I just sent this email to the head of the Denver Homeless Project in response to her email to me (see below):

Dear Ms. White,

Thanks very much for your email. Seems to me 40 to 60% alcoholic/addict is still
very much on the low side if we look at those on the street, those who most people
think of as homeless. What would you estimate for those folks?

I have a couple of meetings I attend at Trinity, that's my only connection there. For
the last couple of years I've been the manager of 1311 York Street Club
www.YorkStreetClub.com are you familiar with it?

Mayor Hickenlooper will easily be reelected, and it will be interesting to see how
the course is set for the next four years.

One thing we can certainly all agree on, the people on the streets in Denver are
a real, tragic problem for us all. The deaths far exceed those we see in any school
shooting, but they get over looked because they happen one at a time. Thanks for
your hard work to help find a solution.

John Wren

Mr. Wren:

I am confused about the quote you attribute to me. I don’t recall ever having said that only 13% have a problem with alcohol or drug abuse. I wonder if someone else misquoted me or if it was a reference to a specific subset of homeless but this number doesn’t make any sense. There are a lot of statistics on www.denversroadhome.org, but this shouldn’t be one of them. Depending upon the specific populations (chronic homeless for example), the number can be as high as 40%-60% of the homeless having serious substance abuse or addiction problems. The numbers are much lower for the children and families on the streets, but I am not familiar with any statistic that is 13%. The only 13% number I have is for 2005 when the % of people on the streets who were Veterans was at that point in time 13% but that was not in relation to substance abuse or addiction.

I noticed your involvement with Trinity and have had the good fortune to speak there several times. We appreciate the support from Trinity for the ongoing work at St. Francis Center and for the help with the mentoring program. Trinity is certainly a leader in helping end homelessness.

I hope this helps and if you have more specifics about the quote, I will try to figure out exactly what the reference was.

Thanks, Roxane White

Ben Franklin: In Search of a Better World.Don’t miss this new exhibit at the Denver Museum of Natural History which opened last weekend and runs through May. In it, my hero Benjamin Franklin is shown to be one of American history’s unique personalities.

This exhibition was organized for Franklin’s 300th birthday in Philadelphia and is now touring the country. It examines his fascinating life as a scientist, inventor, diplomat, and how his central role in creating a new society continues to touch American life today. You are immersed Franklin’s world, and inspired by his ingenious problem-solving methods and commitment to looking at the world with a critical eye. Franklin’s own words narrate the exhibition, which was designed in the spirit of his curiosity, wit, and wisdom. There is lots of information about what I think was his best invention, the Junto or what we now call the Franklin Circle. To find out how to join or start a Franklin Circle today, see my website www.JohnWren.com.

I went to see it this past weekend, and it’s so good I’m repeating the visit later this week.




I just posted this comment in response to today’s Denver Post story on the homelessness survey that was just conducted. I think it is a comment Ben Franklin would have made:
Posted By: John Wren (06/03/2007 4:47:45 AM)
Comment: Did the reporter take a critical look at the raw data of this report? I've heard that a young person living with a friend or relative is counted as homeless, is that correct? Also, if the full detail of this survey is available online, why isn't a link provided in the story? And if the detail is not available online, why doesn't the reporter make that important fact known?