Each Tuesday, houseless advocacy group Mutual Aid Partners hosts its distribution day at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Grand Valley near downtown Grand Junction, providing services such as food distribution, haircuts, pet vaccinations, Mesa County Public Health and mental health services, and voter registration assistance.
This past Tuesday’s distribution day — which took place only hours after the City of Grand Junction had placed fencing around Whitman Park, closing a park where members of the houseless community often congregated as it undergoes a “reimagining” — was the most depressingly well-attended distribution day Mutual Aid Partners Executive Director Stephania Vasconez had ever seen.
kAm’2D4@?6K D2:5 96C >6DD286 E@ E9@D6 H9@ 925 366? 5:DA=2465 7C@> (9:E>2? !2C< H2D E@ “36 <:?56C E@ 6249 @E96C E@52J” 2>:5DE E96 =2E6DE EFC>@:= E@ 9:E >2?J @7 E96:C =:G6D]k^Am
kAm“%96J 92G6 ?@H96C6 E@ 8@] %96J’C6 =:E6C2==J 2D<:?8[ ‘(96C6 42? x 8@n’ p?J DE23:=:EJ E92E 2?J3@5J 42? 92G6 H96? E96J’C6 6IA6C:6?4:?8 9@FD6=6DD?6DD[ :E’D E96 @?=J E9:?8 E92E E96J @H[” '2D4@?6K D2:5]k^Am
kAm(9:E>2? !2C< AC@G:565 2 DA246 7@C >2?J E@ ;FDE E@ 92?8 @FE 2?5 C6=2I]k^Am
kAm“%96J 8@ E@ E96 =:3C2CJ 2?5 E96 =:3C2CJ’D 366? 8C62E 2D 72C 2D E96J 42? 36[ 2?5 E96C6’D 7@=
kAm”%96 @?=J A=246 E96J 42? 36 2E A6246 D@>69@H H2D E96 A2C<] xE’D G6CJ 5:77:4F=E 7@C FD 2D D6CG:46 AC@G:56CD E@ E6== E96>[ ‘xE’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 ~z[’ 3642FD6 H6 5@?’E @H E92E :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 ~z]”k^Am
kAm’2D4@?6K D2:5 2 4@>>@? E96>6 😕 E2=<:?8 H:E9 E9@D6 5:DA=2465 7C@> (9:E>2? !2C< :D 2 D6?D6 @7 9@A6=6DD?6DD] w@H6G6C[ D96 2=D@ D2:5 24E:@? =:<6 E9:D 7C@> E96 4:EJ AC@G:56D E96 9@FD6=6DD 2?5 @C82?:K2E:@?D 25G@42E:?8 7@C E96> 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ @C82?:K6 >@C6 E9@C@F89=J E92? 6G6C 367@C6[ A2CE:4F=2C=J 7@C 2 D276 @FE5@@C DA246]k^Am
kAm“u@= kAm’2D4@?6K E96C6 2C6 2 4@FA=6 @7 52J D96=E6CD 2?5 @?6 @G6C?:89E D96=E6C 2G2:=23=6[ 3FE D6CG:46D 2C6 =:>:E65]k^Am kAm“%9:D A6C46AE:@? E92E E96C6’D 2 >JC:25 @7 C6D@FC46D 2?5 2== E96D6 A=246D E92E A6@A=6 42? 8@… *6D[ H6 92G6 E96 C6D@FC46D[ 3FE E96J’C6 2C@F?5 b__ 42A24:EJ 2?5 H6 92G6 4=@D6 E@ b[d__ W9@FD6=6DDX 7@= kAm$96 D2:5 2 C646?E :?4:56?E H2D 2 A6C764E 6I2>A=6 @7 H92E 42? 