Joshua Station has a remarkable story.
In the 1990s we were spending time with unhoused youth and young adults who visited our Prodigal Coffee House on East Colfax. As Capitol Hill gentrified and many derelict mansions were renovated, those big “squats” became unavailable for shelter. We followed our youth into cheap and seedy motels they sometimes stayed in.
For several years, we hosted a Thanksgiving dinner at a motel that to this present day is a very rough spot. The meal was supposed to be for street kids, but all these other families came, and gradually we started to see their world through their eyes, which opened our eyes to what it would be like to live in a motel as a family. We began dreaming…
Unhoused families prompt the dream
After working with families experiencing poverty in the 1990s and 2000s on Capitol Hill and East Colfax, we desired to offer safe transitional housing. It often broke our hearts to see families with children staying in East Colfax motels—surrounded by drug and sex trade in their hallways and parking lots—when they had a place to stay at all. In 2001 we bought a blighted Motel 7, formerly the Spa Motor Inn, in the central Platte Valley.
People come together to build
With a massive community effort, we begin renovating the building. Hundreds of volunteers showed up with tools in hand. The old swimming pool became a playground. The bar became our restaurant, and later our residents’ shared kitchen and dining space. The upstairs event space became our Community Room. Motel rooms were lovingly furnished and decorated into residence units.
We develop supportive services
At the start, we focused simply on safety and a spirit of welcome. We hired a manager and front desk clerk, trusting that relief in a safe haven would allow people to move forward.
To be sure, staying in a safe place was absolutely critical. In many cases, however, it did not prove to be sufficient. To our dismay, it was not uncommon for families to move on and experience homelessness again.
From models all over the country, we sought out best practices. When children began getting in trouble on site, we hired a youth worker. Community resources available to our residents were hard to navigate, so we added family advocates (case managers). As kids struggled academically, we began working with schools and provided educational support. As we learned more about how past trauma burdens both children and adults with present challenges, we enlisted therapists and started a counseling program. We provided legal assistance. More recently, we’ve added an adult education and employment program to equip residents for self-sufficiency.
Rising to pandemic challenges
Our program continually evolves and adapts. The outbreak of Covid-19 proved the biggest test yet, requiring great resiliency on the part of our families and staff team. Hundreds of donors and volunteers rallied to keep our residents fed, safe, and supported. Amid the challenges, our families are persevering toward their goals, moving into long-term housing, and providing for their families.
We’re thankful for God’s blessings and provision along the way. And we’re forever inspired by our resourceful and courageous residents.
Come Celebrate with us on September 10!
Join us for a fun-filled celebration of families! A joyful open-air reunion of former and current residents, volunteers, donors, and partners – with friends too. Bouncy castle, live music, games, food on the grill, and … petting goats. Yessss goats!
Why: To celebrate all God’s blessings over 20 years (not a fundraiser)
When: Saturday, September 10, 2022 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Where: Joshua Station, 2330 W. Mulberry Place, Denver
Who: JS supporters and well-wishers, past and present residents
Bring: (optional): Your favorite packaged chips or cookies (not homemade, in light of pandemic), also a memento/object from your time at Joshua Station (for a photo display)
RSVP: Not essential but VERY helpful (# of adults/kids)
