Samaritan House

The block that houses Samaritan House in downtown Denver is always humming with activity. From morning until night, volunteers hustle upstairs to help the Catholic Charities team serve meals; generous donors swing by the warehouse to drop off donations and our experienced staff work directly with families, single women and veterans to find the resources they need to secure permanent work and housing.

The block is busier than ever these days with newly arrived migrants coming to Denver. Some stay only a few hours before they head to their final destination, while others start making plans to connect with family members who already call Colorado home. Some of the lucky ones have been able to find temporary shelter at Samaritan House, while others are still working with the City of Denver and other agencies to find a place to live. But, as they work out those details, Samaritan House, thanks to the generosity of the community, has found critical ways to help.

Lines form early seven days a week and are filled with families, women and men who deeply appreciate receiving sack lunches, clean clothes, coats, blankets and other necessities that our Samaritan House warehouse team passes out to them with a smile and word of comfort.

Much can be said – and has been said – about the situation happening at the southern border, and almost everyone has strong opinions about it. But at the heart of the political challenges are confused and scared people who are thousands of miles from home, are cold and hungry and welcome any bit of support they can find.

For many, that support comes in the form of our Samaritan House warehouse team, who are spending their days sorting donated material necessities, making sandwiches and filling brown bags that are handed out to every person who is hungry. Watching the recipients, many of whom are small children, sit down on the curb and scarf down the sack’s contents is both heart-warming and heart-breaking.

As we did when the migrants first began arriving in our state in earnest in November 2022, the entire Catholic Charities team has leaned into our mission to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ to the poor and those in need. Responding to the demand for additional family shelter last year, our team jumped into action, converting available space including conference rooms and offices into additional family rooms. Now, instead of housing 25 families at a time, Samaritan House is sheltering, feeding and supporting more than 35 families each night.

Most recently, when the summer surge started to hit Denver, our Catholic Charities food and warehouse teams jumped into action again and stepped up the creation of more sack lunches than ever before. In October alone, volunteers and employees made and distributed more than 3,000 sack lunches to people who knocked on the door. That is in addition to the more than 500,000 meals we cook each year for neighbors across the Samaritan House community and Catholic Charities early childhood education programs.

The food is always a combination of donated and purchased items, making robust healthy meals. On a sunny Monday early in November, families and groups of men and women stood in line, waiting for their turn in the warehouse to pick up warm weather items, including sweaters, coats and blankets to prepare for cold nights ahead. Each received one of the sack lunches that had been thoughtfully made by our kitchen team and volunteers and most sat down immediately on the curb to devour the hearty roast beef sandwiches, chips, applesauce and protein bars.

Every single person who received a meal thanked the team and expressed profound gratitude.

One of the amazing women who helps run the Samaritan House warehouse told the story of a young family who had been through the warehouse earlier in the day with their baby girl, who appeared less than two months old. They had timed out of the Denver migrant sheltering program and were uncertain about where they would spend the night. They had concerns about the baby’s health and our team worked diligently to find as many warm clothes and blankets as possible for the family. But, as she told the story, her eyes weld up with tears, knowing that the family’s future was uncertain and difficult.

Over the past few weeks, when a call for volunteers and additional donations went out from the Archdiocese of Denver and Catholic Charities, the Colorado community stepped up. The Knights of Columbus delivered coats, parishes organized non-perishable food drives and families and individuals cleaned their closets and made the trek into downtown Denver to drop off donated items. Those donations have proven lifesaving.

Once again, we are asking for your help. Colorado has been blessed with a warm fall, but, as the newly arrived are about to find out, Colorado winters are cold. If you can help with additional materials or financial donations, everyone involved in our Catholic Charities ministry would be incredibly grateful. If you have time and capacity, please join us at Samaritan House or any Catholic Charities ministry as a volunteer.

As Bishop Rodriguez said when he blessed a renovation of Samaritan House two years ago, “Every day, Jesus walks through the doors of Samaritan House.” Your time, treasure and talent are needed now more than ever, and you can make a big difference in the lives of those we serve.

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Donations of material items are always needed and appreciated. If you have any of the following items and would like to donate them to Catholic Charities to use in our ministries, you may do so at Samaritan House, 2301 Lawrence St. in Denver, between 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. — 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. We are in need of new or gently used clothing for men, women and children; non-perishable food; new undergarments still in the packaging and personal hygiene items. To learn more about material or financial donations to Catholic Charities, please visit ccdenver.org.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of Catholic Charities and we couldn’t serve without them. Same-day opportunities are available. Click here to volunteer. Thank you!

As we wrap up Child Abuse Awareness month, Catholic Charities wants to recognize the importance of the month agency wide. By placing focus on collaboration and prevention services within all our ministries, we can help protect children and cultivate families’ dynamics.

