- Organizing Sponsors
- Participating Sponsors
Denver is home to more than 4,700 homeless men, women and children, and the city spends more than $70 million annually on shelter, healthcare and other stop-gap services. Many are members of families with children and many who are homeless for the first time may not be aware of the network of local services available to them. Project Homeless Connect serves as a comprehensive resource for helping the homeless find jobs, and acts as the entry point for other critical services.
For the University of Denver, PHC4 ushers in an ongoing partnership between the University and the City & County of Denver. The idea to form additional partnerships with the city was the result of last fall’s Provost’s conference at DU, an annual event hosted in the fall by DU Provost Gregg Kvistad. Themed “The University of Denver and the City, ” the conference was intended to identify and work toward the resolution of the Denver most pressing issues, including education, public safety, homelessness and economic development. Since the conference, University officials have been exploring ways to more formally join research efforts and service efforts with the city’s agenda.
“Project Homeless Connect is a good first-step toward creating a lasting partnership that will provide better learning opportunities, practical research and solution-building the community,” said Kvistad. “This event also will provide an opportunity for our students to get involved in creating real solutions to the homeless problem in Denver.”
PHC4 will provide the DU community with an opportunity to put a face on homelessness and begin to grapple with the consequences of it for the community at large. By pairing volunteers with homeless individuals, it offers opportunities to provide real services, while also dispelling myths and misunderstandings that prevent finding real solutions to the social and economic crisis of homelessness.
DU’s role
More than 800 University of Denver students, staff members, faculty and community members are teaming up to work one-on-one with homeless citizens to help these individuals move toward self-sufficiency. The DU community is volunteering their time and resources as part of the annual DU Volunteer Days, the largest single-day volunteer effort at the university.
In past years, between 700-900 members of the DU community have volunteered with one of 25 different non-profit agencies over the course of a Friday-Saturday DU Volunteer Days. This year, Project Homeless Connect will be the sole volunteer event for Friday, April 20. Smaller projects will still take place with various non-profits in the community on Saturday, April 21. The Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning facilitates the annual DU Volunteers Days.
Upcoming Events
The Denver Project
A Curious Theater Production
FREE tickets for the DU community!
Classes are welcome. First come, first served.
Thursday, May 15, 8pm Reception at 7:15 There will be a talk back with actors and homelessness advocates after the performance.
Contact Karen.Bensen@du.edu to reserve your ticket!
Video Features
Watch a video about the event.
Watch a student-produced documentary of the event.