Volunteers Try To Help Homeless Cleared From Platte River Camps
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - As Englewood police clear out homeless camps along the South Platte River, volunteers offering to help those displaced say the process can be an emotional one.
"I think it's okay to feel sad when you encounter folks who are in really rough situations in life," said Mike Sandgren with Wellspring Church in Englewood.
Sandgren is also with Change the Trend Network. Wednesday, he and other volunteers worked alongside police and mental health professionals. He and others have been visiting the site for more than a week, offering assistance and letting people know where they can go for help.
"We want to make sure that everyone knows where those places are and when they're open so they can come and engage those spaces where they'll be met in a productive and supportive way," he told CBS4's Dominic Garcia.
For the last several weeks the City of Englewood has been telling homeless campers along the South Platte River they must move. Police warned they would arrest those who didn't move out by Wednesday.
Sandgren says some people took them up on their offer, others didn't. When it comes to accepting help, he says it's not always that easy.
"I think it's a matter of where people are at in their life. You'll walk with someone and they'll be able to take several steps forward, and then maybe something will happen and they'll take a few steps back," he told CBS4.
After all of the cleanup is complete, the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District will begin a reseeding campaign to mitigate the damage to the riverbank.
LINK: Change The Trend
