DENVER — It may seem small, but giving someone in need a hot meal can have one of the biggest impacts on their lives, especially during the holidays.
That's how the Community Outreach Services Center in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood gets people through the doors.
But they offer visitors so much more than that.
“We provide basic needs, housing, peer support, employment and community wealth building,” LaShawn Marshall, who works at the center, told Denver7. “We’re just a little portion that do our part and we're just trying to help break down the needs of the people.”
Denver7 was there for one of the center's weekly community meals, called ‘What’s Up Wednesday,’ serving those in need. Volunteer and cook Sarah Speed was serving barbecue chicken sandwiches.
“We go out in the morning. We hand out flyers in the community where they're crowded, you know, like the St. Francis Center. And then they come in at two o'clock, and we have a meal prepared for them,” she explained.
The center offers additional services to those who attend. The hope is to help people at various levels of need.
“They come in, we call it crawling when they have a lot of needs. And then we try to step up to the walk and progress,” Speed said.
As a thank you for everything the center’s volunteers do, Denver7 anchor Jason Gruenauer surprised the group with lunch, courtesy of Safeway.
“We know how hard you all volunteer and work feeding our community, so for today, we wanted to say thank you for that by feeding you,” he said to the surprise and applause of the group.
But that's not all.
Denver7 has opened a Denver7 Gives Fund where all the money raised will go toward supporting the center’s mission.
“We don't want anything for doing the work because that's what we're here to do, but we appreciate it so much as gracious to us,” Marshall said.
“We feel so good about helping people,” Speed added.
Denver7 features the stories of people who need help and now you can help them with a cash donation through Denver7 Gives. One hundred percent of contributions to the fund will be used to help people in our local community.
To donate to this campaign or choose another to support, use the secure form below.
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