Residents and volunteers urge Arvada to fund Mission Arvada shelter and address Old Town safety near St. Anne’s School

Residents, volunteers and staff associated with Mission Arvada told the Arvada City Council on April 1, 2025, that the city should reimburse and provide ongoing funding for the volunteer-run cold-weather shelter and work with partners to locate a permanent navigation center. Speakers also described repeated safety incidents in Old Town near St. Anne’s School and asked the council to act.

The plea came during the meeting’s public-comment period, where more than a dozen people — parents, volunteers and Mission Arvada staff — described winter shelter operations and public-safety concerns. "I urge you to provide funding to Mission Arvada for the services already provided, and to fund the program for the coming winter, so paid staff can coordinate this response," said Susan Doak, a resident who described emergency sheltering after the Severe Weather Shelter Network closed. Doak said volunteers opened a shelter for 46 nights this winter and that an average of 45 people stayed each…