The Mayor's Mixtape

The Mayor's Mixtape-Episode 42

• City of Pueblo • Episode 42

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On episode 42 of the Mayor's Mixtape, Mayor Graham hosts Rob Miller, President of SafeSide Recovery and Matt Marchand, Executive Director of Southern Colorado SafeSide Recovery and The Pueblo Shelter. Learn about The Pueblo Shelter along with their services like peer support, weekly clinics and employment opportunities.  Get your questions answered about the relief shelter, the residential program, partnerships at the campus, how to donate and more. 

 Interested in supporting The Pueblo Shelter? Visit safesidefoundation to learn how to get involved or donate. 

 Don't forget to like, subscribe and share the podcast. Email your questions or topic suggestions to mayor@pueblo.us.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Welcome to the 42nd episode of the Mayor's Mixtape. We have two guests today. Rob Miller, president of Safeside Recovery, and Matt Marchand. And

Mayor Heather Graham:

Marchand.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Marchand.

Matt Marchand:

Marchand.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Marchand.

Mayor Heather Graham:

Close.

Haley Sue Robinson:

I even practiced it. Executive Director of Southern Colorado Safe Side Recovery and the Pueblo Shelter. And I'm Haley Sue Robinson, Director of Public Affairs for the City of Pueblo.

Mayor Heather Graham:

And I'm Heather Graham, City of Pueblo Mayor.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Great. I'd like to remind you that we're available on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, BuzzSprout, wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch this on Channel 17. And there are lots of opportunities to like, subscribe, and share this podcast. And also want to remind you if you have a question or topic suggestion, you can email us mayor@pueblo.us Okay, so let's get into the public shelter and safe side recovery. Welcome to the podcast, Rob and Matt.

Rob Miller:

Thank you.

Matt Marchand:

Thanks.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Yeah, we're excited to have you guys. Mayor, before we get started with Rob and Matt, can you walk the listener through what it's been like to get us to this point with the public shelter and what the last 18 months have looked like now that the city has ownership of the public shelter?

Mayor Heather Graham:

Well, I would say it's much more successful now than it has ever been. A year and a half ago, 18 months ago, the shelter was about to close. The city came in and acquired the property. We worked with SafeSide. They had been a tenant in the building, 410 building for like a year, maybe at some point.

Rob Miller:

Yeah, for about a year.

Mayor Heather Graham:

And so they came in and helped us with the day-to-day operations so we were able to keep the shelter open. We then put out an RFP last May. SafeSide was successful in receiving the RFP from the city and we've lived happily ever after. Just kidding, no. We've had a very good positive uh relationship, lots of good things going on, wraparound services being provided, hot meal being served every day at 4 30, um, an emergency shelter, relief shelter, as you um now call it, has been open more than 365 days, um, which had never happened before in the city of Pueblo. So we're super excited about this partnership and we look forward to what's on the horizon. Absolutely.

Rob Miller:

Thanks, Mayor.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Um Rob, you got involved with the Pueblo Shelter, was it in 2024?

Rob Miller:

Actually, I don't think I ever told you guys. We made our first contact with the uh Pueblo Rescue Mission in spring of 23.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Oh, really?

Rob Miller:

And it just took a while for us to get in the door. And um at that point, it really looked like they were running a really good shelter from the outside, and we wanted to be part of it and part of helping good things happen. Um, and then finally in spring of 20 um 24 is when we started leasing space there and sort of started seeing a little bit behind the curtain um because we were working with a lot of the residents at the shelter, and they were talking about things now like being yelled at for the whole group. And um for I don't know what reasons, I don't know how you yell at homeless people. Um don't help people get better by yelling at them.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Sure.

Rob Miller:

Um, so we wanted to come in. Um, you know, we didn't we didn't look at Pueblo as just a dot on the map and sort of our our marketing strategy. Um we looked at it as a place where the community really wanted to have take take good care of their their residents, their struggling residents, and we wanted to be part of it. And sort of divine intervention feels like how much of a part of we have become thanks to our partnership with the city. Um I think we're we're taking really good care of our folks and um treating them with dignity, dignity now.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Yeah. That's fantastic. Um, Matt, you're pretty new to the scene here with uh SafeSide and the Pueblo shelter. Can you tell us a little bit about uh your background and what it's like getting started here in Pueblo?

Matt Marchand:

Yeah, I mean, so I guess first my background, I've worked in the um substance use treatment world and for for a while. And then um then I moved on to high acuity mental health, worked with a couple of organizations in that. And so um going from kind of several years ago, kind of the private um commercial insurance into then like working with Medicaid, this was just kind of a progression um working with unhomed individuals, um, kind of suffering both from from both things. So yeah.

