DENVER – The old man’s winter has a negative effect on ovens, water pipes and cars, but the resulting misery fades compared to that experienced by those who live outdoors.
Denver homeless people are struggling to stay warm.
Demand for shelter is growing, so the city is leading people to an overflow shelter set up at the Rec La La Alma Center on West 11th Avenue.
But not everyone wants to stay in a shelter.
A few people living in a tent city near 10 and Bannock stay put.
“People can die here and be bitten by frost,” said Ruben Cordova. – I’m going to a motel.
Cordova says he was outside in the cold and was miserable.
“I would burn paper or plastic just to keep warm and sometimes I didn’t even have that,” he said.
While a crew from Denver7 was visiting Ruben, an army of volunteers from four different groups stopped.
A group of Samaritan believers from Ohio distributed peanut butter and popcorn sandwiches.
“We are affiliated with Jesus Christ,” Lakeya Thompson said after handing out the sack.
Pastor Daryl told Denver7, “It’s so cold you can freeze to death and you need some food, some food to make it.”
Another group, Capitol Hill Outreach Medics, brought supplies.
“We bring sleeping bags, tents, whatever the needs of the community, we try to meet them as best we can,” said Asher Crowne, an MSU student who is studying to become a human rights lawyer.
A third group of volunteers brought several foods, including bananas.
And a fourth group of community nurses distributed hand warmers and told residents to look for frostbite symptoms.
“Your fingers turn white at the tips and you don’t get good blood flow,” said Audrey Goodman. “We see it a lot in our customers.”
Some of the volunteers went out all day, taking care of the needs of the homeless in other parts of the city.
“I had a dislocated shoulder,” said a volunteer named Cricket. “Someone had a bicycle accident. I had another individual whose stitches opened on his leg.”
Cricket lamented the frequent sweeps of homeless people.
“We make connections with these residents,” he said, “and every time they are displaced, we can’t connect with them.”
Goodman said, “These are our fellows, and we need to take care of each other.”