More bottoms will be covered with Huggies diapers after healthcare services company Vizient donated 10,000 diapers to the Bottom Line Diaper Bank in Denver. The diaper bank, operated by Catholic Charities of Denver, provides some 350,000 diapers a year to low-income families for their infants and toddlers. Staff and a ...

This is a special story on the issue of women and homelessness in Denver, a growing problem in recent years. Samaritan House Women's Shelter is one of Denver's leading advocates for helping women out of homelessness. The housing market is booming. Bad neighborhoods are becoming gentrified, cranes tower over downtown, ...

Shelter’s art and music program helps residents find renewed self-worth More than a place for a hot meal and warm bed, Samaritan House shows residents the fine art of dignity. Shelter case manager Eric Johnston launched an art and music program two years ago to help reacquaint homeless residents with ...

Several months ago, an unexpected gift was brought to the Samaritan House shelter in Denver. Deby Schwartz saw a posting online for volunteers needed to help decorate the shelter for the holidays and quickly jumped at the opportunity. Deby, who is Jewish, got in to the giving spirit by dedicating ...

Sara Lugo is the Director of Marisol Health Denver East. Sara previously was the Intensive Case Management Supervisor of the GPD Veterans Program at Samaritan House, a position she has held since 2015 and where she has also worked as a client services case manager. In addition to her work ...

“I’m Tommy and I’m a cook at Samaritan House shelter. As sous chef (second in command), I oversee cooking dinner for 350 residents—plus I train residents in the new culinary program. I’m grateful to work here. I struggled before I came here. My wife was killed by a drunk driver ...

Richard Hall was ill last year and wary about going to rehabilitation. That’s when Catholic Charities came in and helped the 90-year-old man connect with services to help him improve his health and live independently. “We want to keep him independent for as long as possible,” said Roberta Trujillo, his ...

After 22 years of working in higher education, Karl Hotz decided to give his time back to the Church. “My whole reason for retiring is I wanted to serve God and my Church,” said Hotz, 62. Giving back meant being hands on and helping others in need. Hotz, a parishioner ...

There was a time when Million didn’t want to live. At 26 years old, the Ethiopian native’s life drastically changed after a 10-year fight with a deadly virus led to a rare disease of the brain, stripping him of the ability to walk and talk. “Even the doctors didn’t know ...

Katie Abboud and her friends will dress up and run in the Bolder Boulder 10k on Memorial Day to share a special message: regular physical activity plays a part in women’s health. Jen Boryla This year the group of seven seasoned runners will sport teal tutus and yellow sunglasses to ...

Amy Eurek packed her bags in her hometown of St. Paul, Minn., and headed to work for Samaritan House shelter in Denver. She felt inspired by Catholic Charities’ mission to serve the whole person and its active pursuit of its Catholic identity. After several years of working for Catholic Charities, ...

  About 10 months ago Zeresh enrolled her daughter into Catholic Charities’ Early Childhood Education center at Mariposa. The progress she’s seen has been amazing, she said. Her daughter made great strides in language and socialization skills. Zeresh, who lives within walking distance of the center in Denver, shared her ...

Jerry Fitzgerald calls volunteering the sure way to grow in appreciation for life. “To see the struggles and, at times, the desperation and lack of hope in other people—you try to have a positive impact on them,” Jerry said. “It can’t help but improve your appreciation of your own life ...

As massive demonstrations and protests against severe military rule in Burma caused more unrest, Nandar and her husband fled. A government crackdown had Burmese living in fear after some 200 people were killed and many more arrested. “My husband went to the demonstrations and they (shot) the people participating in ...

We often talk about offering time, talent and treasure, with a focus on the treasure, such as donating to Catholic Charities. But what do time and talent really mean? Here are some ideas to consider. Get involved in your parishes, in your church, in local politics. Stand up, defend life ...

Regina Caeli launches substance abuse program Every day people can walk away from addiction, and Mark Sanders is there to help them take the first step. “Many people struggle with addiction, and a lot have a hard time getting away from it, but the reality is that people stop every ...

Some of the smallest teams in Denver have the biggest dreams of putting works of mercy into action. They call themselves Mercy in Action Teams, a group of nine cause-driven teams recently launched by Catholic Charities to encourage people with shared passions to create positive change. Amanda Perrault, a stay-at-home ...

Retired construction manager offers talents to oversee a new Marisol Home operation For Paul Camp, volunteering to renovate a new Marisol Home fit like a glove. His 30-some year career in construction and project management for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service made him the right ...

Thousands joined for a celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and all things green, including the Samaritan House shelter, which proudly walked in the parade held in downtown Denver. “Being a part of the parade was an incredible honor for us as we are a part of the downtown community,” said ...