Haley Sue Robinson:

And for folks who are not super familiar with SafeSide, um I I think most folks think about the Pueblo shelter and maybe have their kind of preconceived notion or a small understanding, but really what does SafeSide offer? What's unique about what you all do?

Rob Miller:

In general, we are peer support specialists at heart. Um throughout our staff are people with lived experience with homelessness and addiction and crisis and trauma. Um, and they've worked through it and they've built successful lives, and they're working in this industry because they want to share it and help other people go from off the street and off the addiction into a better life. Um so that's who we are at our core, our peer support specialists. Um and that permeates throughout the organization. We're always um leading with compassion. Um, primarily, our our we want to offer hope and dignity um to the people that we work with. Um, so many of the people that we work with throughout their lives have been let down. And sadly, here at the Pueblo Rescue Mission, they were taken advantage of and let down over and over again. Um, and so we want to show consistency, we're gonna be here for you. Um the shelter is here, it's stable. Um, and then we want to offer them great support. Um, we since since we've taken over, and we're really at our one-year anniversary from our initial contract January 1st. Um we've added um case managers, um, we've added additional peer support specialists, we've done training with our shelter staff. Um and our services just continue to grow, and then outside services are growing on what's on campus now.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Sure. So like let's talk a little bit about what those wraparound services are. I know, Mayor, that was important to you is um more than more than just shelter. And when I say just shelter, I I don't mean to minimize it, but I I think a big piece of success is outside of um overnight shelter or even long-term shelter, what the what the wraparound services looks like.

Mayor Heather Graham:

Well, I know you have some additional um services that you just told me about before you came in. Um but we have Catholic Charities Works program, they have an office hours and office space. We have Public Community Health Center, um, and they're one to four o'clock uh every Thursday providing uh mat and any kind of primary care. Um and then you guys do your FriA?

Rob Miller:

FriAs where we give away clothing and and um have additional support for people who are still living on the street and have a food bank that we open every Friday.

Mayor Heather Graham:

And then you have Project Apollo now coming and what was it?

Rob Miller:

Yep, um Leaf Therapy is in there. Um Richard Sansui attorneys um come in once a month to help people with their social security issues. We have a mobile dentist that comes in.

Matt Marchand:

Mobile vaccine over here this month or next month.

Haley Sue Robinson:

So uh a little bit of everything so that folks can get the services that they need.

Rob Miller:

The mayor has been super supportive of that. I mean, multiple of the people who are in our building serving people was sort of her will to try to make that happen. Um she reached out.

Mayor Heather Graham:

Just a call like, hey, you want to come and let me show you all my office space I have.

Rob Miller:

Well, I think you made it happen, whether it was a phone call or whether it was hard or easy, you did it.

Haley Sue Robinson:

You know, and I I think that's one thing uh that's that's unique in this partnership is the accessibility. Uh Mayor, you took some of the new council members uh down to the shelter. And I know we recently had uh a walkthrough tour. I think that's one thing that's surprising to most folks when they go to the shelter is what all is offered there and having them experience what that looks like. Um can you talk a little bit about the emergency shelter or or as you refer to it as the relief shelter and and what those services look like?

Rob Miller:

Sure, Matt, you want to take that?

Matt Marchand:

Yeah, so the relief shelter um is pretty unique. You know, there's um really no prerequisite for staying, just showing up. Um it opens up between 7 and 9 p.m. depending on kind of the weather. Um, and then we extend those hours the closer that we get to freezing or 32 degrees. Um, you know, right now it is there's a male side and a female side. Um we have capacity to I think it's 48 um males, and I think we're at around 20.

Rob Miller:

22 women.

Matt Marchand:

22 women um as of right now. And you know, on the cold evenings we we fill it up. Um but it it's really it's really cool to be a part of because um you you get to have contact with individuals that normally you wouldn't um and start like gaining relationships, planting seeds, um, doing stuff of that nature. Um we also as a part of that, you know, I think we served 75 meals last night right before the set the shelter opened, the relief shelter opened. And so that as a whole um has has been really, really cool to watch. Um in just of recent, I want to say we transitioned six people from the relief shelter into the resident shelter um over the last maybe 10 days.

Haley Sue Robinson:

That's fantastic.

Matt Marchand:

It's been really cool to see. Um and like people, the trust that's there between you know the the unhomed population and and Safe Side and the Pueblo shelter. Um, yeah, it's been really cool.

