Posts tagged winter

Jann Scott’s Journal is the story and life of Boulder Icon and talk host Jann Scott. He has been in print, on radio and on TV in Boulder since 1989. Some consider him the voice of Boulder’s soul.

Some names have been changed in this column out of respect to the homeless men discussed here.

At 6:30 pm I picked up Chad outside of the Boulder One Foundation where he had attended an AA meeting.. Cleo had called me at 5:00 and asked if I could give Chad a ride to St Andrews Church on Baseline which hosts tonight’s BOHO, Boulder Outreach Homeless Overflow. She didn’t feel comfortable giving a homeless street alcoholic a ride anywhere.

I have known Chad for 30 years. He grew up in Boulder and has been on and off the streets due to his chronic addiction to alcohol. Tonight he was sober as a Boulder County judge. He’s been sober for the past few months. But he’s penniless.

When we arrived at St. Andrews there was a line of 130 people outside the door. White Horse who runs BOHO came out to greet me. Inside was his wife Julie and two other staff members. Next a personal media tour took place where I saw an elaborate housing operation under way. Room after room was filled with mats, bedding, plastic floor coverings, dog kennels, snacks. Card tables  up with computers were set in the lobby for staff. At seven the doors opened for Boulder’s poor , hungry unwashed and forgotten.

One of the problems is that this population  are not sober enough for the Boulder Homeless Shelter.Over 80%of them are intoxicated. They are all alcoholics of the hopeless street variety. White Horse and his team provide dignity, shelter, clothes and food for these chronically ill people.  These are not out of work construction workers or scientists. These are chronic street alcoholics.

During the night the police will stop by routinely with more drunk homeless men and women who need shelter.
Unlike the Boulder Homeless Shelter, BOHO is a wet shelter. As long as people behave they can come in. That’s good otherwise we would have more dead frozen guys.

This goes on night after night in Boulder in a different church every night. The churches are all Christian and one Jewish Temple. Christian Judea teachings really call upon its members to help the poor. And thank God it does. It does not seem to be the case in Boulder’s other 200 religions in my experience.

According to the staff no city or county officials, no commissioners, no council member, no judges or city or district attorneys have ever visited BOHO when it is in full swing on a cold winter night. They need to be there and get a tour. This is the low down side of homelessness.

As for Chad, he thanked me for the ride and will try to stay close to the few sober people in BOHO for the night.  In the morning when he has to leave at 8:00, he will brave the weather and head back over to Boulder One Foundation for more AA meetings, free coffee and warmth of the building and recovering alcoholics.

BOHO estimates there are over 2, 000 homeless people sleeping outside tonight. 260 more of them are in BOHO or Boulder Homeless Shelter. 30 additional are at the Addiction Recovery Center.  200 more are in the Boulder County Jail. Another 40 will go to Boulder Community Hospital ER homeless entrance.  The police, fire and ambulance will go on 10 callsl to pick up more street addicts. We will spend $5,000 tonight providing them emergency services.  These are men and women who have lost their ability to metabolize alcohol and drugs and they are dying on our streets. Until they do BOHO offers shelter from the storm.

God Bless them this Christmas

Jann Scott
Boulder, Colorado

“If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your light will become like the noonday.” (Isaiah 58:10).

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