Category: CNN Regional

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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By Briseida Holguin

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    TEXAS (KTVT) — November marks Alzheimer’s Awareness Month as more than 7 million Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Texans, live with the disease, and families like the Scotts are urging others to seek help early.

CBS News Texas’ Briseida Holguin sat down with the Scott family, who has spent the past two years learning what it means to care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s.

Lamia Scott said her mother, Marvie, was diagnosed two years ago. The change was swift and painful.

“Someone who was once always sweet, kind, and caring to everyone was now just rude,” Scott said.

Marvie is one of an estimated 460,000 Texans over age 65 living with Alzheimer’s. About a year ago, Scott learned her mother also has agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia — a condition the Alliance for Aging Research says affects about 44% of Alzheimer’s patients.

Scott described agitation as taking many forms, including pacing, restlessness, or sudden anger. For her mother, it’s even more specific.

“My mom’s key agitations are wandering, repetitive questions, hoarding,” she said.

But navigating these symptoms wasn’t easy. Scott said she struggled to find resources and now wishes she had spoken up sooner.

“Had I reported this a long time ago, her doctor could have given me resources, or given me other outlets and things that I could have done to help manage that,” she said. “But I’ll be honest, I was sad and a little embarrassed that I was experiencing these things with my mom, that I didn’t reach out for help to anyone.”

A study from the Alliance for Aging Research found that 32% of caregivers feel reluctant to talk to healthcare professionals about agitation because they feel guilty.

Scott hopes others won’t wait.

“The longer you wait to seek help or to ask questions, the tougher and the harder it’s going to get,” she said.

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By Makaylah Chavez

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    LONDON, Texas (KRIS) — A small faith-based boutique in London is teaming up with a local muralist to share a message of hope and gratitude this holiday season.

Known, a faith-based clothing boutique owned by Laura Noyola-Acevedo and her husband, opened in August with a mission to build community through faith. The boutique was born, Noyola-Acevedo says, from a calling to create a place where people could gather, connect and feel seen.

“We really felt God calling us to break bread with people,” she said. “To create community and fellowship.”

As the holidays approached, the couple wanted their storefront to reflect that mission. Instead of swapping out the balloon arch from their grand opening, they envisioned something more meaningful. So they called their friend — and well-known Coastal Bend muralist — Daniel DeLeon.

DeLeon, known for his large-scale artwork across the region and state.

“Even though I’m afraid of heights, there’s a kind of peace that comes from going out there and creating something for the community.”

He took on a new challenge: painting a detailed Nativity scene directly onto the shop’s windows. But creating art on glass, he said, is far from easy.

He completed the mural once — only for rain to wash most of it away.

Painting on windows “doesn’t hold much paint,” DeLeon said, adding that it required “more brush work” and significantly more time. Even so, he decided to start over and bring the project back to life.

“It’s my first time painting anything on a window,” he said.

Noyola-Acevedo asked for a “starry night” look — dark skies framing a glowing baby Jesus.

“God is our light,” she said. “So I wanted the light beaming on Jesus, because it’s all about Him.”

The project also carried personal meaning for Noyola-Acevedo. She said she had hoped for years that DeLeon would create something for their family, but they could never quite decide what the right piece would be. This mural, she said, ended up being “bigger than anything we could have imagined.”

For DeLeon, the mural was equally significant.

“If you can overcome your past and leave something for the community to appreciate or learn from — that means something,” he said.

Noyola-Acevedo hopes the window display inspires others to use their own gifts for good.

“When we use our different gifts together, it becomes so much more powerful,” she said.

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By Bella Popadiuk

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    WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Two Waco residents who bonded over their shared love of exercise have taken their friendship to an extraordinary level — one that literally saved a life.

Matt Shane and Todd Monsen’s story began at church, where they quickly discovered their mutual passion for staying active. But when Shane faced a life-threatening health crisis, their friendship would be tested in ways neither could have imagined.

On May 17, 2023, Shane gained something life-changing while Monsen made an incredible sacrifice — connecting them forever through a successful kidney transplant.

“The kidney list right now, there’s 93,000 people waiting for a kidney and on the list itself, it’s about 4- 4.5 to 5 years on that list,” Shane said.

Shane had been battling a rare chronic kidney disease that eventually progressed to stage five kidney failure. He desperately needed a new kidney.

“Seeing him go through all that was hard, you know, because I know how active and stuff he normally is and wants to be,” Monsen said.

Watching his friend struggle, Monsen contacted the transplant program to see if he could help. The two men had formed a strong bond quickly after meeting.

“It turns out we just have a lot in common and so we were friends pretty quickly,” Monsen said.

Soon after testing, Monsen discovered he was Shane’s perfect match — news that overwhelmed both men.

“I can’t explain the words. When he told me it was, I just broke down just because it meant so much to me that I could get off of dialysis, I could get back to my life again, because I was so sick,” Shane said.

The transplant has transformed both their lives in indescribable ways. Shane’s recovery has exceeded expectations.

“My kidney is doing excellent,” Shane said.

His doctors are thrilled with the results of the surgery.

“I asked them, hey, is, are there things that I need to worry about? And they said, no, your kidney is doing fine. You’re great,” Shane said.

Both men have returned to their active lifestyles with renewed vigor. In recent months, they participated together in the Waco Ironman on a relay team and completed the Lone Star Circle of Life bike tour.

Monsen’s recovery has been equally remarkable. He completed a full Ironman less than a year after his operation and recently hiked the Grand Canyon with other kidney donors.

“I would say that since donating, I don’t feel like I gave something up. I actually feel like I gained more in return, knowing that I was able to help Matt, but then also you know continuing with my life the way I wanted to,” Monsen said.

The friends encourage others to consider organ donation, noting there are several ways to help through donation, including blood donation. They emphasize that the easiest way to become an organ donor is to register when getting a driver’s license.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KXXV verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Hannah McIlree

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    OMAHA (KMTV) — A toy store in downtown Omaha is creating a unique shopping experience specifically designed for families with special needs children.

Oak and Acorn, located in the Flatiron building on a quiet stretch of downtown, offers something most toy stores don’t – the opportunity for children to actually play with toys before purchasing them.

Store owners Jaime and Danielle Montes opened the business after struggling to find appropriate toys for their own family. All three of their children have autism, which inspired them to create a space that serves families facing similar challenges.

“We wanted to find some sensory toys and some other toys that were just awesome or easy for them to play with and there was really no brick and mortar place that has that,” Jaime Montes said.

The store specializes in items for infants and children, with a particular focus on sensory toys and products that work well for children with special needs. Beyond toys, Oak and Acorn features a book section with options for older children as well.

Montes said his personal favorite from their book collection is a title about the lore behind “The Lord of the Rings.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. ­­­KMTV verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.