DENVER — A Denver church is doing all it can to help as the city of Denver continues to struggle to meet the needs of hundreds of migrants arriving every day.
Guillermo Puppo, the pastor of Cuidad de Dios Church, told Denver7 Sunday that giving the families a place that makes them feel like part of the community is one of the most important ways his church can help.
"We help them emotionally and spiritually in their faith, to receive the strength to keep pushing," Pastor Guillermo said.
He said their church family keeps growing as more migrants arrive in Denver. Some of them are becoming permanent members of the congregation.
"Sometimes you need support, emotional and spiritual support, not only for yourself but also for your for your kids," he said. "There are more immigrants coming, and we're helping them to try to find a place to live. We try to help him to find jobs."
A recently-arrived Venezuelan family — Liliana Guzman, Juan Jose and their kids — said the church has meant a lot to them.
The family of four has been in Denver for only a few weeks but said they've already met several new families and have received help finding jobs.
Pastor Guillermo said while every family's journey to Denver is different, their doors are always open to help anyone who needs them.
"We invite them. We encourage them to come to seek God, God's help, God's strength, and God's resources," Pastor Guillermo said.
He said the church is accepting monetary donations to assist the families if the community wants to donate.
"We'll use it for clothes or sometimes for gas money or hotel nights for a family ... whatever they need," he said.
With the sharp increase in migrant arrivals, Denver city officials said shelters are nearing capacity limits and the city is calling on community partners to assist with shelters, donations and other general support.
Interested organizations can visit the city's website and click the “Sign Up to Help Migrants in Denver” button.