Catholic Charities staff and ministry partners testified before state legislators at the Capitol last week, urging protection of women’s health and awareness of abortion pill reversal services. Jenny Langness, program director for Marisol Health, and Dede Chism, executive director and nurse practitioner at Bella Natural Women’s Care in Englewood, both ...

The following story was published by Catholic News Agency on Feb. 9, 2017 online. CLick here to see the story. Denver, Colo., Feb 9, 2017 / 12:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Women's healthcare is reaching a new dawn in the state of Colorado, courtesy of a new Catholic Charities initiative whose ...

After nearly a decade at Catholic Charities, Vice President of Shelters Geoff Bennett has taken on new responsiblilities. He now also oversees the Respect Life Office. In this interview with Charity Works, he talks about the thread that combines these ministries – treating each person served as a child of ...

For women journeying through homelessness, Marisol Homes is the last stop before achieving independence. In a competitive and expensive housing market, women in Colorado often hop from shelter to shelter, lacking the long-term stability needed to find independent housing. But with Marisol Homes’ indefinite-stay program and its new location in ...

Samaritan House is celebrating 28 Days of Love this February. And what better way to show love than through the kindness and support of those less fortunate—especially the growing number of homeless women in the community. According to the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative’s 2016 Point-in-Time survey, over 5,467 homeless men, ...

Our vision of Catholic Charities is to provide a continuum of care that eliminates the need for abortion—due to homelessness or lack of family support or lack of medical care. In 2016, we converted our pregnancy resource centers into medical centers and renamed them Marisol Health. We acquired two maternity ...

For more than 100 years, the fruits of the Vettel family’s farm in North Dakota supplied grain across the country. This year, Sherri and Tim Vettel sold their family’s 1,000 acres and gave a portion of the sale to benefit Samaritan House. “I just hope and pray that it affects ...

  Pregnant mom finds support, caring environment at Denver medical clinic Joselyn was shocked—she was pregnant … again. “I didn’t want to be pregnant. I was actually shocked that I got pregnant again,” said the 21-year-old El Salvador-native. “I just couldn’t do it. I was so alone, and I had ...

Since Marisol Health first opened under Catholic Charities, volunteer Jill Heringer has been the gentle voice and welcoming smile to women walking through the doors. “That’s my role as a volunteer—to be that gentle voice that helps them through,” said Jill, a parishioner at St. Mary Church in Littleton. Her ...

Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock stood before the crowd at the Beacon of Hope Gala to thank them for their presence and their compassion toward those in need. “Our job, as Christ commanded us, is to care for his sheep,” Mayor Hancock said Jan. 28 at the Wings Over the ...

It was a little before a cowboy barreled out of a chute, riding a bucking bronco, when Father Randy Dollins led a prayer Wednesday night with a stadium of onlookers. Before a hushed audience, he prayed for the nation and thanked God for the gift of animals at the beginning of ...

On the Dan Caplis Show on Jan. 12, 2017, Larry Smith, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Denver, talked about Marisol and Catholic Charities' unique continuum of care model that will end the need for abortion in Colorado. Listen

Grab your boots and a big heart for a good cause during Catholic Charities night at the rodeo Jan. 18. The National Western Stock Show and Rodeo partnered with Catholic Charities of Denver to offer a night of faith and fun to support services for the poor and needy in ...

Welcome Saint Teresa Prayer Society Members.  Join us as we begin our prayer journey.  This month, we invite you to reflect and pray about respect for life and sharing the love, mercy and compassion of Jesus Christ with others. Together, we can lift-up the lives of each person we meet ...

Thirty years after Samaritan House made history as the first shelter in America built and designed for the homeless, a group of Catholic Charities donors and staff commemorated its years of mercy to the poor. Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of the Archdiocese of Denver celebrated Mass and rededicated the building ...

Thousands are expected to gather outside the state Capitol in downtown Denver for the annual Celebrate Life rally and march on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017. The pro-life rally and march has grown every year to include joyful youth, clergy and families who publicly proclaim the sanctity of life from conception ...

Charity Works interviewed Dr. Linda Montagna, the executive director of Sacred Heart Counseling (formerly Regina Caeli Clinical Services), about its work to serve the community and its expansion this year to address more needs.   Charity Works: Some readers may be unfamiliar with Sacred Heart Counseling. Tell us more about ...

When Jennifer walked toward the doors of Samaritan House with her two young girls, she started crying. “I just didn’t want to be there. It’s not where I wanted my girls. I felt like the worst mom,” she said. Jennifer’s two daughters sit outside Samaritan House shelter with their belongings. ...

