Catholic Charities Closing 2 Locations
DENVER (CBS4) - After helping many Coloradans through the recession, now Catholic Charities is feeling the economic pinch. The charity says it's closing some of its locations to save money.
The president of Catholic Charities Denver, Jonathan Reyes, says the main location at 41st and Pecos, the administration building, will remain open to help provide some of the services offered at the two locations that are closing -- one in Aurora and another in Denver.
Many of the services offered at those locations won't be available anymore, even at the main office. They are critical services like food and clothing.
"It's just that they can't afford to be doing it any longer," former employee Michelle Novonty said.
In Aurora, Novonty says she's wrapping up cases with patients after being laid off in June when the outpatient counseling program was also cut. Now the emergency services centers, located off Potomac in Aurora, and in Denver off Byers, will shut down in September.
"It's not good," Novonty said.
The Cervantes family of three, soon to be four, go to the Aurora center monthly to make ends meet.
"They have everything," Patricia Cervantes said. "For the baby they have newborn bottles, they give you napkins, they give you toys for baby, clothes."
"The cost of maintaining two fixed sites has become unsustainable. A critical challenge facing many in our community is to avoid eviction or foreclosure. By making these changes Catholic Charities will be able to devote financial resources to helping to keep people in their homes," Reyes said in a statement released to CBS4.
Patrons can still go to the main location or various parishes by appointment and still get financial and utility assistance.
"We have barely enough money for our gas and food and for us to go all the way down there is going to be even harder," Cervantes said. "We won't have transportation."
People who are in need of the food items will be directed to other organizations.