Nonprofit Distributes Last Lunches From Denver Building Broken Into 5 Times This Year

DENVER (CBS4) - Travis Singhaus has closed doors before, always with the intent to open them elsewhere. He plans on doing so again, but exactly where remains to be seen.

Singhaus is the CEO and founder of Impact Locally, a nonprofit that has been located at its 25th and Welton building for the last four years.

That's changing now.

Singhaus has suspended operations due to five recent break-ins and ongoing vandalism.

"We're just basically no longer to operate out of this location because it's just not safe and it's cost us too much," Singhaus told CBS4's Conor McCue last month after he had made his decision. "It's had to increase our cost in our insurance, increase our cost with our security company. Just those increases in costs alone have been astronomical."

Sunday, a troop of volunteers gathered at the building to assemble 600 lunches and distribute them among Denver's increasing homeless population.

It was Impact Locally's last operation out of the facility.

"During COVID," Singhaus said Sunday, "people are extremely appreciative because that might be the only meal they're getting that day."

Singhaus said his crew used to launch for lunches once a month, but now Impact Locally is one of few outfits offering meals and sends out 1,000 a week.

Denver has acquired 8,000 more unhoused visitors in the last year alone, Singhaus said.

Did he considering closing the doors permanently?

"Absolutely not. We realize there's people still more in need than ever. We are doing everything we can to secure a new location. Us not being open great affects the community. Having that (new) location is critical."