WELLNESS

Amesse Elementary in Montbello and Johnson Elementary in the Mar Lee neighborhood.

Because the schools are known, trusted places in the community, people will hopefully feel more comfortable approaching the Wellness Winnies, Horst said. Once they do, they will nd that they do not need to provide insurance, have U.S. documentation or speak English to successfully access care, Horst added.

these kinds of services where the idea is that we have the lowest barriers possible.” sta at Struggle of Love easily connect clients to services without having to ask clients to travel o site or search throughout the city for resources, said Ashley Smith, director of mental health services at Struggle of Love. care and education such as overdose prevention and reversal, Horst said. e Wellness Winnie team also offers taxi vouchers, so that if they refer someone to seek treatment at another site, they can provide the transportation means to get there. e Mini Winnies are a permanent expansion, and the medical services currently have a three-year funding allocation that could be renewed in the future, Horst said. e team is optimistic that the new services will make a big di erence in caring for the Denver community.

DPHE partnered with community organizations like Street Fraternity, Heart and Hand Center and Struggle of Love Foundation to better understand community needs and build trust with residents, Horst said.

Struggle of Love is a nonpro t based in Denver’s Montbello neighborhood that provides underprivileged youth and families with year-round access to various services and programs, including a food pantry, annual toy giveaways and sports and mentorship programs.

People at Struggle of Love have come to know and trust the sta , and feel comfortable approaching the purple vans, Smith said.

“We walk them down personally, and we talk to them to establish those connections right there on the spot, so if they already trust Struggle of Love, then they’ll trust Wellness Winnie because we trust Wellness Winnie,” Smith said.

“ ere continues to be disparities and a lot of stigma that certain communities within Denver really struggle with, even more than just your baseline population,” Horst said. “So with that in mind, we’re excited to have