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 night.

Why it matters: Mission Arvada and partner churches filled a gap left when the countywide winter shelter network closed; speakers said that without city support, volunteer-run services are hard to sustain and that the concentration of services in Old Town has produced safety incidents near local schools. Several parents said they had found drug paraphernalia near school property and reported offers made to children through playground fences.

Speakers described rapid volunteer mobilization and operating constraints. "In less than 8 weeks, Mission Arvada mobilized volunteers, raised funds and completed essential building upgrades such as boiler repairs and emergency lighting to meet code requirements for overnight sheltering," said Susan Mueller, who identified herself as a lead volunteer for Storyline Church. Volunteer and civic speakers said 235 volunteers helped run the shelter this winter; Mission Arvada and partner churches provided food, day-shelter services and navigation help, they said.

Multiple parents said they were grateful for Arvada Police Department responses but pressed the council for a longer-term solution. Dan Rickard, who identified himself as a parent and playground leader at Shriner/St. Anne’s School, said the proximity of shelter services to the school is a problem: "Do all children deserve a safe and nurturing environment or not?" he asked. John Butterfield, another parent, said: "Something needs to change before the worst happens."

Mission Arvada’s finance director, Keith Cowling, addressed comments by a councilmember about the organization’s accounts. "As the finance director, I take exception to that," Cowling said, and asked officials to contact him if they had financial questions. A 12-year-old volunteer, Bennett Mueller, delivered a personal plea to reduce stigma: quoting a shelter guest, he said, "No one wants to hire you when you're homeless."

Speakers also warned of pending service gaps elsewhere in the county. A Mission Arvada volunteer said Recovery Works will close its doors May 1 for renovations and that the central Jefferson County library may close this fall, which could reduce local day-shelter capacity.

Council did not vote on funding during the meeting. At the start of public comment the council stated that it does not respond to remarks during the meeting and that issues raised during public comment "will be referred to the city team for further research and resolution, if appropriate." The council did not set a date for any formal action on Mission Arvada funding at the April 1 meeting.

Ending: Speakers asked the council to treat Mission Arvada the way the city previously treated the Severe Weather Shelter Network (which had received city reimbursements in past years) and to pursue a permanent navigation center or relocation that would move shelter services away from school property. The council will carry the public comments to staff for follow-up research and potential future agenda action.