The Delores Project
The Delores Project will provide safe, comfortable overnight shelter to adult single women who are homeless and limited resources. Our model of service is one of hospitality, respect and regard for the dignity of each guest. In order to serve the most marginalized persons, those who do not easily access mainstream services, attention is given to simplifying admission and program requirements.
Description:
The Delores Project is a 50-bed emergency overnight shelter housing single adult women who might otherwise have to sleep on the street or in other circumstances which put them at grave risk.
Statement of Need
The need for emergency shelter for homeless women in metro Denver is immense and increasing. According to the report, ‘Homelessness in the Denver Metropolitan Area’, published in April 2005 by the Metropolitan Denver Homeless Initiative and the Colorado Department of Human Services, over 800 homeless single women were counted throughout metro Denver in a single day. It also identifies single women as being more vulnerable on the street, having fewer options for shelter/housing and having a higher incidence of mental illness than other homeless persons. The Delores Project fills to capacity every night and turns away an average of 8 women daily, not including those who are informed elsewhere that Delores is filled for that night. Of the women sheltered last year, 39% have physical disabilities and 64% have mental disabilities, 51% disclose they are survivors of domestic violence, 39% report sleeping outdoor prior to seeking shelter at The Delores Project.
An Award-Winning Program
Women seeking shelter at The Delores Project are offered a safe, comfortable place to stay while seeking more permanent housing. The living room/dining area and dormitory-style sleeping areas are enhanced by hand-made quilts and comfortable furnishings. It is a place where women are treated with kindness and respect, where they can rest from the dangerous and traumatic experience of being without a place to live. Information, referrals and on-site outreach services are available to meet the many needs of guests, especially regarding affordable, subsidized or supportive housing. The Delores Project’s inviting atmosphere, service which respects each woman as an individual, and care to keep requirements for admission and stay minimal, allow it to reach out to women who are chronically homeless, mentally ill or who face serious barriers to achieving safe shelter.
Shelter hours are seven days a week, 4:30 pm – 8:00 am. Our staff help women to identify a place to go during closed hours, such as a day shelter (i.e. the Gathering Place or St. Francis Center), nonprofit programs and other community resources.
The Executive Director, Volunteer Director, Program Director, Development Director, Transitional Advocate, House Coordinator and Residential Assistants are responsible for overall program operations and management, coordination with the outside service agencies, linkages to other community programs, and other operations responsibilities. Staff work individually with every guest to connect them with services to meet needs such as appropriate housing, medical services, counseling, treatment programs, employment resources, etc.
Weekly house meetings engage women in The Delores Project community, serving as a forum to provide orientation, information/resource sharing, feedback, with one meeting per month being dedicated to Housing Options Workshop by Community Housing, Inc./Denver Human Services. In addition, outside presenters are invited to speak to guests occasionally, such the Rape Awareness and Assistance Program, the Colorado Domestic Violence Coalition, and EarthLinks. Medical services are provided every other week by a fully-equipped and professionally staffed mobile medical clinic which provides on-site services for four hours every other week. Referrals are frequently made to outside agencies to help guests receive more intensive services as needed.
Funding
The Delores Project is funded by federal, state and city grants, private foundations, corporations, community groups, faith communities and individuals. Its cash budget is kept low by the solicitation of many donated goods and services (meals, food, household supplies, personal items for guests, office supplies, furnishings, pro bono professional services, laundry services, etc.).
The Delores in our name is a real person , a Lakota woman who came to Denver from South Dakota. She was often homeless and on the street. Her situation was complicated by developmental and substance abuse issues, with generally deteriorating health. She was too often a victim of the physical and sexual violence which are part of being homeless. She received services from several agencies in Denver but, sadly, seemed to be one of those people who fall through the cracks in the system.
History:
History of the Organization
The Delores Project opened its doors to homeless women on January 10, 2000 and was operated as a collaborative partnership of public and private agencies including the Denver Department of Human Services, the Empowerment Program, the Gathering Place, St. Francis Center, Samaritan House, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, and Brothers Redevelopment, Inc. Day-to-day operations were managed by a full-time coordinator. An Advisory Board of representatives of these agencies provided program development assistance, fundraising efforts, and financial oversight to The Delores Project.
In 2001 The Delores Project became a separate entity under the auspices of the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center, from which it derived its charitable organization tax status for three years. This relationship was key to the organization’s development of excellent nonprofit management practices and capacity. In 2004 The Delores Project became incorporated as a nonprofit in the State of Colorado and received its Internal Revenue Service 501(c)(3) status determination.
The organization has developed and expanded its Board of Directors to include members whose combined professional expertise, ability to contribute financially and raise funds, and dedication as trustees of our organization’s stakeholders, position it to take The Delores Project into the future. The board provides policy governance, fundraising and financial oversight and monitors adherence to mission. A full-time Executive Director manages the program, is responsible for administration, staffing, finance, and program excellence. In 2004 two important program additions had been added. For the first time ever we operated an alternate-site summer shelter. In September 2004 we began the position of Transitional Advocate, who offers short-term case management services to shelter guests. In December 2006, we moved into our permanent year-round building.
Contact person: Lorie Beth Brey, Volunteer Manager, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (303) 534-1387
Address:
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PO Box 1406
Denver, CO 80201 |
Web Site: http://www.thedeloresproject.org
Directions:
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Address is kept confidential to protect guest's privacy. Address is given out on a need to know basis.
Nearest Bus Stop: 9, 5 minute walk |
Miscellaneous Information
| Is this organization faith-based? |
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No
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| Last updated on June 10, 2009 |
