Denver's homeless initiative encourages lasting bonds between families, churches

Daniel J. Chacón, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 25, 2006 at midnight

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Stuck in a controlling, verbally abusive relationship for years, Yvonne Caporal finally found the courage to break free Feb. 28, 2005.

But her newfound freedom came with a price. Caporal, 38, ended up with no home, no job and no hope.

"I didn't want to be here anymore," she said. "If this is how it's going to be, why even try?"

Recounting her story this week with tears running down her face, Caporal said she realized she had three reasons to try: Jasmine, Olivia and Sylvia, her daughters.

And with a little help, Caporal picked herself back up. She now has a part-time job at Wal-Mart, a three-bedroom apartment in west Denver and - perhaps most important - she has her self-esteem back.

Caporal attributes some of her success to Denver's Family and Senior Homeless Initiative, a mentoring program started by Mayor John Hickenlooper last year that partners homeless families and seniors with religious congregations.

In addition to being mentors, congregation teams of two to six people help the homeless get into housing with about $1,200 for a security deposit and first month's rent.

The faith-based initiative is part of Denver's Road Home, a plan to end homelessness in a decade.

It's modeled after the Denver Rescue Mission's Family Rescue Ministry, a program that has seen up to 80 percent of homeless families stay off the streets after they sign up.

"The city and the mayor asked us to run for them what the mission has had going since 1998, but it's a whole new dynamic," said program director Brad Hopkins. "I mean, it's a broader faith community that's part of this, just new people and expectations, and of course, working with the city and government."

The formula is working.

"We're at that same level, families maintaining housing a year down the road," Hopkins said.

But there's still a long way to go.

Although 141 families and seniors have been helped into housing, exceeding expectations by 40 percent in the first year, the mayor's 10-year goal is for 1,000 congregations to help 1,000 families and seniors.

"Denver is just such a great city with all the professional services that are available, from government to nonprofit, the faith groups, so many great things happening," Hopkins said. "But one of the things we see a lot of our families lacking are healthy, supportive relationships."

Caporal said her family's mentoring team from Trinity United Methodist Church in Denver, which has five teams in the program, "were willing to listen to anything we told them, and they're willing to help us in any way."

The team has provided Caporal and her daughters - Jasmine, 19, Olivia, 10 and Sylvia, 8 - emotional support, financial advice and a new outlook on life.

For the Trinity church, "it's really been a fabulous experience for everyone, a really transformative experience," said Miriam Slejko, the associate pastor.

"Often when people offer themselves as mentors, they begin to imagine how they might help and change the people that they're going to be working with," she said. "But the reality is that we are changed by the relationship."

Same goes for Caporal, who looks forward to buying a home one day.

"It makes me feel good because there are people that care, that want to see people succeed and get better in life," she said.

"I always say there's someone looking over us."

Getting involved

Mayor John Hickenlooper's Family and Senior Homeless Initiative is looking for volunteers.

• What is it? The faith-based initiative, part of the mayor's plan to end homelessness in 10 years, partners homeless families and seniors with mentoring teams for up to six months.

• What is the need? Besides offering financial advice, spiritual support and other guidance, teams of two to six people sponsor a homeless family or senior with about $1,200 to help get them into an apartment.

• Information: www.FSHI.org or call Brad Hopkins at 303-313-2441

chacond@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5099

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