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Catholic Charities breaks ground for homeless shelter in Fort Collins
By John Gleason
On June 27, Catholic Charities broke ground for a $220,000 expansion to The Mission, its Fort Collins homeless shelter, to enlarge the facility’s living area and add an outdoor courtyard.
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Glenn Good, regional director for Catholic Charities in Larimer County, said the expansion will help the organization better serve the area’s residents.
“Essentially this is our homeless shelter, community kitchen and administrative headquarters in Fort Collins,” Good said. “The Mission was constructed in 1989 and over the years the need for its services has increased. In 2010 over 60,000 meals were served and 16,000 nights of shelter were provided. Still, last year over 200 people were turned away because the shelter was full.”
Each year, Catholic Charities serves more than 80,000 people in northern Colorado. In more than 40 ministries, the organization feeds the hungry, provides shelter, case management and referrals, and works with families to build a foundation for their future.
Currently, The Mission has beds to accommodate 40 people per night, which includes single men, single women and families. Additional transitional housing for veterans brings the total number it shelters nightly to 55.
Expanding the living space will provide roomy daytime comfort in a new afternoon shelter and—at time of peak need—additional sleeping space at night.
“It allows us to meet the needs of our guests,” Good said, “to better serve them both during the day and at night.”
In addition to the overnight facilities, The Mission has a kitchen that serves 100-plus meals a day, which includes lunch seven days a week and breakfast on weekends. Guests also have access to shower and laundry facilities and, through case management services, to resources in the community to help with physical or mental health issues, employment and housing. Average stay for those in transition, Good said, is 60 days.
Money for the construction project came in part from a citizens group called the Homeless Day Service Initiative and from Catholic Charities. Other fundraising efforts included personal donations, parish contributions and the sale of individual bricks for the structure.
On hand for the ground breaking ceremony was Stephen Carattini, chief operating officer for Catholic Charities of the Denver Archdiocese, who said the people of northern Colorado responded to the project as they always do—generously.
“Catholic Charities has been in operation in the area for over 40 years,” he said. “It’s always a blessing to see their spirit of generosity and desire to serve the common good. And of course we’re grateful to the Catholic parishes in the area who’ve stepped up with their support. Their support allows us to continue our mission to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ to those in need.”
Also participating in the ground breaking were Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sister Mary Alice Murphy, former executive director of Catholic Charities and a former member of its board of directors; John Dengler, the project architect; and Doug Dohn of Dohn Construction Inc., the project builder. Father Grzegorz Cioch, V.F., pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Fort Collins, gave a blessing at the ceremony.
With the construction project under way, Good said he’s looking to the future.
“The dormitories are 20 years old and could use some fixing up,” he said, “and there are other things we’re looking at. As long as the need is there, Catholic Charities will be there to serve—any way we can.”
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