The services and programs provided by The Delores Project are critically needed. Especially for women, the need for emergency shelter far outstrips the number of shelter beds available in metro Denver. In metro Denver, there are only about 125 emergency overnight beds available for women. While many women who desperately need safe shelter are not counted in any census or survey, the number of unaccompanied women homeless in metro Denver on any given night is at least 550 (2007 Metro Denver Homeless Initiative Point-in-Time Survey). Therefore, approximately 70% of homeless women are without any form of shelter every night.

The Delores Project serves homeless women ages 18 years and older who are unaccompanied or not currently in need of family accommodations. Women who are homeless live in poverty, and many have persistent physical or/and mental disabilities in addition to experiencing the traumas associated with having no safe place to live. According to a 1998 survey by the Journal of American Medical Women's Association, ninety-two percent of homeless women have experienced severe physical and/or sexual assault at some point in their lives. (Browne, A. 1998. "Responding to the Needs of Low Income and Homeless Women Who are Survivors of Family Violence." Journal of American Medical Women's Association. 53(2): 57-64.) By providing safe shelter and supportive services, The Delores Project aims to decrease risk of harm to homeless women and ultimately assist women with the skills to become independent and to stay off the streets.

Delores would not have been maybe my first choice.  My girlfriend found it on the internet.  I asked if they had a bed and a concerned someone on the phone said “yes’, but “hurry before they were all gone”.   She told me the hours to call.  I hadn’t had a restful sleep in awhile; I’ve been so concerned about myself lately, and my situation.

The ex-boyfriend had gotten me into financial trouble.  I lost my home, that took away my life as I knew it; my cup of coffee, my scrabble game on the internet after work, my garden,  and my friends on the whole block.  He wrote a bad check for the rent on my home that I could not cover.  When you lose your home, you are adrift on the sea of life, kind a lost.  You know, no family is perfect, but Delores provides a normal kind of family environment, and we all need that when something like this happens to us.

There is now drinking allowed, no substance abuse going on inside the shelter.  It is not allowed.  Counselors on staff watch over everyone.  If you need moral support, everyone including staff and even us “gals” in need, seem to give that.  How many people take the time to really listen these days?  Maybe, we are all in this together…

There are about 40 women, a wide selection of different backgrounds and races who, 5 at a time wait for a shower when someone goes over their allotted time of 10 minutes.  There is some grumbling going on – not much.  One woman, instead of getting upset with me because a gal had all made us run behind our schedule, took my shower instead of complaining she gave me her time.  That’s creativity! 

These are little things, but big things really.  If people could compromise more, the divorce rate would probably go down.  I think some problems happen in life because of a bad attitude or no compromise.

I’m not saying we have a comfortable life and enjoy each moment together, but we hope for a better spot in the road ahead and get alone with each other for the most part.  Sometimes the girls play cards and more often than not if someone needs talking to, they share their heart.  There’s a lot of heart at Delores.  In fact, across from by bed on the wall is a quilt made by someone special who cares about what goes on at Delores.  It has hearts all over it.  I’m grateful to sleep directly across from it in the hallway and it is there for all of us to see.  It is the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing.  The bed may not be a great bed; it’s just a cot, but we can bring our own blankets.  The coffee can get very strong if it sits awhile, but you can make your own. 

This year I lost my brother and sister-in-law because I had this problem.  I lost them when I needed them most.  I needed a bed and got that and a large family of women and caring staff.  I say that’s a win - win for all of us.  Delores is an organization of helpers who give to women as only women can and do. 

-Written by a guest of Delores