Denver City Wire

Daily Update on Migrant Sheltering and Support for 5/18/23

The City and County of Denver is providing this daily update on the ongoing activity to support migrant sheltering.

On May 18, Denver received a chartered bus with 41 migrants, seven of which were children, which was organized by Texas state officials. Until this point, people have been arriving in Denver on commercial transportation and this is the first bus coordinated by another state which Denver has received.

Arriving migrants are currently being welcomed at the city’s Reception Center between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Reception Center is currently open seven days a week.

The city is doing everything possible to ensure people are not unsheltered, especially given sudden changes in weather that often occur in Denver during the spring. Currently there are five shelters housing nearly 1,200 people.

As of Thursday, May 18, below are the most up-to-date numbers reflected in the city dashboard*:

• Number of Migrants that Arrived on May 18 (as of 5/18/23 at noon): 98
• Total Number of Migrants Served by the City since Dec. 9 (as of 5/18/23 at noon): 10,070
• Number of Migrants Sheltered in City Emergency Shelters (as of 5/18/23 at noon): 134
• Number of Migrants Sheltered in Partner Emergency Shelters (as of 5/18/23 at noon): 1,056

*Please note: These numbers only reflect those we have been able to serve, and not those who haven’t been processed yet.

Call for Assistance and Donations

With the sharp increase in migrant arrivals, the shelters are nearing capacity limits, and the city is calling on community partners including non-profits, churches, and other organizations to assist with shelters, donations, and other general support. Interested organizations should visit www.denvergov.org/migrantsupport and click Donations and then the “Sign up to Help with the Response” button.

The following donated items are requested:

• Hygiene product kits (please have the items below all ready to grab in a resealable plastic bag)

• • Soap
  • Deodorant
  • Toothpaste
  • Toothbrush
• Menstrual hygiene product kits
• Diapers (Sizes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6)
• Baby wipes (preferably in bulk)
• Socks (new / unopened only)

The Denver Dream Center (2165 Curtis St, Denver, CO, 80205) is accepting donations Monday-Thursday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Please contact info@denverdc.org prior to delivering to the Dream Center, so staff are prepared to receive your donations.

The Newcomers Fund is currently accepting monetary donations from the public. Donations will go directly to the city’s nonprofit partners who are supporting migrants with resource navigation, shelter, and other services. You can also help out by volunteering to support the response.

Media Note

The dashboard is updated three times per day at 8 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. The Joint Information Center will be monitoring and replying to media inquiries from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 18, Thursday May 18, through Friday, May 19, and between 9 a.m. and noon over the weekend. Media should send all inquiries via email to JIC_News@denvergov.org. When there is important, breaking news, we will provide additional updates and be available for interviews as needed.

Original source can be found here.