Travis Allen King may never forget the season’s first snowfall last September. “I was sitting in my car, watching the thermometer drop, surprised at how early it gets cold in Colorado.” King had rolled into Denver one week before, not knowing a single soul but desperately hoping to find work and a reason to stay. Now nine months later, as the snow has warmed to rain, that appears to be happening.
I’ve never understood why transient homeless folks would choose Denver over, say, San Diego, especially come winter. King says for him it has less to do with weather than work potential. The tall, mild-mannered 30-year-old with John Lennon glasses and a clean-cut goatee was among 500 workers laid off by Hewlett-Packard in 2006. He’s been looking to put his computer repair skills to use ever since.
Instead, he’s become a specialist in soup kitchens and shelters from Washington, D.C., to Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, California and Oregon. But here in Colorado, King may finally be seeing a light at the end of that long, lonely road he’s been traveling, thanks to some key services, as well as some caring individuals and his own willingness to become self-sufficient.
Last January, the Metropolitan Denver Homeless Initiative found more than 11,000 homeless people living in the seven-county metro area. Nearly 5,000 of those reported to be first-time homeless, many of them losing their homes within the previous three months.
Part of the challenge of solving Denver’s homeless problem is in reaching people like King, who are considered chronically homeless, frequently moving from place to place. They often do not stay long enough to fully pursue the help that’s available here.
For months, King chose not to apply for city or county services beyond food stamps. The paperwork was daunting, but he finally took a close look at the advocacy group The Family Tree () and accepted its offer to act as his co-signer on a one-year lease for an apartment in Englewood.
The group will cover King’s rent and meet with him monthly to ensure he is holding up his end of the bargain, which is to contribute up to 30 percent of his income toward rent. Without this help, landlords would not be inclined to take a chance on a renter with no credit history or track record for holding steady work.
Additionally, King just started a full-time job as a landscape laborer with J Escapes in Englewood. King applied for the job listing on Craigslist. Owner Justin Geissler decided to take a chance on King, choosing him over 75 other applicants because of his enthusiasm. As incentive, the Jefferson County Workforce is paying King’s wages up to $3,000 as job training, and will continue to pay half his wages up to $5,000 after that.
King is impressed with Denver’s attempts to connect with the homeless through many local church-sponsored programs. Were it not for a church event last winter, King might’ve moved on from Colorado, continuing along his aimless journey across the U.S.. But last December, Providence Bible Church involved King in a downtown function called “Night-in-a-Box.” The fundraiser challenged people to sleep outside under cardboard to better understand the experience of being homeless.
Steve Persichetti, a construction contractor from Littleton, was among 160 people to participate. “I was sweeping the parking lot when Steve arrived. He set up the electricity, and I thought, ‘Here’s a man I could really admire,’ ” King recalled. The polite young man with the broom, as well as the frigid uncomfortable evening, made a profound impression on Persichetti, who has himself been feeling the pinch of a tight economy.
When the mercury sank days later, Persichetti and his wife made a decision to invite King to stay with them. Nearly six months later, Persichetti remains committed to helping King become one of Denver’s success stories.
King says he believes “home is where your heart is,” which is why he prefers the term “houseless” to homeless. Perhaps his heart, and the right help, will lead him down Denver’s road home.
Kristen Kidd (kiddstories@gmail.com) is raising two sons in Highlands Ranch and writing a screenplay about Kathryn and George “Machine Gun” Kelly.
