DENVER (KDVR) — For 36 years, Catholic Charities Samaritan House has been helping those in need with shelter, food and housing. Now it’s adding a medical clinic for children to that list.
Children make up more than half the population at any given time at Samaritan House.
“Here at Samaritan House we have 39 families and on average we are serving 70-plus children at a time,“ Jennifer Davies, Samaritan House resident life director, said.
Catholic Charities of Denver’s Samaritan House has joined up with Every Child Pediatrics to provide on-site medical care for the children at no cost to the family.
“There is a lot of barriers for children especially if they are experiencing homelessness. Especially if you have multiple kiddos, I think any parent knows lugging kids anywhere is difficult,“ Davies said.
The clinic cost about $500,000 and is staffed by a pediatrician and three others.
“I think the biggest benefit of this clinic is just kind of removing barriers for people who have so many barriers in their lives,“ Dr. Leah Ramsey said.
The clinic is designed to provide much overdue health care and easy access when kids do get sick.
“I don’t know that there has been a partnership like this. It is not something that I have heard of before, having a clinic in a homeless shelter,” Ramsey said.
The clinic officially opened on March 2 and has so far seen over 40 children.