DIRECT YOUR GIFT
Please join us in meeting rising health and human needs in the Roaring Fork Valley. You can make an unrestricted gift, which allows AVMF greater flexibility in addressing its needs, or you can direct your support to a specific area.
Links to Community Resources
Aspen Homeless Shelter
Pledge or Donate Now
Help end homelessness in Pitkin County!
The mission of Aspen Homeless Shelter is:
- •Increase awareness of homelessness
•Keep people alive, safe, and fed while they are homeless
•Help them access resources to meet their needs
•Assist in the transition to stability and self-reliance
•Provide compassionate and dignified care to those in need
AVMF administers funds and provides support for the shelter organization.
The Aspen Homeless Shelter operates the Winter Night Shelter out of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Aspen nightly from December through the end of March.
AHS operates the Evening Program nightly, providing hot dinner, access to resources, and a way to stay off the streets. The Evening Shelter is at The Day Center in the Pitkin County Health and Human Service Building, 405 Castle Creek Road, across from Aspen Valley Hospital.
Contacts
Vince Savage, Ed.D
(970) 925-1342
c/o AVMF, P.O. Box 11274, Aspen, CO 81612
Kris Marsh, Board Chair
kmarsh@avmfaspen.org, 970/544-1298
Housing First
Aspen Homeless Shelter is trying to house several locals who, after the closing of the 2010 winter night shelter, are sleeping in stairwells, boiler rooms, or other such places that they can creep into after dark and slip out of early in the morning. The toll this takes - exhaustion, depression, loss of dignity - makes it increasingly difficult for people to transition to self sufficiency. You can help by contributing to Housing First - all funds go to paying rents to house the homeless. For more information on the Housing First model: Wikipedia or Beyond Shelter
Shelter History
In spring of 2006, Pitkin County led the way with convening local agencies, public entities such as the library and jail, and the faith community to address the issue of homelessness, forming the Aspen Homeless Coalition. The emergency shelter opened at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in November 2006, and continued to be open to the homeless each November to April since. In previous years, Father Michael O’Brien informally sheltered several local homeless people that arrived at his door at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
In July 2008, the Aspen Homeless Coalition formed a sub-committee to coordinate shelter operations and explore options for the future. The sub-committee’s recommendation was to form a new organization, and the Coalition approved the recommendation. Aspen Valley Medical Foundation offered to ‘incubate’ and administer funds for the new shelter organization. Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State in December, and a Board of Directors was officially formed in January.
Aspen Homeless Coalition
The Aspen Homeless Coalition continues to meet several times per year to provide the Shelter with support and guidance from the community.
Contact – Nan Sundeen, Director of Pitkin County Health and Human Services, Aspen Homeless Coalition Chair Nan.Sundeen@co.pitkin.co.us, 970/920-5209
