Wanda has been a Metro Denver resident for over 50 years and lives modestly on a fixed income in Aurora.
Her granddaughter, Amanda, a thirty-year-old mother of three, has experienced homelessness for almost ten years, and rarely sees her children. When Wanda agreed to care for her granddaughter, she didn’t know how she’d be able to feed or clothe her.
That’s when she decided to call the Mile High United Way 2-1-1 Contact Center to seek resources for food, clothing and health examinations for her granddaughter. “It’s unbelievable how many services I was able to secure for Amanda from calling 2-1-1,” Wanda said, “I was referred to places close to my neighborhood, and I’m surprised by the amount of resources we had right in our own backyard that I couldn’t locate on my own.”
With a single call to 2-1-1, Wanda uncovered a myriad of options to help her granddaughter transform her life. The 2-1-1 referral specialist was able to match Wanda and Amanda with multiple Mile High United Way Impact Partners including Friends of Saint Andrew, Metro Caring and Colorado Coalition for the Homeless’ Stout Street Health Center. From these resources, Amanda received food, clothing and shoes, dental care, therapy for psychological issues, drug and alcohol-related counseling, legal services, antibiotics and bloodwork. Wanda recalled her experience with Mile High United Way, “If I hadn’t called 2-1-1, I never could have afforded to have Amanda stay with me. She would have had to continue living on the streets during a cold and snowy winter.”
Due to this drastic new change in Amanda’s lifestyle, she is now on the road to recovery. She has started a vocational program through the Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, where she will learn new job skills to help her transition back into the workforce and strive to reach adult self-sufficiency. Make the choice today to support families and individuals like Wanda and Amanda who are in need of a helping hand.
Learn more about 2-1-1.