Catholic Charities transforms clinics to provide women comprehensive services Catholic Charities opened newly remodeled medical clinics called Marisol Health to provide life-affirming and compassionate care for women and their families. The clinic locations in Denver and Lafayette were recently transformed to increase capacity and meet more women’s physical, material, emotional ...

Justin kept dialing pregnancy centers until someone would help him schedule an appointment. His girlfriend was planning an abortion that day, but he didn’t want to give up. Angela and Justin “I knew that if I could get her in and get an ultrasound, and she could hear the heart ...

For nearly a decade, Ron Cushing has volunteered with Catholic Charities. He says the experience has made his heart grow. “It’s what I am called to do,” said Cushing. “I have found tremendous reward in helping people. It’s made my heart bigger.” Cushing is a painter who’s artwork has been ...

Kansans experience a conversion volunteering at Samaritan House   Despite fear of the unknown, a group of faithful Kansans came to the big city to help the needy. “This was the first time doing this from our community,” said Rick Binder, a farmer from Hays, Kan., 340 miles east of ...

Truck driver Dusty Craven had never seen so many turkeys—2,912 of them, to be exact, stacked in a 53-foot truck weighing in at some 39,000 lbs. But the best part of Craven’s Friday morning delivery to Samaritan House shelter in Denver is knowing the turkeys will feed thousands of hungry ...

Apologist Trent Horn shares method to discussing faith at annual Gospel of Life Conference   One of the most effective ways to discuss the Catholic faith with someone else is not to quote the Bible or Catechism of the Catholic Church. According to apologist Trent Horn, it’s to ask the ...

Plans for new 150-bed Samaritan House Women’s Shelter unveiled Archbishop Samuel Aquila and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock joined Charities Charities CEO Larry Smith to unveil plans for the new 150-bed Samaritan House Women’s Shelter in northeast Denver. Together the leaders announced the new shelter to help serve homeless women in ...

Jan is the Vice President of Marisol Services for Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Denver, where she focuses on sharing the healing ministry of Jesus Christ through Marisol Health, Marisol Homes, Gabriel House, post-adoption services and other ministries focused on women’s services. She has more than 40 years of ...

Dennis, who is on the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities Denver is also the President of CRM Associates (a marketing, sales, and strategy consulting firm) for the past 21 years, and is now in the process of “retiring”. His prior roles have included Director of Operations Research for United ...

Geoff Bennett graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in Production & Operations Management. He worked as an energy trader in Houston, Texas, for 12 years before leaving the private sector in 2000 to work for Catholic Charities in Houston. There, he spent time doing case management ...

Lynn Grandon is the Director of the Respect Life Denver office at Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Denver. She is also the Liaison for Healthcare to the Archbishop. Lynn was the Founding Executive Director for the Women’s Choice Center in Bettendorf, Iowa, as well as Lighthouse Women’s Center in ...

Denver disaster relief managers travel to devastated area, urge support for victims   Two experienced disaster case managers traveled to Baton Rouge, La., from Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Denver to assist with flood disaster recovery efforts. Chip Leckway of Highlands Ranch—a former supervisor of disaster recovery case managers—and ...

After about two years at Catholic Charities, Alison Keough took the helm as vice president of family and children's services. Following her appointment, Charity Works spoke with Keough about the ministries she oversees, what makes them unique and her experience before joining the organization. Charity Works: Tell us about Catholic ...

Lulu Morais won’t forget Aug. 15, 2015—the day her world came crashing down. A grocery store pregnancy test confirmed what the 18-year-old Brazilian native and her boyfriend had feared the most. “I was crying for like two hours straight,” said Lulu, now 19 and living in Littleton. “I felt like ...

Without deep pockets, it may seem like Danielle Mendoza has little to give others. Nothing is further from the truth, said the 35-year-old hair salon owner, who volunteered to give something precious to Samaritan House residents for seven years—herself. Danielle Mendoza cuts hair at her salon in Denver. “I still don’t ...

Catholic Charities invites community to anniversary events Every day for 30 years, Samaritan House shelter has given those walking in its doors a new story—one of renewed hope, restored dignity and a chance to rebuild their lives. Operated by Catholic Charities of Denver, Samaritan House is recognizing its 30-year history ...

June 11 through 17th

“I came to Denver because I was told Fitzsimons hospital could provide me the best care for my medical problems. I’ve been in the hospital, but I need to go back to get my appendix taken out. I’m sick of my stomach being puffy. I’ve had troubles with my insurance ...

“I began to experience severe headaches. Doctors found out it was caused by brain aneurysms. I have had two on the left side of my brain and two on the right. It’s putting a lot of pressure on my kids. When my head starts hurting, I have to stop and ...