Last month I had the pleasure of attending a Virtual Mission Trip organized by Rev. Denise Bender, a pastor in Denver, Colorado and CEO of Sacred Stones Ministries. Rev. Bender organized four Zoom visits for our team with human service organizations in the Metro Denver area. Each visit was about two and a half hours in the morning with time on our own in the afternoon for reflection and related activities.
The first day Sarah Jackson from Casa de Paz spoke about their work assisting detainees at the Aurora detention center and their families. Casa de Paz has a house where families may stay at no cost while visiting a detainee. They help families with transportation and communication, and assist released detainees with clothing, food and transportation needs. In 9 years they have hosted 3100 guests from 77 countries.
The detention centers are privately operated by the GEO Group and funded by payments from ICE. This was shocking to me. I had no idea of the inhumanity of the situation and that our tax dollars are supporting this travesty of human dignity.
The second day we met virtually with Angela Bomgaars, Executive Director of Extreme Community Makeover. This organization facilitates home improvement projects with volunteers in underserved communities in the greater Denver area. They work with a whole neighborhood block at a time, contacting the homeowners and working together with neighbors to assist those who request help.
The third day we learned about the Dolores Project, named for Dolores Bigboy, a Lakota woman who, after experiencing homeless herself, took in and helped others. Director, Robin Wood Mason and Volunteer coordinator, Stephanie Johnson-Wall shared about their work in the West Colfax area of Denver. They provide weekly beds to unaccompanied womxn. They have a Behavioral Health Specialist and a Peer Support Specialist to assist guests. Also pets, which they feel are important for emotional security, are allowed. Volunteers provide meals and other services.
The fourth day we heard from Haley Andreades Vermeer and Mark Wilson staff from the organization Dry Bones Denver. This organization provides outreach to homeless youth. There is no age limit and no “program,” friendship and acceptance are all they provide, but they do have a small facility where there are showers and laundry facilities available.
Mark also runs their Elevations Vision program, an experiential learning opportunity for young people that combines a wilderness expedition and service in an urban context. Acceptance and affirmation of human dignity is the goal.
This virtual mission trip was an inspiring and eye-opening experience for me. I have been on many mission work trips but hadn’t had the opportunity to have an in-depth look at the needs and services right here in a city in the United States. The variety of services offered, the dedication of the leaders of the organizations and the creativity of the programming is amazing. There are so many ways to think about “mission” and now I believe we need to look at our community to learn about the ways groups here are serving the human needs of our neighbors, as well as looking at mission throughout the globe.
Martha Oman
Chair, Global Missions Committee