Call-to-Action! – Seeking Help for a Pregnant Mother & Her Family On the Streets Reveals No City Resources Available
[A Community Member’s Direct Account]
On Friday at approximately 11ish in the morning, standing on the north side corner of Perry and Colfax awaiting the light to turn green, I saw some folks sitting on the sidewalk leaning against the wall of McDonald’s. While crossing the street, I observed five people walk past them and enter McDonald’s. In English I asked, are you hungry? There was a male, a pregnant woman, and a young girl and boy. I spoke a little Spanish and said “comida?” (meaning food) – they looked startled. I went in and ordered four Big Mac meals and asked staff, who speaks Spanish here? A lady who speaks Spanish came to the counter and I asked her if she could come outside with me and tell the family to come inside, and that I bought them lunch. I then told her to tell them in Spanish that I live across the street and am going to get my phone and will be right back.
I felt so blessed that a customer spoke Spanish and stayed for over an hour translating.
I learned their story: they arrived via bus from El Paso TX this morning. Apparently there were prior arrangements with the man’s brother that resides somewhere in my area that they could stay up to a year with him.
When they got to the door, they told them to leave.
So I called houseless advocates I know with Together Denver, Mutual Aid Monday and Housekeys Action Network Denver (HAND) and left voice messages and texts. I then called the office of the Councilwomen of this district, Jamie Torres, and left a detailed message about this emergency. The time was approximately 12:10pm.
Together Denver advocate called me back and went over how DPD can get them a motel voucher but it will take about eight hours.
Mutual Aid Monday (MAM) advocate called me back and we discussed the situation. She had to unload and pick up another load of resources, but told me to keep in touch. The translator left, giving the father some money.
In the booth next to me was a resident on my floor and his caregiver. This caregiver went ten toes deep. She knew the system and reached out to contacts she knew, no help. She then told me, “They were given papers from the city, did he show them to you?” I answered no. She told them in Spanish to give them to me. The resource list they were given was in English only!@*# So I called the Salvation Army, they gave me the number for the Connection Center. I explained the situation – no beds available. We called almost all the referrals on the papers between her and I. Together Denver advocate was calling District one awaiting a response. MAM advocate called me back and I informed her of the latest. She then tells me she has a contact in the mayor’s office. I called and left a message saying that this is urgent and explained the situation. The father through the translator said, “I see you both trying so hard, I don’t want my family on the streets” tears in his eyes. I told him through the translator that I am so sorry that this has happened to you and your family but please don’t give up hope, it’s Friday afternoon and government is probably starting the weekend but some way, somehow, you and your family will be inside. It’s now around 3 ish. The staff from the Mayor’s office called me and we went over the crisis. He told me that he would reach out to HOST and she would be calling me soon. She did, and reassured me that I can call her at any time this weekend, that she would pick up.
I then observed the mom grimacing in pain. I told the lady translator to ask her if she is in pain and on a scale of one to ten how bad is the pain. She said “5”. I asked her if the baby is moving, she said not too much. I then said to the translator that she needs to go to the hospital. She didn’t want to – she was worried about the hospital, but we convinced her, saying that it’s very important and that I can and will advocate for her.
So the wife and daughter went in the ambulance to Denver Health ER. The father and son went with me via Uber.
Once we got there we spent 30 minutes waiting to speak with someone to find where his wife and daughter had been taken. Then once we spoke with someone, they didn’t know where she was and refused to help us figure it out. After continually pushing we finally got the staff to search her name in the system and found her.
When we got back to her room, I tried to confirm she had an interpreter and they refused to confirm. They made me sit outside the room. Then I ask for the social worker. A nurse told me there’s no social worker available. I told her “well you are speaking to a retired nurse of 42 years and I know by federal guidelines you must have a social worker in the hospital.” I then said “ok so I am requesting that you get a P-card (hotel stay paid for by Denver) approval so this family won’t be on the streets tonight.” The nurse simply said, “I got work to do, good bye”.
I went out to the waiting room and took the daughter to eat. In a bit, the husband and his wife came out and sat at the table with us.
Then a nurse came out with paper work and in Spanish went over the paper work. After she finished, I asked, “so, she is discharged?”
Nurse said, “Yes she is. She has instructions”.
Me: “You are aware that this is an unsafe discharge endangering the mom and baby’s life, let alone her children?! Look how they are dressed. So you failed to advocate for this family? You are comfortable with this? You aren’t concerned about your license and getting sued?”
Nurse: “Listen here, don’t guilt trip me, we have no choice. Since you are so concerned about them, take them home with you.”
Me: “I met them on the streets at 11ish and have been advocating since. I live in HUD housing and would be evicted. Why didn’t you tell the discharge doctor that you feel uncomfortable signing your name on the discharge papers and he/she/they need to find a solution. Since there’s no social worker, the doctor can get a P-card authorization for them.”
Nurse: “We discharge to the streets all the time.”
I then texted the staff from the Mayor’s office, who told me to call DPD. I told him, “In all due respect, you have the power and I appreciate it if you exercise it. This family can NOT be on our streets”. About 30 minutes later, an officer called me. Instead of putting them up in a hotel, DPD transported them to Comitis (a family shelter in Aurora).
The next morning the husband texted me to say that they woke them up at 4:30am and they were being kicked out of the shelter. No reason, just told their time was up.
I proceeded to call advocates and the Mayor’s staff and try to figure out what to do. A HAND advocate answered my call and said they could pick up the family and put them up in a hotel for a week. A MAM advocate called me back and said they could bring them food and clothes. This is what happened. So thanks to HAND and MAM, they are cared for for a week. No help was provided for them from the City, or service providers, or hospital.
As much as the Mayor can try to hide the fact there are houseless families with kids on the streets, the reality is different. Without action by the City, this family and others will continue to live on the streets of Denver in the cold. Community mutual aid should not be the only way families get help. But in the meantime, we have no choice but to give what help we can…
Take action!
- Donate to help extend this family’s time in hotel as they try to figure out more long-term housing (HAND PayPal @HousekeysAction – be sure to note ‘for family’ in the memo) – or reach out for more information if you’d be willing to temporarily host this beautiful, budding family!
- Contact your council person and the Mayor’s office (mayorsoffice@denvergov.org) to demand action for this and other families left on the streets of Denver.
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