\u201cThe community does not have a detox center, so the shelter becomes a catchall,\u201d Knutson said. \u201cThere will always be a group of people who need the ground floor. We save lives every year\u201d by preventing hypothermia deaths when homeless sleep outdoors in winter.<\/p>\n
Rapid testing for clients at the shelter is being sought to help prevent infections in the vulnerable population, officials said.<\/p>\n
The day labor center was closed because of the infection risk, Knutson said. Most of the work was for day labor, which involved clients visiting homes and mixing with people.<\/p>\n
There are no plans to reopen it. The shelter works with the Southwest Colorado Workforce Center to get people into jobs.<\/p>\n
The Bridge\u2019s winter population on the ground floor falls into two main categories, Wilson said.<\/p>\n
The chronic homeless often have mental health and addiction issues, and are not ready for employment.<\/p>\n
The other group includes people who have lost jobs and homes or were released from jail. They focus on improving their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey come unemployed, and we watch them become employed,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cThey are working through a lot of stuff to get their lives together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many get jobs in fast-food restaurants, but layoffs and shutdowns have left them unemployed again, she said.<\/p>\n
The shelter serves Native Americans who have relocated from reservations where jobs are more scarce, Wilson said.<\/p>\n
A major obstacle for the homeless and low-income community is transportation to and from work, she said. Clients can\u2019t afford a vehicle and rely on bicycles. Regularly scheduled bus service is lacking.<\/p>\n
If someone does have a vehicle, they might give others a ride. \u201cThis population sticks together and help each other. They share their resources,\u201d Wilson said.<\/p>\n
Currently, 17 people reside in 11 transitional housing apartments, and there is room for more, Knutson said.<\/p>\n
If a client performs well in the shelter \u2013 doing chores, getting along with others and staying sober \u2013 plus has secured steady employment or income, they can apply to move into an upstairs apartment, which may be shared by roommates, Knutson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf people choose not to stay sober, they are moved out,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are not at capacity upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
For formerly homeless Randy Skinner, 61, getting into one of the transitional apartments was life changing. He also landed a part-time maintenance job at The Bridge.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is wonderful. I had been living on the streets in Denver and Durango for four years,\u201d he said. \u201cFirst on my mind was always finding affordable housing, but it was very difficult, out of my reach. I really dig it here, it really did save my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the transitional housing rules are strict \u2013 no drinking, fighting or drugs. One resident was recently kicked out because of drinking and fighting.<\/p>\n \u201cWe felt bad for her; you have to follow the rules,\u201d Skinner said.<\/p>\n Skinner\u2019s sore back and shoulders has him transitioning out of the construction trades. He is reading and writing a lot. With stable housing, he can work on plans to become a preacher and motivational speaker.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is really something that they offer here. There\u2019s a lot of talk around town about it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The apartment housing upstairs is transitional, but it\u2019s critical for people to get back on their feet, especially as a reference, Knutson said.<\/p>\n If you have not had housing for six months, providing that information for a rental can be extra tough. But having lived in transitional housing creates the critical reference.<\/p>\n \u201cWe get calls from landlords, and all they ask is if they paid on time, and if they were clean, and we can say yes.\u2019 They may not have had that positive past history before,\u201d Knutson said. \u201cThat is how people move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Support for people struggling is the goal of the shelter\u2019s 13 staff and seven volunteers.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople ask us why we serve those with criminal records, sex offenders, or people who just got released from jail. It is because they need a restart. We help people from reoffending, work on areas of their life and get them back to making good decisions for themselves,\u201d Wilson said.<\/p>\n Moving forward, The Bridge would like to create a cottage job opportunity on site, Knutson said. The program would employ shelter residents.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not there yet, but I see a natural progression of a cottage industry that would provide job skills, always moving in the direction of giving people the opportunity to stabilize.\u201d<\/p>\n