92AA6?]k^Am kAm”(6 ;FDE 8@E D@>6@?6 H9@ ;FDE 8@E $64E:@? g 9@FD:?8 2?5 96C #’ 8@E E@H65[ D@ :E’D =:<6 Sc_ 6G6CJ 52J 2?5 D96 5@6D?’E @H H96C6 :E’D 2E]]]] (6’C6 C62==J ECJ:?8 E@ 36 4@?DECF4E:G6 2?5 H6 C62==J H2?E E@ H@C< H:E9 E96 A6@A=6 :? E96D6 @C82?:K2E:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 4:EJ[ E92E H2?E E@ >2<6 492?86 2?5 H2?E E@ 25G@42E6] (6 @H E96 7@= kAm’2D4@?6K D2:5 D96 36=:6G6D E9:D >@G6 7C@> E96 4:EJ 92D 366? 2 =@?8 E:>6 4@>:?8 2D 2 C6DF=E @7 3FD:?6DD @H?6CD 2?5 4:EJ A=2??6CD’ 9@A6D @7 C6G:E2=:K:?8 E96 2C62 2D 2 82E6H2J E@ vC2?5 yF?4E:@? 7C@> E96 D@FE9] $96 D2:5 >2?J @7 E9@D6 H9@ 925 4@>A=2:?65 E@ E96 4:EJ 23@FE (9:E>2? !2C< =24<65 F?56CDE2?5:?8 23@FE E96 C@@E 42FD6D @7 A6@A=6’D D:EF2E:@?D 2?5 9@H =:>:E65 E96:C @AE:@?D H@F=5 36 H:E9@FE E96 A2C<]k^Am kAm~?6 ?@E23=6 AC@;64E 92AA6?:?8 ?62C (9:E>2? !2C< :D E96 56G6=@A>6?E @7 E96 %6C>:?2=[ 2 >:I65\FD6 C6D:56?E:2=[ 3FD:?6DD 2?5 2CE 4@>A=6I E92E H:== 36 =@42E65 2E E96 4@C?6C @7 &E6 pG6?F6 2?5 u:7E9 $EC66E — E96 @=5 vC6J9@F?5 3FD DE2E:@?] p52> #@J[ E96 AC@;64E’D 56G6=@A6C H:E9 pDA6?\32D65 w625H2E6CD w@FD:?8 !2CE?6CD[ 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ %96 s2:=J $6?E:?6=’D C6BF6DE 7@C 4@>>6?E]k^Am kAm“%96J H2?E E96 A2C< 6>AEJj E96J H2?E E96 A2C< A2G65] %96J 5@?’E F?56CDE2?5 E92E 3F:=5:?8 9@FD:?8 E2<6D E:>6[ E92E 2== E96 AC@8C2>D H6’C6 H@C<:?8 @? E2<6 E:>6] %96C6’D >6?E2=:EJ 492?86D D@ D9:7E:?8 @FC A6C46AE:@? E2<6D E:>6] (6’C6 2== H@C<:?8 C62==J[ C62==J 92C5 E@ 5@ E92E[ D@ H9@6G6C >256 E9:D 564:D:@?[ :E’D E@F89 7@C FD 3642FD6 H6 5@?’E @H H92E E@ E6== A6@A=6] (6 42? 4@??64E E96> E@ C6D@FC46D[ 3FE F=E:>2E6=J[ 😀 E92E ;FDE 2 q2?5\p:5[” ‘2D4@?6K D2:5]k^Am kAm“w6C6’D 4=@E96D[ 96C6’D 2 E6?E[ 3FE J@F 92G6 ?@H96C6 D276] $@>63@5J ;FDE E@=5 >6[ ‘x 92G6 2 ;@3 :?E6CG:6H 2?5 x 8@E 4=@E96D J6DE6C52J 2?5 E96J 8@E DE@=6? =2DE ?:89E 3642FD6 x 92G6 ?@H96C6 E@ DE@C6 E96>[ D@ x’> 8@:?8 E@ 86E 4=@E96D 282:? E@52J 7C@> Wr2E9@=:4X ~FEC6249[ 3FE E96C6’D ?@H96C6 E@ AFE E96>]’ %96C6’D ?@ DE23:=:EJ] }@E 92G:?8 2 A=246 7@C 7@= kAms6DA:E6 92G:?8 96C “DE@>249 😕 @ED” @G6C E9:D 56G6=@A>6?E[ ‘2D4@?6K 2?5 @E96C G@=F?E66CD 2C6 ECJ:?8 E@ C6>2:? 2D A@D:E:G6 2D E96J 42? 36 😕 @C56C E@ 36 4@?DECF4E:G6 😕 E96:C H@C<[ 6G6? :7 E96 A2C<’D 4=@DFC6 @?=J 7FCE96CD E96 DE:8>2 282:?DE E96 vC2?5 ‘2==6J’D 9@FD6=6DD A@AF=2E:@?] $96 36=:6G6D (9:E>2? !2C<’D 4=@DFC6 :D 2 “E:AA:?8 A@:?E” E92E 4@F=5 “=:89E 2 >2E49” 3J 3@=DE6C:?8 E96 C6D6CG6 @7 @C82?:K2E:@?D[ 8C2DDC@@ED 8C@FAD 2?5 E96 9@FD6=6DD A@AF=2E:@? 