{"id":28646,"date":"2024-03-18T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/compassion-center-grows-meeting-needs-of-durangos-houseless\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T06:36:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T06:36:07","slug":"compassion-center-grows-meeting-needs-of-durangos-houseless","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/compassion-center-grows-meeting-needs-of-durangos-houseless\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Compassion Center\u2019 grows, meeting needs of Durango\u2019s houseless"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Donna
Donna Mae Baukat, founder and president of Community Compassion Outreach, talks to Brian Montoya and his dog Soda Pop, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at CCO\u2019s Compassion Center west of Durango. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

For years, the question of how, and more importantly where, to serve Durango\u2019s houseless residents has been tossed around between nonprofits, local governments and residents.<\/p>\n

And for years, Community Compassion Outreach has been one of several key organizations scraping together resources to try and help people in need of some support.<\/p>\n

The organization has been doing an escalated version of the \u201cDurango Tango,\u201d serving those who have stumbled while doing that tricky dance itself to make things work in Durango.<\/p>\n

Once again, it seems CCO has found itself stepping in rhythmic time.<\/p>\n

CCO faced objections <\/a>when its founder and president, Donna Mae Baukat, proposed opening a warming shelter<\/a> two days per week in November 2022 along 11th Street in downtown Durango.<\/p>\n

\"The
The new Community Compassion Outreach Compassion Center is located on U.S. Highway 160 just west of downtown Durango. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>Jerry McBride<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

But Baukat has only pushed the organization further toward its goals; in December, CCO <\/a>opened what it has come to call the \u201cCompassion Center,\u201d on U.S. Highway 160 just west of downtown Durango. Three months have passed since CCO moved into the new space, a former pet day care facility, and has quickly begun to expand its services.<\/p>\n

Unlike the church that once hosted the warming center, the Compassion Center is expansive and controlled solely by CCO. The warming center was open two days each week. The Compassion Center, in contrast, is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Volunteers also serve lunch there on Saturdays.<\/p>\n

A large common area with couches, chairs and tables abuts a quasi-serving center of tables bearing basic snacks. A large closet room contains bins of donated clothing. In the back, a private conference room leads to an open pantry and office space where Baukat is having a kitchen space installed.<\/p>\n

The storage room behind the office is soon to be converted into a space with lockers of sorts, where clients can store belongings rather than move around constantly with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in the city, but it\u2019s not downtown,\u201d Baukat said.<\/p>\n