And why your support is essential this season. 

In Colorado, it feels like conversations about homelessness are everywhere—at work, in the news, across the dinner table, and throughout our neighborhoods. Policies are shifting quickly. Emotions are running high. And far too often, people experiencing homelessness get reduced to talking points instead of being seen as human beings navigating unimaginable challenges. 

But behind the political noise, something very real is happening: 

Women, gender-diverse people, and their children across Denver are simply trying to stay safe. Trying to find stability. Trying to rebuild. 

For many of them, The Gathering Place is the first open door—and sometimes the only safe one. 

Colorado’s crisis is growing—but the most vulnerable are often the most invisible 

Metro Denver continues to see rising homelessness, including more first-time homelessness and higher numbers of families and young adults with nowhere else to go. The people we serve are at the greatest risk: 

• Survivors of domestic violence escaping dangerous situations 
• LGBTQ+ community members rejected by family 
• Gender-diverse people who cannot safely enter general shelters 
• Parents trying to keep their children warm 
• People whose options are shrinking as costs rise and systems strain 

These community members deserve more than temporary relief. 
They deserve safety. Stability. Healing. Hope. 

And that is what The Gathering Place provides, every day. 

We meet people where they are—with dignity, trust, and safety 

At The Gathering Place, people find immediate relief: 

• Hot meals 
• Showers and laundry 
• Clothing 
• A nap room 
• Mail services 
• Computer access 
• A safe, welcoming space 

But survival is only the beginning. 

We build pathways to long-term stability 

Through trauma-informed, low-barrier care, we help members build the futures they deserve: 

• Housing navigation and case management 
• Physical, mental, and sexual health care 
• Peer recovery and trauma-informed support 
• Family navigation 
• Programs that build community, confidence, and purpose 

This is not fast work. It is human work. 
It is relationship-building, trust-building, healing work. 
And it changes lives. 

Why this matters now: When politics are noisy, compassion must be louder 

Colorado is in a moment where decisions about homelessness feel urgent and sometimes divisive. People want quick wins. But real people—our neighbors—shouldn’t get lost in the rush for solutions. 

Here’s the truth: 

• Survivors of violence still need a safe place to go. 
• Gender-diverse people still need a community where they are accepted. 
• Families still need support as they rebuild. 
• And people experiencing homelessness still need dignity—always. 

No policy disagreement changes those needs. 

That’s why The Gathering Place is essential. 
We show up for the people who are too often overlooked. 

This season, your generosity helps your neighbors navigate the path ahead 

As the year comes to a close, we enter the most important giving season for our organization. Colorado Gives Day, workplace giving, monthly gifts, and year-end contributions all help sustain the programs thousands of people rely on. 

Your support matters because: 

• You provide safety to domestic violence survivors starting over. 
• You give LGBTQ+ community members a place where they can show up exactly as they are. 
• You help parents keep their children warm, fed, and cared for. 
• You strengthen a community space that has existed since 1986—one built on belonging, not judgment. 

Your gift tells someone: 
“You deserve stability, and you’re not walking this path alone.” 

How you can support right now 

• Give today or schedule your Colorado Gives Day contribution 
• Become a monthly donor and sustain critical programs 
• Share this message with friends, coworkers, or your business community 
• Encourage your workplace to match your gift 
• Make The Gathering Place part of your family’s or company’s giving tradition 

Every gift helps someone navigate the path ahead. 
Every act of compassion pushes back against fear, stigma, and isolation. 
Every contribution builds a Colorado where everyone—no matter their story—has a chance at stability.