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I have been thinking that we need to have a thread that discusses where people who have needs can go for help. Adults, Seniors and Children who have needs are not always able to ask, to look or to write on this forum.
This forum tends to attract the healthy, the young and the successful and discusses their needs and wants and desires for housing and entertainment. The needs and wants and desires of those who have less are not so much addressed. Yet, some of us, have parents, children and friends who need more help to live. Also, I remind many of you who are healthy and young that one day you will not be healthy and not young and you will have different needs than today.
What I want to do in this thread is to show what Denver has available for help for needy residents. I have written some about my problems. I became suddenly disabled about 16 yrs. ago. I was young, making a good salary and suddenly my life changed. One of the big eyeopeners to me is when I had to take the Access-A-Ride, the paratransit disabled bus. The bus would stop at many locations and pick up and drop of riders. I was stunned by the type of agencies, facilities that existed, that for many of us, we have no awareness.
I want to let people know about these facilities and agencies and the help that is available. Many of these are faith based organization and I do not want to get into discussions about religious faiths, either for or against. We want to talk about the help that is available, without prejudice. Organization can be government run, or private run (for profit and non for profit), or many combinations with grants and funding from private and government. I do not want to get into a discussion about whether people deserve help or not. It is up to the agencies to make that determination. Again, is is about what help is available. For those who have problems with money serving the less fortunate, go to other places for your discussions and criticisms—this thread is about the help that is available.
Many of you will be very much surprised as the extend and types of agencies and facilities that exist. Denver is city of caring people and I want to show it. Much of Denver's history, in helping people, is centered on the treatment of consumption (tuberculosis) where the mountain air was considered beneficial, so you will see many organization that grew out of that mission.
I ask others to contribute with information about their neighborhoods, their work, their churches and any knowledge they have of any social help organization and their missions. You do not have to spend much time explaining as a website link will explain their mission. The facilities do not have to exist only in the Denver metro area. For example, we have camps for the disabled in the mountains, let us also talk about those remote sites. I want to start off this discussion with a few agencies and facilities that are not so well know. I know we well talk about the more known in future post.
Laradon Hall Laradon Programs Overview This is an agencies that has been around for many years and helps children and adults with special needs.
Mount Saint Vincent Home Home & School Helping Colorado Children This is down the road from where I live. It started as a orphanage but today has a much greater mission in serving children in need.
One of the biggest social support agency in the Denver area is The Volunteers of America. It is faith based organization being a branch of a very large organization. It branched off from the Salvation Army, many years ago.
It has the biggest program for meals on wheels in Colorado and it has many meal sites. Many years ago, I volunteered in their kitchen, which was on North Larimer. At that time, the area was a very bad area but the area now is much improved with the building and redevelopment of the Ball Park neighborhood.
The website explains many of its programs which includes housing and help in many situations to all adults, children and seniors who have need. It is great organization and has an extensive volunteer network with many facilities.
The Roman Catholic Church has always had a wonderful mission of helping the less fortunate. Being an Italian American, I grew up daily surrounded by the Catholic Church. Though, I no longer am part of that church, I still have great respect for their works in helping others. When I was kid in New York, the Catholic Charities was a big donation appeal. Here in Colorado we have Catholic Charities and they do the good works that I remember.
It appears that this thread is not of interest to others. I suspected that it would be the case as the nature of the forums caters to the needs, wants and desires of the young, the successful and the healthy. It is difficult for the young to think themselves old; it is difficult for the successful to think of themselves poor and in need; it is difficult for the healthy to think of themselves as infirmed and disabled. I make no judgment, as I understand because I was young, successful and healthy.
However, I will continue to post on this thread, alone if necessary, because there will be an occasional reader and if it helps one person, or one person is able to help another person, because of the information that is provided in this thread, then my goal has been reached.
This agency just came back to my attention. It is called Ralston House. It provides intervention, exams and support for children suspected of being sexually and physically abused--a very important mission.
Another non-profit endeavor that is really close to my heart is Project Angel Heart--of course, I am no angel but a food person who believes that people in need should have help with meals and proper nutrition. It is among many other organization that provide meals, like the Volunteers of America. Perhaps I will do a posting of all of them together. This is wonderful organization of caring people and very happy people--look at the picture on the website http://www.projectangelheart.org/about-us/about-us.html --this is what life is about, helping other people. I like their website and it explains its mission.
North Denver being the traditional Catholic area has many facilities to help people in need. I have already mention Mount Saint Vincent, of Lowell, at 42nd. Home & School Helping Colorado Children which helps children.
Back to the Catholic Church in North Denver there is a assisted senior home operated by the Franciscan Ministries, Dayspring Villa Home This is a very new facility. Also on these grounds is a very large high rise senior independent living housing called Francis Heights Apartments at West 26th and Osceola It is well regarded and I have been to this facility . It does not have its own website that I can find. It is in a good well established neighborhood, northeast of Sloans Lake. This site can work well for seniors moving from independent living to assisted living by just moving next door.
I want to add a facility that I think is very important for Senior living to keep them engaged in the community. Holy Family, a RC Catholic Church in North Denver http://www.holyfamilydenver.com/, just south of Berkeley Lake has a senior housing facility located right next to the church. This allows seniors as they age to have good place to live but also allow them to still be a part of the church community that was in their lives.
It is part of the extensive housing that the Archdiocese of Denver operates for the needy http://www.archdiocesanhousing.org/c...new.cfm#Senior
I will be posting more on the Catholic Archdiocese extensive network of support for people.
Have I bored you readers yet, too bad, because I am going to continue posting on this thread !
Livecontent
Last edited by livecontent; 11-02-2011 at 07:19 PM..
