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More compassion for homeless people

I’d like to bring attention to the well being of the homeless folks in my community. After speaking with some folks who are outdoors, it has come to my attention that they have some needs that need to be met, so that we can help them to become more productive community members.

First of all, they are in need of a place to get clean. There is no place for them to shower. Obviously, this is a huge problem. It prevents them from obtaining employment and is a health concern.

Secondly, Garfield County does not offer any services to people who are forced outside, even in the worst of weather conditions.



We need to take care of these community members. They have a range of health care issues that are not being addressed. It might be a physical health concern, underlying condition, mental health condition or substance abuse issue. The housing crisis is putting good, decent people into harm’s way when they don’t have a place to go in the day or a place to lay their heads at night.

We can offer some help with getting clean and a safe space to rest. We can offer a program to help with cleaning their camps. Maybe a free community dumpster. We need needle deposit boxes. We need a public shower. We need a way for them to wash clothes. We need programs to help these people get inside. I urge Gov. Polis, Sen. Rankin and Rep. Will to consider these people we overlook so often. We need to treat all people in our community with compassion.




Megan Jewell

Rifle