women and children run by Catholic Charities of Denver. At ...

Ilene was shocked. She recently graduated high school and found out she was pregnant after taking a test at Marisol Health in Denver. After talking it over with her boyfriend, “We decided we were going to go to Planned Parenthood and get it over with.” Ilene did not feel prepared ...

One woman broke into tears after walking up to the Catholic Charities’ table inside the Disaster Assistance Center in Lafayette. The day before the Marshall Fire ravaged hundreds of homes on December 30, 2021, she and her husband had donated to Catholic Charities. The next day, her home was destroyed ...

Kelly just keeps moving forward. She sees her time at Samaritan House 48th as one stop along her destination to stable living. “I’m here for now but this is not my destination,” the 50-year-old shares while heating up hot cocoa. Wearing a purple coat and fleece jacket, she was on ...

In Lena’s life, Catholic Charities was not simply the provider of food and clothing during challenging times. They restored her hope and faith in Jesus Christ. Lena, a proud Catholic wife and mother, described her first transformative encounter with Catholic Charities like it was yesterday. Another day of barely getting ...

You can find Lauree on the corner of 22nd and Larimer streets on most mornings steaming up espresso and talking to neighbors in the community. This is the same block where she learned to advocate for herself as a single mother experiencing homelessness and rediscover her independence.   On the morning of November 6, ...

Within minutes, women eagerly formed a long line inside Samaritan House 48th in Denver where a group of volunteers unveiled a Christmas surprise for them—brand new shoes. “Welcome to the shoe store,” exclaimed Terry Peltes, a Catholic Charities donor and volunteer, to the shelter participants. “We’re so glad you’re here.” Terry and ...

Arisa was 19 and petrified. Her pregnancy test results were positive. “I was really scared and kind of horrified in the beginning, because I knew the (baby’s) dad was not someone who would be there for me,” she remembers. Her grandparents, who raised her, initially expressed disappointment and concern, which ...

Cars lined a parking lot in Denver to drop off loads of gifts destined for the homes of families, seniors and individuals not able to afford a Christmas this year. During Adopt–A–Family program week, hundreds of people delivered clothing, toys, household goods and other gifts purchased for a specific person ...

Liliana said her greatest hope is keeping her family together. She participated in Catholic Charities’ Early Head Start prenatal program and felt she had the help she needed. “I think that in my personal experience, finding the possibility of belonging to the Catholic Charities’ program was a blessing in the ...

Coats donated to Samaritan House   Debra finally found the one—a long tan trench coat among stacks of clean coats donated to Samaritan House.  Hundreds of coats provided through the Coats for Colorado partnership with Dependable Cleaners gave women facing homelessness like her with needed warmth and a brighter outlook.  ...

Tragedy turned into generosity by former football player John Griffin and his partnership with LDS church Catholic Charities of Denver and volunteers are quickly distributing 40,000 pounds of food to its shelters and area food banks as families face uncertainty and tighter budgets amid rising food costs this holiday season.  ...

Jennifer found out she was 10 weeks pregnant in August of 2020. During this time, she was addicted to heroin and methamphetamine and was unsure what her next steps would look like. At 12 weeks pregnant, Jennifer was admitted to a treatment center in Denver.  After 60 days in treatment, ...

Michelle says singing is a form of worship for her. “I sing all the time,” said the 39-year-old mother. “I sing when I need to drown out my sorrows. God has got me through a lot of things. [He] is my main man.” Michelle is a participant at Marisol Homes, ...

Archdiocesan Housing, Inc., (AHI) which manages 30 properties that house about 3,000 residents, is moving forward on three major projects on Colorado’s Front Range that could add another 147 units of much-needed affordable housing in the years ahead. “We have several projects in the pipeline, but these are our big ...

As children are back in school and continuing to adjust to their new schedules, one of our experts from St. Raphael Counseling, a ministry of Catholic Charities of Denver, shares top tips on how to ensure it's a smooth transition. By Stacie Webb, Psy.D., St. Raphael Counseling Class is now ...

A statue of Our Lady of Fatima, hand-crafted in Portugal, is on a pilgrimage throughout the Archdiocese of Denver with the hope of restoring faith by encouraging prayers of the rosary.  This summer, the statue is headed to the Western Slope and Eastern Plains until the end of August. It will be back in Denver by September in hopes of having a greater reach at parishes and schools. The statue is booked out months in ...

Mariana came to Samaritan House 48th for support after another Denver shelter referred her to us. She’s experienced homelessness since a teenager and recently had gallbladder surgery. She is looking for a job and is hoping to someday get married and have a family.

Nicolle felt scared and ashamed. She was unexpectedly pregnant, and a doctor said she had a high-risk pregnancy. “We both drank a lot,” said the 28-year-old about her and her boyfriend, Ashton, 27. “We didn’t find out until four and a half months pregnant.” She heard about Marisol Health in ...

Catholic Charities is like a supportive family ready to lend a helping hand.Jennifer R., mom of 4–year–old and 3–year–old boys, recalls the challenges she overcame in 2017 when she faced homelessness and came to Samaritan House for help. Years later, she is comfortable in her own apartment and expressed gratitude ...

Samaritan House in Denver celebrated the expansion of services for women seeking shelter, nutritious meals and support services with a blessing and ribbon-cutting by Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodríguez of the Archdiocese of Denver. "God, the provider of shelter and home, has brought us together for the dedication of the first ...

“Some of the ladies we serve have been victims of domestic abuse or have mental health issues and some have just experienced the terrible misfortune that we all pray never comes to anyone we know or love. They are young, old and in-between and they are all scared, sad, completely ...

Volunteers are integral to the success of Samaritan House. We wouldn't be able to open our doors to our neighbors without tremendous community support. A great example of answering the call is the Peltes family, who began volunteering at Samaritan House with Saturday morning meal service and expanded their efforts in many directions.   ...

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 ...