Child abuse comes in many forms, including physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect. It has a profound impact on a child’s life, leading to long-term emotional and physical consequences. Catholic Charities of Denver has taken action to raise awareness and prevent child abuse in all our ministries, with a focus on shelter services, Kinship, our program that connects caretakers raising children, Early Childhood Education programs, as well as Marisol Services, our comprehensive network including medical, housing and social services designed to meet the urgent and ongoing needs of women and families.

Agency wide, our ministries ensure the physical, emotional, and basic needs of a child are met. Marisol Counseling is a team of highly trained counselors offering at home visits for families that need that guidance within the home. Catholic Charities recognizes the impacts of generational trauma that many families have experienced and work with them to build foundational resiliency and reduce the amounts of toxic stress their children experience.

Earlier this month, children residing at Samaritan House placed blue pinwheels in the front lawn and enjoyed popsicles to celebrate resilience. Blue signifies the meaning of the cause, reflecting a tragic story of a grandmother in Virginia losing her grandchild to neglect. Staff members used this time to celebrate the courageous parents in our shelters who have gone above and beyond to protect their children.

“Providing year-round shelter at its core is a critical service to children and their families to address child abuse/neglect. Having a safe/stable environment adds a vital protective factor for the parent/guardian and child(ren) and allows the opportunity for access to address food insecurity, pediatric medical care, behavioral health support and respite to the family system,” said Executive Director of Denver Shelters, Orlando Padilla.

Through collaboration efforts, Catholic Charities of Denver hopes to raise awareness about the prevalence of child abuse and the importance of preventing it. By creating a culture of safety and support within our ministries, we are working to give children and families the resources they need to heal and thrive.

“Providing access/support and having one positive adult relationship in the child’s life changes the trajectory for the child and offers hope, as we build resiliency and break the cycle of generational abuse/neglect.” shared Padilla.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, children experiencing homelessness are sick at twice the rate of children who have stable housing. To increase access to pediatric services, Catholic Charities of Denver’s Samaritan House has partnered with Every Child Pediatrics to provide on-site medical care. The integrated pediatric clinic is one of the first of its kind to be based out of a shelter for families experiencing homelessness in the country.

To commemorate the groundbreaking initiative, Samaritan House held a ribbon cutting and blessing event April 20 with speakers from Every Child Pediatrics, Colorado Access and Catholic Charities of Denver.

The project is part of a comprehensive approach that combines primary care and mental health services through screening, communication and coordination in a shelter-based environment. The clinic is open to families every Tuesday and Thursday. Since its launch in March, children from more than 40 families have been served.

Every Child Pediatrics provides wrap-around health care to every child living at Samaritan House, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Their team includes a certified pediatrician, advanced care practitioner and medical assistant and fulfills primary care needs for all children from newborns to teenagers. These services include a wide variety of medical care such as annual checkups, sports physicals, common illness relief and vaccinations. The Samaritan House Wellness Consultant team provides patients with mental and behavioral health services in a primary care setting.

One of the families utilizing the clinic is new to Colorado. It came as a relief to the parents when they learned that they wouldn’t have to worry about finding healthcare for their two boys and newborn baby. During their first appointment at Every Child Pediatrics at Samaritan House, they were able to get their children vaccinated and the team identified a developmental delay for their oldest son and started the process of getting him the extra care he needs.

“Everyone at the Samaritan House has been very helpful in caring for my boys. I am so appreciative for all you have done for us, and I am glad my boys have great doctors that really care,” shared the mom of the family.

Combined with case management, Samaritan House is working with the family to transition into housing soon and they are excited to have all three children continue care with Every Child Pediatrics in the community.

After a family finds permanent housing when they leave Samaritan House, they will be eligible to continue integrated pediatric services at other Every Child Pediatrics sites. Every Child Pediatrics offers high-quality, comprehensive health care to over 24,000 children across Colorado with providers specializing in managing health care needs for families who come from complex life circumstances.

“Families experiencing homelessness are facing an additional barrier of access to physical health care. By partnering with Every Child Pediatrics to provide on-site pediatric services, we are addressing several barriers including affordability, transportation, access and the common issues surrounding receiving care,” said Orlando Padilla, Executive Director of Denver Shelters at Catholic Charities of Denver. “Every Child Pediatrics has provided overall primary care needs to families that are currently residing at Samaritan House. This partnership will change the trajectory of a child’s life and engage them in preventative health care that they may otherwise not have access to.”

Catholic Charities and Every Child Pediatrics are grateful for the support from Colorado Access. The grant has allowed for program expansion and will actively contribute to evaluation activities in the future.

“Samaritan House has provided high-quality sheltering and programming services to individuals experiencing homelessness for nearly 40 years. It has reached a point in its journey to challenge the status quo and provide services that are all-encompassing of an individual’s health. Samaritan House will best serve our pediatric population by partnering with Every Child Pediatrics to continue to address all social determinants of health in a child’s life,” said Padilla.