DENVER – The old winter is affecting furnaces, plumbing and cars, but the resulting misery pales in comparison to that experienced by those who live outdoors.
Denver homeless people are struggling to stay warm.
Demand for shelters is increasing, so the city is taking people by bus to a shelter set up at La Alma Rec Center on West 11th Avenue.
But not everyone wants to stay in a shelter.
Several people who live in a tent town near 10th and Bannock are staying.
“People can die here and suffer cold bites,” said Ruben Cordova. “I’m going to a motel.”
Cordova says he’s been in the cold before and it was horrible.
“I burned paper or plastic just to keep warm and sometimes even that,” he said.
While a team from Denver7 was visiting Ruben, an army of volunteers from four different groups appeared.
A group of Ohio-based religious Samaritans distributed peanut butter and popcorn sandwiches.
“We are affiliated with Jesus Christ,” said Lakeya Thompson, after distributing the snacks.
Pastor Daryl told Denver7, “It’s so cold that you can freeze to death and you need some food, some sustenance to do that.”
Another group, Capitol Hill Outreach Medics, brought supplies.
“We bring sleeping bags, tents, whatever the needs of the community, we try to serve them in the best possible way,” said Asher Crowne, a student at MSU, who is studying to become a human rights lawyer.
A third group of volunteers brought more food, including bananas.
And a fourth group, of community health nurses, distributed hand warmers and told residents to be on the lookout for freezing symptoms.
“The fingers are white at the tips and you are not getting good blood flow,” said Audrey Goodman. “We see this a lot with our customers.”
Several of the volunteers have been away all day, catering to the needs of the homeless in other parts of the city.
“We had a dislocated shoulder,” said a volunteer named Cricket. “Someone was in a bicycle accident. We had another individual whose stitches opened up in his leg.”
Cricket regretted the frequent scans of homeless people.
“We make connections with these residents,” he said, “and every time they are displaced, we cannot connect with them.”
Goodman said, “These are our fellow men and we have to take care of each other.”