Dear Friend,

In the summer of 1984 my wife Cindy and I moved out of our apartments stored what little possessions we had with my parents and went on a 6 month 4200 mile bike ride across America and then some. I owned no home other than the tent we carried with us, so for 6 months I braved the elements day in and day out.  I learned how it feels to be outdoors in a rainstorm that continues non-stop for over 2 days.  Your fingers get wrinkled and you never get completely dry until the sun decides to come back out days later.  We would drape our wet clothes over the back of our bike bags in the following days in an attempt to finally dry our gear. I remember being attacked by black flies in Nova Scotia and by horseflies in upstate New York. In our case being homeless for a time was part of a grand adventure but it was a spartan lifestyle that we were happy to abandon and return to the comforts of a home upon our return to Boulder.

The homeless in our midst don't have the luxury of abandoning this lifestyle for a comfortable existence.  They are homeless all year, not just during the warm summer months.  The Samaritan House in Denver is a godsend for many homeless people.  Please donate here to help the Samaritan House and 4 other shelters for the less fortunate people in our midst.

Sincerely,

Pete Dempsey