Dear friends of Catholic Charities serving Larimer County:

Last month, Samaritan House Fort Collins quietly reached an important milestone. On February 24, 1989, Catholic Charities opened this shelter at 460 Linden Center Drive. Time keeps marching on and the need for the lifesaving services provided in this corner of north Fort Collins is arguably more critical than ever.

We have pivoted several times over the past few years and are now the only emergency shelter for women and families in Larimer County. We’ve expanded our services to 24/7 access for all we serve in August 2021. The numbers of those we serve has exploded and these elevated numbers have now become the norm. In the last 60 days alone, nearly 100 individuals have been served on a nightly basis, about a third of whom are part of families. That’s why we’ve made some changes in our former men’s dorm to double our capacity for families. We are also in the process of remodeling our bathrooms to make them more family-friendly.

As our nation and world continue to come to terms with our post pandemic “new normal”, those individuals and families that were struggling to make ends meet before, are now faced with dramatically increased costs in life’s daily staples like a dozen eggs or a gallon of gas. This new reality has pushed many to their breaking point. Additionally, many of the provisions made available during the pandemic for rental and utility assistance have dried up as well. The cumulative impact of these issues has been devastating.

We are confident that God will continue to bring workers to join us in His work and will enable us to do what we all feel He has called us to do in this time and place. It remains a privilege to extend His healing ministry to the poor and those in need of Larimer County.

During times such as these, the support we have received and continue to receive from you has been not only a source of tremendous encouragement, but also in a very real and tangible way allows us to do what we do each day. Thank you so much for all you have done to support the work of Samaritan House Fort Collins. Quite literally, 34 years after opening our doors, we would not be here without you.

Joe Sarr Executive Regional Director, Catholic Charities serving Larimer County