😕 H@C<:?8 E@86E96C[ 6G6? :7 D96 D2:5 E96 564:D:@?D :? E96 4:EJ 2C6 36:?8 >256 3J E9@D6 H:E9 >@?6J 2?5[ E9FD[ :?7=F6?46]k^Am kAm’2D4@?6K D66D E9:D 2D 2 492?46 7@C E9@D6 25G@42E:?8 7@C E96 9@FD6=6DD E@ >2<6 E96>D6=G6D =@F56C E92? 6G6C H9:=6 492??6=:?8 E96:C @FEC286 :?E@ 4@?DECF4E:G6 H@C< >62?E E@ DEC6?8E96? E96 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am kAmt|t#$~} !p#zpD 2 C6DF=E @7 (9:E>2? !2C<’D 4=@DFC6[ ?62C3J t>6CD@? !2C< — 7@FC 3=@4 kAm’2D4@?6K 😀 4@?46C?65 E92E E9:D H66<’D 56G6=@A>6?ED 2E (9:E>2? !2C< 4@F=5 92AA6? 282:?[ 6DA64:2==J :7 E96 3C2K6? 24E:@?D @7 D@>6 4@?E:?F6 E@ 255 E@ E96 DE:8>2E:K2E:@? @7 E96 9@FD6=6DD 3J >2?J A2DD6CD3J]k^Am kAm“x C62==J E9:?< E96 3FD:?6DD @H?6CD H9@ H6C6 =@F56DE 23@FE E9:D 2C6 C:89E ?6IE E@ t>6CD@? W!2C kAm”pD @C82?:K2E:@?D[ H6 92G6 =:>:E65 42A24:EJ 😕 H92E H6 42? 5@[ D@ :7 H6 H2?E E@ 4@?E:?F6 7665:?8 a__ A6@A=6 6G6CJ H66<[ :7 H6 H2?E E@ 4@?E:?F6 4@??64E:?8 7@= kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ ‘2D4@?6K[ @?6 724E@C 😕 E96 DE:8>2 282:?DE E96 9@FD6=6DD 😀 E92E 3C2K6? 24E:@?D 3J 2 >:?@C:EJ @7 E96> 42? @7E6? 2EEC24E F?H2?E65 ?682E:G6 2EE6?E:@? 2?5 42FD6 A2DD6CD3J E@ >2<6 3C@25 2DDF>AE:@?D 2?5 5:D>:DD 6G6CJ@?6 DECF88=:?8]k^Am kAmp?@E96C 724E@C 😕 E96 DE:8>2 282:?DE E96 9@FD6=6DD[ ‘2D4@?6K D2:5[ 😀 E92E A6@A=6 D:>A=J 5@?’E @H H9@ E@ ECFDE H96? :E 4@>6D E@ 562=:?8 H:E9 E9@D6 H@C<:?8 @? 3692=7 @7 E96 4:EJ]k^Am kAm“pD 72C 2D H92E H6’G6 962C5 H:E9 7665324< 7C@> E96 4@>>F?:EJ[ WC6D@FC46 @77:46CDX 2C6 H@C<:?8 H:E9 E96> 2?5 C62==J ECJ:?8[” D96 D2:5] “rC:>:?2=:K:?8 9@FD6=6DD?6DD 😀 ?@E E96 2?DH6C] %96> 24EF2==J 3F:=5:?8 E96D6 C6=2E:@?D9:AD 2?5 96=A:?8 7@= k9bm!F== “F@E6k^9bm kAm“%96J 92G6 ?@H96C6 E@ 8@] %96J’C6 =:E6C2==J 2D<:?8[ ‘(96C6 42? x 8@n’ p?J DE23:=:EJ E92E 2?J3@5J 42? 92G6 H96? E96J’C6 6IA6C:6?4:?8 9@FD6=6DD?6DD[ :E’D E96 @?=J E9:?8 E92E E96J @H]” — $E6A92?:2 '2D4@?6Kk^Am k9bm!F== “F@E6k^9bm kAm“}@ >2EE6C H96C6 E96J 4@F=5 8@[ E96J’C6 569F>2?:K65] %96 @?=J A=246 E96J 42? 36 2E A6246 D@>69@H H2D E96 A2C<] xE’D G6CJ 5:77:4F=E 7@C FD 2D D6CG:46 AC@G:56CD E@ E6== E96>[ ‘xE’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 ~z[’ 3642FD6 H6 5@?’E @H E92E :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 ~z]” — $E6A92?:2 '2D4@?6Kk^Am