Mayor Heather Graham:

That was a big thing, the trust getting the community to come back and and trust the shelter and feeling safe and um like that they could go somewhere that you know they weren't gonna be stolen from or yelled at or

Matt Marchand:

I was in the kitchen the other day and something that one of the chefs said to me was kind of stuck out. And we were making um they were making hot dogs and and barbecue stuff, and everything that he placed on the plate for the to give out to the community was barbecue-oriented stuff. And it was so important that we showed up for that community, for the unhome community, and served like cohesive stuff rather than just placement stuff. And like the staff that we have today, there's so much intention and meaning behind what they do, like what their why is, it's been really, really cool to see. And that's how we've been able to like kind of reestablish some of that trust. Um, yeah.

Haley Sue Robinson:

And I I think those things take time, but it to your point, Matt, it has been really intentional.

Matt Marchand:

Yeah.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Um, I think another thing that is interesting that some folks don't quite understand is what's the difference between the relief shelter and then the residential program? What does the residential program look like?

Rob Miller:

Yeah, we kind of see it as a progression. People are living on the street and they hear about the relief shelter, um, which is really just a warm bed over a warm safe bed overnight. They are allowed to, it's it's low barrier, so they can come in drunk and they can come in high. They just need to be quiet and kind. Um, and that's not always easy to do with some people who are drunk and high and living on the street all day. Um, but we open it up every evening, they come in, we do a light pat down on them to make sure that they're they aren't bringing in weapons and drug paraphernalia, and they stay there till seven or eight in the morning unless it's colder and we keep them in longer. Um, but it's really just an overnight bed, and that's the relief shelter. Um But we feel like we're there with a purpose, that we're there to remind them that somebody cares about them and somebody cares that we want to keep you safe and warm tonight, and we hope that they feel that and want to make a change. And it's usually that they're just sick and tired of the life that they've lived as an addict and living on the street, and so they they want to change and they come to us, and we to come into the um resident program, they have to agree to follow some rules. Um, they have to stay sober and pass drug tests, um, they have to be willing to get counseling and work with our coaches, they have to do a chore just like we all have to do at home. We have to, you know, clean our house and do our laundry. Um and they have to be good citizens. Um and for me, that's the funnest part is watching these people in the in the resident program build a community with each other, look out for each other, take care of each other, and make progress. And they make progress there, and then they start getting ready for work, and we start getting work ready, and then they go out and get a job, and then we start looking for housing for them. Um we have recently had someone go full circle that was an outreach person for us in August of um 24. Very sad story, who is now a recovery coach for us um year and a half later.

Haley Sue Robinson:

That's amazing.

Rob Miller:

Um, and it and and those are the stories that we just love. That's what that's why we do the work. Um, we have plenty of of times where we don't get the successes, um, but it's those successes that keep us going and and help us build on that purpose that Matt was talking about.

Haley Sue Robinson:

That's amazing. Um, some other things that folks ask pretty frequently is whether the public shelter accepts donations or if you all are looking for volunteers. Um, so can you talk a little bit about that?

Rob Miller:

We definitely take donations.

Haley Sue Robinson:

I didn't expect you to say no.

Rob Miller:

And I'm hoping that you'll be able to put a link or something like that underneath this um to let people know where they can donate um dollars. Um that really, really helps. Um we are paid by the the city to operate the shelter. Um and just for shelter operations, um the city pays us about ten thousand dollars less than it takes to operate the shelter. Um it's a a bare bone budget that we agreed to a long time ago, and but we've expanded it because we feel like we need to provide better services than that does, and and donations from the community covers that gap for us. So we really appreciate that. Um we we get some grants as well, so that really helps with it. But your donations make a difference. Community, we really we really count on you. Um, and then we get food donated to us. Um sometimes it'll be something really interesting, like somebody's having a wedding on a Saturday, and they've got two extra trays of enchiladas, and they bring them over and we can serve them that night. Um, we get really good support from Care and Share or the Food, the food bank in town. They have been super, super supportive. Um, and then people can also donate clothing, and we're we're really challenged right now with men's pants um and jackets and backpacks. Um, so those things are really, really helpful when they can donate that stuff. The community, the Pueblo community is is really special. Um the heart that they when they donate, you can just see how much they care, how much they they're worried about their people who are living on the street. And then we also see it within our residents that we think of them as homeless. They are not homeless, they have a temporary home right now, and they care about the people on the street. And when we get donations, they earmark things for people that they know are on the street and and want to help the homeless. It's it's really really warm.

