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7 DENVER CATHOLIC | JUNE 25-JULY 8, 2016 303.743.8804 HoranCares.com Helping You Honor Life Dr. Barbara Jenkins, AuD, BCABA Colorado's First Board Certified Doctor of Audiology We take your Hearing Seriously. www.AdvancedAudiology.com 303.649.2122 Centennial, Colorado 80112 Advanced Partner Siemens Hearing Instruments • 85% of our patients come from physician and patient referrals • A+ Rated and BBB Gold Star Company • 2013 Best of Service Award – Centennial/ Englewood Physician's choice for hearing Loss & TinniTus care "Most Ethical Small Business of Denver 2015 Better Business Bureau. Advanced Audiology, Inc. Hearing & Tinnitus Center "Most Ethical Small Business of Denver 2015 Better Business Bureau. 2015 Humanitarian Practice of the Year (National Sivantos Aspire Award). converting the old Central Catholic High School into a shelter for 175 men, women and children. Named Samari- tan Shelter, it drew local and national media attention when it opened to full capacity on Nov. 8, 1983. Aware the recycled building was inadequate, the goal to build a larger, more dignifi ed home for the displaced was realized when the Denver Archdi- ocese got an $8.5 million windfall for air rights and land behind Holy Ghost Church and used the money to buy property near Lawrence Street and 23rd Avenue. The site became the new location for present-day Samaritan House. The handsome brick structure with a chapel and landscaped court- yard includes separate dorms for men and women, family rooms and overfl ow space. Samaritan House's services are still critically needed: 6,130 men, women and children across the Denver metro area identifi ed as homeless in January 2015, according to the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative. Samaritan House currently provides nearly 25 percent of shelter housing available to families. In addition to providing a warm bed, hot meal and spiritual support, residents are helped to self-su© ciency through job assistance, money manage- ment and case management. They can stay for up to four months. To celebrate Samaritan House's anniversary and support its mission, Catholic Charities is inviting the public to upcoming benefi t events, including summer pilgrimage walks and shelter tours, and a gala "Sam's Supper" set Sept. 10. Events culminate when Arch- bishop Samuel J. Aquila rededicates the shelter Dec. 10. "Samaritan House was created to show mercy and restore dignity to those who don't have a place to live," Smith said. "We've been here 30 years and we plan to be here as long as we're needed. A LOOK BACK ON SAMARITAN HOUSE 1983: A bitter winter and oil bust forces hundreds onto the streets, living on building exhaust grates and dumpsters. Father Woody, pastor of Holy Ghost Parish, opens the doors to homeless seeking refuge from the cold. The priest appears on local and national media advocating for the poor. NOV. 1983: Archbishop James Casey of Denver converts the old Central Catholic High School into a shelter—it's fi lled on opening night. 1984: The shelter is inadequate to meet the needs of a growing number of homeless in Denver. Archbishop Casey uses funds from the sale of a lot behind Holy Ghost Parish to build a new shelter near Lawrence Street and 23rd Avenue. JULY 1985: Construction crews break ground on the new building. NOV. 1986: The new Samaritan House shelter in Denver opens its door. It makes history as the fi rst new building in America designed specifi cally for the homeless. Samaritan House provides thousands of people shelter each year. Each year at Samaritan House 125,000-plus shelter nights provided 455,000 meals served 2,250 individuals sheltered