“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society”

Billy Graham

Pulled pork, potato salad and root beer floats—oh my! Denver Rescue Mission’s annual Father’s Day celebration may have looked a little different this year, but it did not disappoint when it came to honoring the fathers in our programs.

On June 17 participants who are part of the STAR Transitional Program and New Life Program at The Crossing were invited to a special BBQ meal in honor of Father’s Day.

As participants walked into The Crossing Café, they were greeted by smiling staff members and goodie bags filled with sunscreen, lip balm, a razor, and salt water taffy.

Once participants grabbed their gifts, they were able to get in line (6 feet apart) to grab their meals. Nine gracious members of Denver Rescue Mission’s Young Professionals group came to serve the meals to the participants. The volunteers’ smiling eyes brought a fresh energy not only to the participants, but also to the staff.

“We are here to serve dinner to them and to thank them for everything they’ve done. And, just to give back and help in our own special way,” Amanda, a young professionals member, said.

Staunch Mission supporter Casey Brown, President of Zimkor, generously donated funds that allowed us to get the savory catered meal from KT’s BBQ.

“We decided to ‘adopt’ Denver Rescue Mission as Zimkor’s charitable organization. It’s always a humbling experience for our folks to come down and work at the Mission,” Brown said.

After program participants received their meals, there was a special treat of root beer floats for dessert. Due to COVID-19, the meals were packaged to-go, so program participants were able to follow social distancing protocols.

Although the fellowship of Mission fathers looked different this year, we were grateful to offer a celebration to honor the men in our program, many of whom have families and are in our long-term programs to heal from past traumas and gain skills to move forward toward self-sufficiency.

Written by: Taylor O’Brien, Public Relations and Events Intern