For the homeless, not having the little things that most people take for granted — a telephone, a mailing address or a secure place to leave a bag of belongings — can be debilitating.
Thankfully, the homeless in Denver have the St. Francis Center at 2323 Curtis St., a clean, well-lighted place that’s open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
St. Francis gives the homeless a peaceful, secure place for the essentials of life, such as a hot shower, an opportunity to earn chits for “new” clothing or sometimes just a free meal. The center serves more than 10,000 different individuals each year (between 500 and 750 a day), and that number increased by one-third from the previous year. Most are single men, but women make up about 15 percent, and even a few families drift in.
“Most people don’t want to be here,” said Tom Luehrs, executive director and a former Catholic priest who ran an inner-city parish in St. Louis for nine years. “Nobody wants to be homeless. Sure, the shower is free, but you share it with 100 other people.
“These people have limited options, and they want to move on. Our business grows as the economy dwindles.”
Luehrs is a soft-spoken man who easily gives and receives respect. Staff members don’t check arriving guests for weapons or alcohol despite the crowding of people on the edge of desperation.
“We create an atmosphere for people to be on their best behavior. They know they can’t fight, and they also know they won’t be brought into a fight. We will protect them. We treat everyone fairly, with dignity and respect.”
Guests mostly come from the shelters, which close early each morning. If guests need new clothes or boots or a coat, they can work a short shift, usually janitorial work, for a chit to the center’s clothing store. On Wednesdays and Fridays, the Catholic Church soup kitchen provides a free afternoon meal. University of Denver volunteers staff a writing center, something sorely needed by many of the guests.
St. Francis also manages 48 apartments on Capitol Hill for the disabled, chronically ill or elderly homeless. It’s building another 50 apartments next door, at Park Avenue West and Curtis Street, that will open in November.
Luehrs and his staff of 37, which includes seven outreach workers roaming the 16th Street Mall, the viaducts and the bridges, say the hardest struggle is raising money. About one-third of St. Francis’ $1.8 million budget comes from individuals and groups, which is changing as government and foundation funds dry up.
The agency has sought funding from the Post-News Season to Share campaign.
“We do a lot of preventive care, which costs about $15,000 a person per year for someone in housing, compared to $45,000 and even up to $200,000 a year for a person on the streets.
“It’s much cheaper to care for the homeless than to ignore them,” he said.
Mike McPhee: 303-954-1409