Thanks for posting. I actually was going to post a question and saw your thread. I am moving to the Boulder/Denver Area and want to bring my dad along from Oregon. He receives support from Social Security / Disability and therefore qualifies for food stamps, public health care, help with utility payments, etc...and lives on his own, he doesn't need a nursing home. Does anyone have any experience setting these things up in Colorado? He will be 62 this year and I understand benefits can change? Medicare? Where could I go to get information about adult services like this/ welfare? I would be helping him do most of the paperwork.
Thanks for posting. I actually was going to post a question and saw your thread. I am moving to the Boulder/Denver Area and want to bring my dad along from Oregon. He receives support from Social Security / Disability and therefore qualifies for food stamps, public health care, help with utility payments, etc...and lives on his own, he doesn't need a nursing home. Does anyone have any experience setting these things up in Colorado? He will be 62 this year and I understand benefits can change? Medicare? Where could I go to get information about adult services like this/ welfare? I would be helping him do most of the paperwork.
The absolutely first place that you need to seek help is the County Social Services Offices and make an application. The application is standardized by the State over all the counties. This is the Colorado State Link that handles these programs The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite.../1197364086675 and can explain further. These County offices are mandated by the State to cover a variety of programs (This list is a copy from the application with what is covered):
Cash Assistance Programs
Medical Assistance Programs
Aid to the Blind (State AB)
Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+)/Family Medical Assistance
Aid to the Needy Disabled (State AND)
Emergency Medical Services (non-qualifying citizen)
Colorado Supplement to SSI
Medicaid Long Term Care (Nursing Home)
Colorado Works (TANF)
Medicaid Long Term Care (Home and Community Based Services)
Food Assistance
Medicare Part D – Low Income Subsidy
Home Care Allowance (HCA)
Medicare Savings Program - Medicaid
Old Age Pension (OAP) Financial
Since your father is on Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), he is qualified for medicare. That is a federal program and can transfer to his new address. You would have to contact Social Security to make an address and benefit change. They will handle the address change for Medicare. There are some issues that should be addressed such as if he is using a supplemental plan and or prescription plan etc. They are different for each region so he will have to elect different coverage. Since he is moving, he can elect, even it is not an open errollment period.
Being on SSDI does not necessarily qualify you for food assistance, public health care or help with utilities. When you go to the County Social Service Office, the application will cover food assistance and State public health care. It depends on Income, Resources and each State is different.
Help with utilities is under the LEAP (LOW INCOME ASSISTANCE PROGRAM) and is again adminstrated by each county but with a separate application. The Social Service Office can direct you to that office. Qualify for LEAP will also make you qualified for TAP (Telephone Assistance Program) to help you pay your phone bill. That requires a phone application to a State Office. They can provide that information.
The biggest program you need to seek and you should apply directly to Social Security is Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Social Security's Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program which is help to people over 65 or those who are disabled or blind and have limited income and resources. The county can also help with SSI qualifications and Colorado also has a supplement payment to SSI. You can receive SSI with SSDI or SSRI (Social Security Retirement Income) together.
Medicaid is a State/Federal funded program. It can be called by a different name in each State. Qualifying for SSI makes you automatically qualified for Medicaid and that is very important as Medicaid covers long term care which Medicare does not. The program does differ from each state for additional benefits.
Be aware that States differ on qualification for programs such as food assistance, LEAP and many parts of Medicaid. So getting it one place does not qualify you for another place. States also have different programs, while others do not. Also funding is getting tough and there have been many changes to qualification levels and much is depended on the Federal Poverty Level which can differ from each region and will change annually. Programs set up qualification to a certain level of the Federal Poverty Index (FPI) such as 150% or 185% or 165% and they can change with funding availability. LEAP in this year in Colorado went from 185%, last year, to 150% of the FPI so many people no longer qualify.
This is a long post and I can give more information and links. Please provide the county and city where your father will be residing as I can be more specific with help.
Livecontent
Last edited by livecontent; 11-03-2011 at 10:10 AM..
I want to highlight another very extensive social help program in the State of Colorado.
Rocky Mountain Service Employment Redevelopment (RMSER) sometimes addressed as SER. http://www.rmser.org/home/rmser-home
This program operates in all areas of the State and has a significant presence in the Denver area. It provides employment and training to some of the poorest residents. It is noted to help farm workers and their needs. A big part of their program is the operations of the Federal funded Head Start programs for needy children. I think it is important to reach children early and give them some help, development and proper nutrition--that is Head Start.
I have written much on faith based organization that offer services to all, regardless of religious belief or no religious belief.
What I want to highlight in this post is another faith based organization in Colorado that does work for people in need and that humanitarian aid is not always known to most people. That organization is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, known as the Mormons.
I was always curious about the Mormons, having grown up in Western New York, where that faith originated. When I came to Colorado I got more familiar with these people. Being a food person, I heard about the cannery and I just had to see it. So one day, I was invited to spend some time at that location and I helped in the food cannery. It is located in a big relief center in Aurora.
I have tell you about something that fascinated me. They get a great deal of clothing donations, and it hard to store and distribute such large quantities. They wash the clothes and put it in a huge baling machine and it comes out compressed and packages--and these bales were big--well, I just excited about certain things. On with my story.
The Mormons do much in Colorado to help people in need. They do not advertise all their good works but it is there and their social services cover all people of all faith and no faith. Here is a link the Humanitarian aid that they have given in Colorado:
Humanitarian Activities Worldwide (http://www.providentliving.org/project/0,13501,4607-1-2008-859,00.html - broken link) As you can see, they provide services to Catholic Charities, The Salvation Army, Jewish Organizations and many others.
Livecontent
Last edited by livecontent; 11-03-2011 at 05:54 PM..
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