Haley Sue Robinson:

That's pretty special.

Rob Miller:

Yeah.

Haley Sue Robinson:

That's great. Um, okay, so this question is for all of you. Um, I'd love for you to share with the listener what your favorite thing is about the Pueblo shelter. It's kind of hard to probably just pick one. So I won't I won't count you off if you pick more than one.

Rob Miller:

For me, it's it's the residence in the resident program. I just love those people. Um the way they care about each other, um, the way they keep trying in in spite of such difficult childhoods and and lives that they've lived, and they show up every day trying to get better. I j I I just love them.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Oh, you Matt

Rob Miller:

Oh my best one. Sorry.

Haley Sue Robinson:

He already took it.

Matt Marchand:

How much time do we have? Um yeah, I'll I'll second the the residents. Um they're super special. Um, our staff, as I've got to know them, um and understanding like why they um choose to get the opportunity to work with unhomed individuals has been really meaningful too. Um the other cool thing that I've gotten to see is the support from the community. I think that's really special. Um, you know, last night, I think before I was leaving at 7:30, a car pulled up and donated a bunch of of goods from a it was just a a local community member, um, a SUV full of stuff. And to to help unload that and uh to thank them and um for them to say, oh, we'll be back. Like that's something really, really cool. I think you hit on the the support that the Pueblo community at large plays in supporting this this population. Um it's been really beautiful to see. Uh and so I think uh I mean the shelter as as a whole, I think is really special. I think that's my favorite part is how it all works together um to make a difference and to to offer hope and And belief in people that um for a long time had it taken away.

Haley Sue Robinson:

How about you, Mayor?

Mayor Heather Graham:

Oh, I I think I would say just the the kindness of the people who are there. Um anytime I walk through there or uh go to see the people at Outreach, you know, sometimes it's interesting because they'll recognize me, right? Or they'll recognize me outside of the shelter. Um on Thanksgiving Day, I was actually outside of my house unloading my car, and one of your guests, you know, came and walked up and said, Hey, hey Mayor Graham, and said, Hey, you know, how's it going? And he said, Oh, you know, I'm over at the shelter, and he said, I'm, you know, I'm gonna go get my mail. And it was it was about 4 30. Um and I was like, that's really cool. That's cool that uh a lot sometimes people think that unhoused people are scary, right? Um I don't I don't feel that when I go to the shelter. Um everybody is always welcoming and kind and kind to each other, and um kind if you're kind to them, right? So I think that that's the most um important thing. And so we're we're happy to have uh that kind of camaraderie um in Pueblo and at our shelter. So thank you guys for

Rob Miller:

Thank you, Mayor.

Matt Marchand:

Thanks for the support.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Yeah, great. Well, have I missed anything that you think our listeners need to know about the Pueblo shelter or um something else you want folks to understand about who you are or what you offer here in Pueblo?

Rob Miller:

I think we've covered it.

Haley Sue Robinson:

We covered it?

Rob Miller:

Yeah.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Okay, good. Good. Um, we'll make sure that um folks know to follow you on Facebook, um, have the opportunity to learn about donations and how to keep in contact with the Pueblo Shelter and Safe Side Recovery. Uh, I just want to say thank you to uh Matt and to Rob for joining us today. It was great to have you on. Um and we are really happy. Uh it's almost a year that we've had this partnership, and it's just been fantastic to see how it's evolved for all of us.

Rob Miller:

Thank you.

Haley Sue Robinson:

Okay, a couple of upcoming events. Um we hope that everyone is safe on New Year's Eve and celebrates responsibly. And uh the city will be closed for business beginning at two o'clock on Wednesday, December 31st, and will remain closed on New Year's Day and will reopen on Friday, January 2nd. Um also the Westside Improvement Public Meeting, which was originally scheduled for December 3rd, has been rescheduled. New meeting date is Thursday, January 8th, and the presentation will be live streamed on the city's Facebook page, or you can join us in person. The meeting is 5 to 7:30 at uh Fire Station 11. And then additionally, we'll have our swearing in for the newly elected city counselors on Monday, January 12th. So looking forward to that. Um I'd like to invite the listener to email us with questions or topics you want to hear or see covered. Um you can email us mayor@ pueblo.us, and you can find this on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Buzz sprout, wherever you get your podcasts. Tell your friends, share with your neighbors, and we will see you next week. Thanks again for joining us today.

Mayor Heather Graham:

Happy New Year's