According to a 2019 report from brokerage firm, Charles Schwab, about 59% of Americans are only one paycheck away from experiencing homelessness.

Most people who are unhoused have experienced this concept first-hand, or through other unfortunate circumstances.

This is a prominent issue, especially in Denver. Though our recently elected mayor, Mike Johnston, had ran his campaign on the promise of housing 1,000 unhoused people by the end of the year, there are still many acts of service that we as a community can do in order to help those who are being affected.

Often times, ‘safe havens’ such as shelters, require those in need of security to be clean from all substances. This can be an unrealistic expectation for those living without stable housing. Almost everyone in the world has their vices in order to get through the day; who are we to judge those in vulnerable positions and how they choose to overcome their personal obstacles? Instead of judging individuals for how they cope, why not instead provide safety, resources, and encourage rehabilitation?

The Sweetheart Foundation’s top priority is to provide resources and assistance directly to those in need of it. Our protocol is to assemble packages for those waiting outside of shelters or in areas with heavy populations of people who are unhoused. These packages consist of materials such as water, nonperishable food, hygiene/menstrual products, sunscreen, gloves, socks, and Naloxone (better known as Narcan: an emergency medication used for suspected opioid overdoses).

Specifically when it comes to the unendurable temperatures in both winter and summer, those in need of resources deserve support. Throughout this past summer, temperatures in Denver were record breaking , reaching up to 105 degrees. In winter, possible death caused by hypothermia or generally dangerous environmental exposure is not entirely uncommon.

Though our foundation cannot provide a permanent solution for those in this vulnerable position, we do our best to supply temporary fixes in hopes of making people as comfortable as we can at that time.