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6 APRIL 23-MAY 13, 2016 | DENVER CATHOLIC Around the Archdiocese This is the… second part of a series of… articles showcasing the many ways the annual Archbishop's Catholic Appeal enables and furthers the… mission of the…Archdiocese of Denver. T hree years ago, Karie Ann King had an epiphany. "I decided to change my life," she said. "I decided to fully surrender my life to the Lord and give everything that I have to him. By doing so, I've been able to straighten out my life. I've been able to see more clearly." After a period of homelessness and hardship, King and her two-year-old daughter, Raquel, sought the services of Samaritan House, a Catholic home- less shelter located in the heart of Denver, and part of which is paid for by the Annual Archbishop's Catholic Appeal. Her story serves as the inspira- tion for the theme of this year's appeal, "Because of You." "I was a victim of the streets, I was a victim of homelessness, but I'm not a victim of life. I called the Lord, and he answered my prayer," King said. "He's given me you to be strength- ened. Because of your support and your generosity, it's made me a better person today. Because of Samaritan House, I am able to go home to my home. I am not a lost person, I am not a person without hope. I've got everything I could possibly want." King had been living a life on the run. A series of bad decisions left her broken and with a felony record. She ran from the law, always looking over her shoulder, and ended up living on the streets for a time. It was on those streets, on a city block in Oregon, that God found King. He lifted her up and made her whole again.© "I was scared straight. God humbled me on that city block," she said. Since then, her life hasn't been the same. She moved back to Colorado with her parents, turned herself in and spent four months in jail. She was released with two years' probation, and is now on unsupervised probation.© Living with her parents was a cramped ordeal, she said. They all lived together in a small apartment, and King knew that she needed to move out. However, she had no other place to go, Catholic School s Catholic School s Private Night Private Night For additional information contact Elitch Gardens at: 303.595.4386 X162 • GroupSales@ElitchGardens.com Purchase tickets online at ElitchGardens.com Friday, May 20, 2016 Friday, May 20, 2016 5pm - 10pm $24 99 ONLY EACH Regular Price $46.99 Promo Code: CATHOLIC Because of You: Karie's story BY AARON LAMBERT aaron.lambert@archden.org @AaronLmbrt To hear more of Karie's story and to donate to the Arch- bishop's Catholic Appeal, visit http://archden.org/almsgiving. ARCHBISHOP'S CATHOLIC APPEAL Karie Ann King experienced a period of hardship and homelessness, but the Lord's mercy and Samar- itan House helped her to turn her life around. Samaritan House and other archdiocesan out- reach organizations, are made possible by generous dona- tions to the Arch- bishop's Catholic Appeal. PHOTOS BY ANDREW WRIGHT/ DENVER CATHOLIC