Team distributes blankets, clothing and care kits to people experiencing homelessness
By Tori Mason
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COLORADO (KCNC) — As temperatures prepare to drop this weekend, two neighbors in Aurora are racing to get blankets, clothing and care kits into the hands of people who have nowhere to go.
Nieves Ministries, a community outreach group, operates out of a small office stacked with pallets of blankets, donated clothes and hygiene kits.
For founder, Alex Nieves, the mission is personal.
The organization was inspired by his friend, James Feller, who was helping him build the ministry before dying from an overdose.
“These are actually his clothes right here,” Nieves said. “We just got them from a friend who washed them for us. James helped us set all this in motion.”
Nieves has experienced homelessness himself – the cold, the uncertainty, and the reality of trying to survive while managing trauma and loss.
During winter months, local shelters in the Denver metro area open beds through cold weather activation. But space is tight.
“They have a limited amount of beds,” Nieves explained. “Sometimes they’re doing more overflow than they can handle.”
In Denver, Cold Weather Shelter activation occurs when overall shelter system capacity is exceeded and one of the following criteria is met:
A Cold Weather Advisory, Extreme Cold Watch, or Warning is issued by the National Weather Service Forecasted overnight low temperatures of 25 degrees Fahrenheit or below Forecasted snowfall of two or more inches in Denver Nieves Ministries tries to fill those gaps by dropping off pallets of blankets where they’re needed.
“Last week, we gave them about five pallets,” he said. “The Rescue Mission gets about two or three every other week.”
Smaller grassroots groups are trying to pick up the slack. Most of the ministry’s work is paid for out of pocket.
Some sponsors chip in. Denver Auto Gallery donates $200 every time a car is sold, but the bulk of the outreach is sustained by the founders themselves.
Donations come from a number of sources who drop off everything from winter coats to unopened hygiene products.
Trey Banks with the ministry says demand has surged. He says even with warmer-than-usual fall weather, outreach workers are seeing people living in tents and using tarps for shelter.
“When we see stuff like that, we encourage them to come down to the office,” he said. “We offer clothes, blankets, socks, and amenity kits with toothbrushes and self-care items.”
Those amenity kits, often stuffed with socks, lotions, ear plugs, toothbrushes and basic toiletries, fill plastic bins in the group’s workspace and the bed of their truck.
They say the work wouldn’t be possible without giving hearts.
“Support is everything in a time of need,” Banks said. “Especially when people are facing uncertainty. Community is everything.”
Nieves said his own experience, and the losses he carries, motivate him to step in where systems fall short. They hope to expand their space to serve even more families.
In Denver, families in need of shelter must go in person with their children to the Inn at the Highlands, 2601 Zuni St, to access services.
According to the city, vouchers will no longer be issued over the phone. Intake hours for family shelter vouchers begin at 7 a.m. on the day the shelter is activated.
Voucher capacity has been expanded, and staffing at the Connection Center has increased to better serve families experiencing literal homelessness. If motel voucher capacity is reached, a dedicated family congregate shelter will be opened as backup when needed.
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